Home away from home

Guest: Sabrina (Seattle, Wa USA)
Date of Stay: 07/08/11 Review Submitted: 10/18/11

My family of 4 stayed in this very sweet property the summer 2011. The owner was extremely helpful and quick in answering all my questions, including when I didn't have the physical address and we were leaving in 24 hours! The apartment had one bedroom, that faced the street ,with two twin beds. The other bedroom had a king sized bed and faced the back yard. All of the linens were extremely crisp, clean and very appreciated after our long flight. The kitchen was stocked with coffee and spices and the bathroom had ample toilet paper. The morning sun, breakfast in that wonderful kitchen and feeling at home was wonderful for us. The location was perfect. We did not need a car and used public transportaton. Through no fault of the owner or other tenants, we had trouble sleeping when the other owners were chatting in the back yard. The front bedroom did not have this issue. This would not, however, deter us from staying again. Thank you Huda for creating such a wonderful home away from home.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, tourists without a car, age 55+, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children.

Central location and excellent apartment

Guest: Robbie (Seattle)
Date of Stay: 08/11/11 Review Submitted: 10/14/11

The location could not be improved. It is a block off the main street in Reykjavik, and yet there is parking available without too much searching. The apartment itself was great - two plenty-big bedrooms, a very well-supplied kitchen, a full bath and a useful living room. We didn't do much in the apartment except sleep, but if you wanted to have some friends over for dinner or to watch a movie it would be a nice space. I'd happily visit here again.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, tourists without a car, sightseeing, families with young children.

june in Reykjavik

Guest: misha (USA)
Date of Stay: 06/11/11 Review Submitted: 10/10/11

The place is well located, on a quet street, yet...a couple of blocks from the main street. It is simple, well maintained, well organised, and clean. We are 2 adults and 2 grown up kids, and there was a plenty of space for us. We were there to travel and explore as much as we could, waking up at 8, and goin tro sleep at 12...so we were not looking for a luxury.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, tourists without a car, adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children.

We loved Reykjavik and this apartment

Guest: Germaine (Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada)
Date of Stay: 06/23/11 Review Submitted: 10/10/11

The apartment was excellent - everything went smoothly, from the meet and key reception, to the functionality, proximity, cleanliness and comfort of the property. The beds were very comfortable, the kitchen was very well stocked and functional. We loved the windows allowing a breeze through the apartment. The girls (11 and 17) loved their own room, the cool floors and the "cuteness" of how sweet it looked. My husband and I especially enjoyed Hulda's photography on the walls. The listing was very accurate. We loved the location of the apartment in the context of our "to-do" list in Reykjavik (ahh the pools!) and the proximity to downtown. We ended up renting a car for a few days and didn't find the parking a concern at all - even had front door parking at night. Hulda was great to correspond with, very helpful. We loved Reykjavik and will come back again soon!!

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, romantic getaway, tourists without a car, adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing.

Perfect!

Guest: Char (Seattle, Washington)
Date of Stay: 06/17/11 Review Submitted: 10/09/11

My friend and I stayed here for four nights in June, and we loved it. As others have stated the location is perfect. Very close to the main drag, yet quiet and serene, which is important to me as a light sleeper. In fact we were traveling with a friend who stayed in a hotel on the main drag and she was kept up all night by people celebrating Iceland's Independence Day. I loved the decor, so cute/unique, and if I remember correctly the bed was quite comfortable. The apartment is actually a lot roomier than it looks in the photos. There is no hair dryer available, so you should pack one if that's important to you. I had asked Hulda ahead of time, and decided not to pack one anyway, and I found it very liberating. :) Reykjavik is a wonderful city, smaller than I imagined, and great for walking. You can easily walk to all destinations in town from this apartment. Highly recommended! Oh, and here's a hot tip, the apartment is only two blocks away from the Sundhöll Reykjavíkur Swimming Pool. This is a beautiful building (much photographed apparently), and we really enjoyed soaking in the hot tubs on the roof and swimming in the indoor pool... "Reykjavík’s longest running (and only) indoor swimming pool. Opened in March 1937, it was designed by Guðjón Samúelsson, the state architect of Iceland, after his first proposal got dismissed due to it’s so called ‘theatrical nature’. Construction eventually commenced on a subsequent design in 1929. Guðjón’s other noticeable postcard scenarios include the National Theatre of Iceland and the church Hallgrimskirkja, also commissioned in 1937."

Owner response:Thanks Charlene! I´m glad you enjoyed your stay! The swimming pool is great I agree. I´m seriously considering getting a hairdryer...

