Hotel Grimsborgir: The Secluded Paradise You’ve Been Looking For | Next Departure

In September of 2022, we were so lucky to experience a country that was always on our bucket list, Iceland. We had major plans to head over to the beautiful country back in 2017-2018 when WOW Air was at its height of their popularity with flight fares from Toronto for only $99 one way. We never ended up booking with them and unfortunately, the airline went out of business in 2019. For now, PLAY Airlines is replacing them with comparable pricing. They don’t fly directly out of Toronto yet but we expect the route to be added soon. For this trip, we used Aeroplan points to fly direct with Air Canada. It was our first time catching a flight so late at 11 pm and five and half hours later, we embarked on what became one of the top trips we’ve ever taken.

After spending a night in Reyjakvik, we hit the road. We hiked the Glymur trail for three straight hours, and checking out Þingvellir National Park for a couple of hours more, our tired bodies arrived at the luxurious Hotel Grimsborgir. The calming white buildings and their welcoming staff made us super excited to explore the grounds. Staying in and getting cozy was much more appealing than going back out.

Hotel grounds resemble resort grounds, where rooms, suites, and separate apartments are located in different buildings. In some apartments, there are two or even four bedrooms, making them almost like mini cottages. It’s a great place to stay if you are traveling with a large family or group of friends.

Location

Located only a 15-minute drive from the city of Selfoss, and only 30 minutes from Þingvellir National Park, the hotel is in the perfect location within the Golden Circle. The closest attraction is the Kerid Crater which is only a 7-minute drive It’s secluded from busy tourist areas yet not too far away. There’s nothing but the scenery that surrounds the grounds, which makes it very serene and peaceful. It’s also a great place to stay if you want to witness the Northern Lights. There’s even a special wake-up service when they’re visible!

Junior Suite

We stayed in a Junior Suite which faced the sunset. It was on the ground level with the entrance on the outside. The suite was very large and spacious and extremely clean. The room was beautifully designed with light and neutral tones. Floral artwork was complemented by large beautiful chandeliers. Big white couches with a large coffee table made for a great living room. In addition to a writing desk and chair, there was a bench at the end of the bed. It’s so important to have places to sit and relax aside from the bed, and the suite provided plenty of them. I got a very spa-like feeling when I was in the room.

The closet was immense. It was large enough to hold all of our luggage and backpacks, as well as ample shelf space for our smaller belongings. The closet doors were large mirrors.

The bathroom was spacious with two vanities and lots of shelves. The best part of this whole suite was that were two separate showers on either end of the bathroom! A standup shower with beautiful tile work and a ceramic bathtub with a rain shower. After traveling to thousands of hotels in our lifetime, this was a first! So much time is saved when multiple people can shower at the same time. The idea seemed pure genius. The suite also came with a gas fireplace.

Outdoor Space

Junior Suites feature a spacious terrace furnished with outdoor furniture where guests can relax. We loved the room interior so much that we neglected to sit outside. But it’s a great place to sit, have a drink and enjoy the warm and sunny weather.

There are two outdoor hot tubs for use within a few steps of our room entrance. The room comes with bathrobes and slippers which we used to walk out to the hot tubs. Watching the sunset while soaking our tired legs was such a treat. It was truly magical.

Food and Drink

The main building where the reception is located also has a restaurant, a beautiful bar, and a lounge as well as where we got our breakfast. The bar hosts happy hour every day from 4 pm-6 pm.

Breakfast is included for all guests and the selection of items is a large variety. We had a fresh omelet made on the spot as well as bacon, beans, and sausages. There were also smoked salmon as well as tuna salad. A freshly baked variety of bread and pastries were enjoyed with a glass of mimosas. We were surprised to see there were shot glasses of fish oil also available. We made sure to have the delicious skyr with muesli and fresh fruits.