Hotel Keflavik

There's a quirky charm to this family-owned hotel, but the mashup of styles looks less like purposeful design and more like something that's unfinished. The block glass entry, mirrored ceiling tiles, brown marble flooring, and brass finishings throughout the reception area immediately date the property. Then the mix-up begins, with a contemporary seating area that features plush leather sofas, hot beverages 24-hours a day, and a cozy fireplace. The small dining area, where free breakfast is served, mixes a gray-slate wall with a Scandinavian-style folk art mural and small, Impressionist-style prints hung among minimalist tables and chairs. The contemporary restaurant and bar are housed beneath a glass solarium. This hotel draws mostly short-stay tourists in need of a place near the airport. 

The Hotel Keflavik is on a residential street in Keflavik, surrounded by shops and cafes and just a three-minute walk away from the Atlantic Ocean. Once the ocean is reached, in addition to views of West Iceland's Snæfellsjökull glacier, another 14 minutes on foot will take visitors to the Cave of the Giantess. By car, the Viking museum is eight minutes away. The geothermal spas of the Blue Lagoon are 22 minutes away by car. And the hotel is very convenient to Keflavik International Airport, just an eight-minute drive away. 

The rooms in this family-run hotel have been individually decorated, and the decor varies wildly. Some rooms have wall-to-wall maroon carpeting with gold and black bedspreads and curtains, while other upgraded rooms feature laminate floors and animal-print fabric accents, still other rooms feature marble floors and a neutral color scheme. The furnishings are mostly contemporary, but by and large look like they're from Ikea. All rooms include mini-fridges, safes, and either Nespresso machines or kettles for making coffee and either flat-screen or tube-style TVs. Some rooms feature hot tubs and a Mac computer, or over-the-top unneccesary extras like red LED lights around the room perimeter and confusing remote controls and telephones. Some bathrooms have LED lights in the sinks and showers. Most bathrooms feature wand shower/tub combinations, hairdryers, and toiletries. 

The Hotel Keflavik is close to the airport and offers free transport one way, or it can arrange for a car rental and has free parking. There's free coffee and tea all day long in the lobby, and vending machines are available in addition to the restaurant and bar. The free breakfast buffet serves freshly-baked pastries, cakes, scrambled eggs, and waffles. The fitness facility in the basement is enormous, with weights, cardio machines, a sauna, and a tanning bed as well as a separate area for group fitness classes. An indoor whirlpool placed next to windows provides a cozy place to watch the Northern Lights. The business center features public computers and there's a meeting/conference room. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel. Dry cleaning and laundry services are available for an additional fee.