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, tourists without a car, adventure seekers, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children.

Great location, calm surroundings

Guest: lsquaredp (Manchester, UK)
Date of Stay: 08/24/11 Review Submitted: 09/08/11

I stayed here during a conference and was definitely happy with the flat (am actually sad that I did not get the chance to enjoy it more as my schedule was quite packed). Lots of space, good location (everything is within walking distance), lovely decor, super well-maintained, and all the stuff you need to make you feel 'at home' is there. Really enjoyed it. Would definitely recommend.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, romantic getaway, tourists without a car, girls getaway, families with young children.

Perfect Gem, Perfect Reykjavik Location

Guest: Nina + Chris + Christina (New York, NY + Copenhagen, Denmark)
Date of Stay: 08/05/11 Review Submitted: 08/17/11

This place was absolutely perfect and exactly as described - I am a 33-year-old architect and interior designer and I stayed here with my 2 friends, also in their mid-30's, and we all LOVED our experience renting this adorable, comfortable, light-filled, personality-filled apartment, start to finish. Hulda is very responsive and also was very helpful in identifying restaurants and galleries in the area for us during our stay. We took the bus from the airport and were able to walk to the flat from the bus terminal, and it is smack in the middle of everything you would ever want to do in Reykjavik. Great location. ONLY thing to note is that you must arrange WiFi ahead of time, and it needs to be pre-paid. We did not do this, but there are plenty of free hotspots all over Reykjavik, including at the wonderful Kaffismidja cafe just a few short blocks away.

Owner response:Great guests with very reasonable expectations. I should make in more clear with the WiFi that is true but some unexpected developments with my health in August made it a bit difficult to arrange for the WiFi this time.

Recommended for:Families with teenagers, romantic getaway, tourists without a car, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children.

our Icelandic experience

Guest: Bob (east freetown ma USA)
Date of Stay: 09/28/10 Review Submitted: 11/04/10

my wife and I rented Hulda's apartment for 3 nights at the end of September.The apartment was clean and cozy;we especially liked the kitchen.The location could not have been better;one block from the main street near all the stores and super markets.From this location we were able to walk everywhere in the center of the city and along the waterfront.If we ever return to Reykjavik we would not hesitate to rent this apartment again

Recommended for:Romantic getaway, tourists without a car, adventure seekers, age 55+, girls getaway, sightseeing, families with young children.

Great location!

Guest: 2 Canadian Retirees (Canada)
Date of Stay: 08/28/10 Review Submitted: 09/15/10

After taking the Flybus 45 minutes to the BSI(bus Terminal) and a 5 minute cab ride,we arrived to the apartment exactly as described.We had several questions to the owner before we arrived,and all were answered in a professional manner.There were great cafes,restaurants,shopping within a 5 minute walk to trhe main street of Laugavegur from our place.There is a small convenience store called VikiVaki 30 seconds away,and 10-11 store(like a 7-11) very close by.Not having a rental car,this was very important to us.There is no phone here,but we purchased a phone/Sim card at the Kringlan Mall(part of the Hop On/Hop Off city tour) for a reasonable price.There is also no internet-not a problem as there are several cafes,restaurants,even a hostel with Wi-Fi close by.We took the Blue Lagoon,Golden Circle,and west Iceland tours by GoTravelIceland tour company-all highly recommended.A 15-20 cab fare away is an excellent seaside golf course(Korpa)that ate up a few golf balls. Although the owner was extremely helpful,it should be noted that extra banking charges insisted upon by the owner added $120 Can. to our final tally.The owner insisted upon a certain method of payment,and would not take a credit card or an international money order or draft for either the deposit or final payment. Overall,we quite enjoyed our stay here and would recommend this apartment for a relaxing stay.

Owner response:Thank you. I have been very lucky with guests so far. I feel the same thing about the payment and the internet and tried to find solutions. I have been able to receive credit card payments for some months now (they paid in spring) and pre-paid internet wi-fi has been installed. People would still need to bring their own computers with wi-fi and notify me if they want to have internet access during their stay (pre-paid).

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, families with young children.

Lives up to description

Guest: Pico (New York, NY)
Date of Stay: 08/06/10 Review Submitted: 08/21/10

We stayed here in the summer with our five year-old daughter. We would definitely recommend this apartment to anyone visiting Reykjavik. The location is great because it is only one block from the main shopping street, but extremely quiet. We enjoyed the quirky decorating touches, and found the apartment very comfortable.

Recommended for:Tourists without a car, sightseeing, families with young children.