Hotel Selfoss Iceland – Full Hotel Review
Of all the places we stayed on our recent Iceland road trip, Hotel Selfoss was one of our favourites. We changed our accommodation almost every night, travelling from the western region and the Snaefellsnes Peninsula to the beautiful southern coast.
But out of everywhere we stayed, Hotel Selfoss stood out. It had a wonderful breakfast buffet, a fantastic spa, and very affordable prices for Iceland. Plus, the location is excellent.
So, if you’re on the fence about booking a room at this hotel, here’s our experience staying there and everything you need to know.
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Location
Let’s start with the location. Situated along the southern coast of Iceland, Hotel Selfoss is located in the town of the same name. Selfoss is around an hour by car from Reykjavik and 1 hour and 20 minutes from Keflavík Airport.
The easiest way to get there is by hiring a car and driving yourself. However, you can get there by public transport.
This will take 2.5 hours from Kefvalkik as you have to get a bus into Reykjavik and then take another to Selfoss. Alternatively, going straight from Reykjavik takes around 1.5 hours.
Selfoss itself is a great little town to base yourself in. There’s everything you need for a night, or for longer. There’s a selection of restaurants, a fantastic food hall where we had a burger, a petrol station where you can refuel and a supermarket for stocking up on groceries.
We only stayed at Hotel Selfoss for one night, but we could definitely have stayed another. It’s a great base for exploring many of the waterfalls along the South Coast and also great for touring the Golden Circle.
The hotel is also close to popular sights in south Iceland including Kerid Crater (only 14 minutes by car), the famous Geysir (only 50 minutes by car), and Seljalandsfoss waterfall, which is only an hour away.
It’s also close to a few hidden gems including the Caves of Hella (just 30 minutes by car) and Reykjadalur Thermal River (20 minutes by car).
The Rooms
The rooms at Hotel Selfoss are what I’d describe as simple but comfortable.
We had a Premium Window View Room and it had a comfortable double bed and a large window with views over the Ölfusá River, which I absolutely loved.
The river was still partially frozen when we visited Iceland in April, so we could see chunks of ice floating down the water when we looked out. We could also see locals going for a run or walking their dogs. It had a very peaceful feel.
The hotel rooms also had comfy armchairs, a mini-fridge, tea and coffee facilities, a phone, and a TV. There was plenty of space to hang your clothes and a safe for valuables. The en-suite bathroom was modern and clean with white tiles and a walk-in shower.
There was also artwork on the walls and long, black-out curtains, ideal if you’re visiting Iceland in summer and need the darkness. We had a wonderful night’s sleep here and woke up feeling very refreshed.
The Spa
Easily one of the best things about this hotel was the spa. In our opinion, this is the perfect way to either start your day or finish your day if you’re staying here.
The spa was located on the ground floor of the hotel, down a secluded corridor past the restaurant. We visited twice, once in the evening and again the following morning and it was pretty quiet both times.
Considering how nice it was, I was surprised there weren’t more people there.
The spa itself was fairly small but very well-equipped. There was a comfortable reception area with towels and massage options available for purchase. Then, as you walk in, there’s a large sofa with a crackling fire effect on the TV opposite.
In the main spa area, there’s a sauna with hot coals, a steam room, a traditional Icelandic spa, a cold plunge (which was brutal), a relaxation room full of squashy armchairs and calming music, and a selection of showers, including a cold bucket and pulley cord.
We spent around an hour in the spa and it was such a relaxing way to start the day. It’s open on weekdays from 10:00 – 20:00 and on weekends from 12:00 – 20:00.
You do need to pay extra to add the spa to your hotel booking. But, it’s just 3000 ISK (around £17), so much cheaper than going to some other spas in Iceland.
You can add on a range of treatments too if you like, including eyebrow and eyelash treatments, facials, and massages.
TOP TIP: Before you go, remember to go down to reception and ask for your robes and towels.
The Restaurant
The breakfast we had here was the best breakfast we had during our south coast road trip. The food was delicious and there was so much choice.
The breakfast room was a large open space with more beautiful views over the Ölfusá River. We picked a table by the window before heading up to the breakfast buffet.
The selection was very impressive. There were the usual cooked breakfast options of bacon, different types of eggs, sausages, tomatoes and mushrooms.
But there were also different types of bread, a range of juices, cereals, yoghurt, Icelandic skyr, fresh fruits and canned fruits, pastries, cakes, and, for some reason, digestive biscuits!
The best part is that breakfast is included in the price of all of the rooms at the hotel, so you don’t even have to pay extra!
The bar and the evening menu also looked delicious, even though we didn’t actually eat there. All the food is made with local ingredients and the menu includes a range of dishes from burgers to seafood tagliatelle to grilled lamb.
They have a happy hour from 4pm-6pm every day, perfect if you fancy a cocktail or a beer after a day of exploring Iceland.
❤️Our breakfast at Hotel Selfoss was one of the best we’ve had in Iceland!
Extras
As well as all of that, there were also a few little extras that Hotel Selfoss offered that made the hotel even better.
My favourite was the Northern Lights wake-up call. Because of the hotel’s location along the south coast, there’s not too much light pollution. So, on days of strong solar activity, you can see the northern lights from the hotel.
The reception offers a wake-up call register where you can sign up, and they’ll call your room if the northern lights are visible over the hotel. It’s a great way to ensure you see the lights without having to stay up all night.
As well as this, they also offer free parking if you register your vehicle at reception and they have a meeting room for conferences and events.
Plus, you can book tours and excursions from Selfoss at the reception desk. This is another of their best extra features because many of the day tours in Iceland begin and end in Reykjavik. Not bad if you want a day tour of the south coast!
The Price
Considering how much hotels along Iceland’s south coast can cost, I think Hotel Selfoss is very reasonably priced.
For a standard room at the standard rate in the middle of August, you can find rooms for as cheap as 25,200 ISK. This works out to about £142 per night, which is very reasonable for peak season in Iceland.
We stayed here in April, and the rate was around £80 per night, which I considered very cheap, especially considering breakfast is included in the room rate. Of course, if you add on the spa, it becomes a bit more expensive, but the spa is worth it in my opinion.
Overall, I think the price was very good for what you got. A simple yet very comfortable room, a delicious breakfast buffet, a Northern Lights wake-up call, free parking in the town centre, and access to a fantastic spa.
❤️ This is one of the best hotels we’ve stayed at in Iceland – we highly recommend it!
Hotel Selfoss – The Verdict
So, what was our overall opinion of Hotel Selfoss? You may have gathered by now, but we loved our stay here.
It was a lovely hotel, we had the best breakfast of the trip and we adored our experience in the spa. Plus, the staff were so lovely and, even though we didn’t see the northern lights, we had a wonderful stay.
We cannot recommend a stay at Hotel Selfoss enough. It’s the perfect pit stop before exploring the south and the perfect base for exploring the Golden Circle.
👉 Want to compare other options? Here are some of my other favourite Golden Circle Hotels!
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