Hlemmur Square

Hlemmur Square is situated in a simple, five-story building from the 1930s with a flat, cream-colored facade that extends into rounded corners. Hlemmur Square is part hotel, part hostel, and part apartments. The hotel portion of Hlemmur Square, which this review focuses on, occupies the fifth floor, while hostel rooms are situated on the third and fourth floors. (Hlemmur Square also owns on and off-site studio and suite-style apartments.)

While the exterior looks dated, the inside of the hotel underwent a total renovation in the summer 2013 and is fresh, clean, and stylish. Modern and traditional pieces combine for a look that's homey with a minimalistic, Scandinavian air. In the lobby, smooth gray floors meet cream-colored walls. A cup-shaped purple chair and square gray couches sit near the reception offset the more traditional wood tables and classic fringed rugs in the lobby. The library offers up classic, velvety tufted couches and elegant carved wood chairs that face a chess table set. The restaurant, Pulsa, opened in 2015. It's classy and casual with rustic tables, an eclectic mix of chairs, and beautiful hanging chandelier lights. 

Hlemmur Square hotel is situated near the end of Laugavegur, the city's main shopping street, about a 15-minute walk from the heart of downtown Reykjavik. It shares the neighborhood with many hotels and hostels, and plenty of shops and restaurants are in walking distance in the direction of downtown. The iconic Hallgrímskirkja Cathedral and the popular Sun Voyager Sculpture are a 10-minute walk from the property. The Hlemmur bus station is directly across from the hotel, and Keflavik International Airport (KEF) is about a 50-minute drive. The hotel can help arrange for shuttle or taxi service, and while there's no parking available on-site, the area has paid street parking and nearby parking garages. 

The property's fifth-floor hotel rooms feature minimalistic, modern decor with light wood floors, gray walls, orange accent walls, and exposed concrete beams. Comfortable beds have fresh-white Lissadell linens. Furniture, like small night tables and desks, are black with silver accents. Rooms include work desks and lamps, wardrobes with robes and safes, flat-screen TVs, and free Wi-Fi. All rooms also have minibars with snacks and drinks, though there are no coffee/tea-making facilities. Bathrooms are a bit small and modern. These are fully tiled with black floors and white subway tiling on the walls. The showers tend to be roomy, with a transparent glass wall and large rainfall showerheads. Bathrooms come stocked with Bigelow toiletries. Most rooms have private balconies, and upgraded rooms may have sitting areas or even a grill on the terrace. While rooms tend to be quiet, light sleepers may want to avoid rooms that face the bus station.

Features are limited at this tiny hotel and tend to focus on food. Guests of the hotel and hostel have access to a stylish but casual first-floor bar that offers over 60 different craft beers, cocktails, daily happy hours, and live music each week. A classy and casual on-site restaurant serves up gourmet sausages and a variety of sides for lunch and dinner. The hotel offers a daily breakfast buffet, which is pricey but on-par for the city. The selection includes standard buffet fare like bread, cereal, meat, and cheese in addition to make-your-own waffles. An unexpected perk is 24-hour room service.

The hotel also has a concierge and laundry service. Overnight dry cleaning, car rentals, and secretarial services can be arranged. Currency exchange is also available. Wi-Fi is free throughout the property.