Seeking sushi and northern lights in Iceland

Six minutes from famous music and conference centre Harpan, the hotel describes itself as “at the junction of Icelandic history and style”, and some of the city’s most popular bars and restaurants are also just minutes away.

There’s plenty to do at the hotel though if you feel like staying put – especially during the winter months when daylight is at a minimum. There’s a small 24-hour gym and a bathhouse, open to all guests to recharge “the Icelandic way” (in a hot tub and sauna that takes its heat from geothermal activity) from 7am to 10pm.

The bathhouse features an original 19th-century stone wall, and the hotel’s historical features don’t stop there. The reconstruction of the building, which in the 19th and 20th century housed a grand department store run by Consul Thomsen, a prominent Icelandic merchant and entrepreneur – was completed in 2018.

Thomsen welcomed the first foreign dignitaries to the country in the 19th century, establishing a legacy of international hospitality in Iceland. The hotel’s new interiors pay tribute to this, including black and white photography throughout, and the 50 rooms and suites are filled with eclectic vintage furnishings.

The hotel’s GOTT restaurant is where chefs Sigurdur Gislason and Berglind Sigmundsdottir create healthy food using all local ingredients, and that speedy sushi session wasn’t the only culinary quest I had, sampling the breakfast buffet brimming with fresh fish and cold cuts, as well as vegan and gluten-free options.

General manager Brynhildur Gudmundsdottir tells me the hotel staff are itching to welcome back guests.

“My team and I have used the time wisely by joining forces with other hotels under the Curio Collection by Hilton umbrella to plan for the re-opening,” she says. “We have focused on being positive and holding on to the light and warmth of hospitality that characterises us, and we cannot wait to welcome guests to our beautiful hotel.”

Good to know

• The hotel offers a “grab and go” breakfast option from 4am-6.30am upon request, for early risers.
• Popular nearby eateries and bars include Slippbarinn, Geiri Smart Restaurant and the famous Baejarins Beztu Pylsur hot dog stand, established in 1937.
• The hotel follows the Hilton CleanStay Program, with Covid protocols including increased cleaning of public areas, more antibacterial hand sanitisers, and the “continuing adjustment of food and beverage services” in accordance with the latest food safety recommendations.
• There is a 24-hour off-site garage available (at a charge) for parking, for those conducting a self-drive trip, as I was.
• Reykjavik has two international airports, with Keflavik (to which most UK carriers fly in approximately three hours), a 50-minute drive from The Konsulat.

How to book it

Rooms at Reykjavik Konsulat Hotel start from approximately £230 per night for summer, including a continental breakfast.