Hilton Reykjavik Nordica Hotel in Iceland [In-depth Review]

It’s no secret that I enjoy returning to Iceland. I keep going back as I haven’t even scratched the surface of places to see and activities to experience in the country.

I’m fortunate enough to have stayed at several hotels in the capital city of Reykjavik but the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica hotel has been on my list ever since reading a review on the property years ago.

Unlike other Hilton Reykjavik hotel properties, including the Iceland Parliament Hotel, the Canopy by Hilton Reykjavik City Centre, and the Reykjavik Konsulat Hotel, the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica is located further from the city center.

Its location has been the primary reason I hadn’t stayed at the property sooner. But now I have, and I’m glad I did.

Here’s a summary of my stay, how I booked it, and my experience at the hotel.

Hilton Reykjavik Nordica Location

Reykjavik, where the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica is located, is about an hour from Keflavik Airport (KEF), the main international airport on the island. I’ll share information about how I reached the hotel shortly.

The hotel is situated in a business district just outside the city center. I could see the U.S. Embassy, located across the street, out of my hotel room window.

The city center was about a 25-minute walk or a 15- to 20-minute city bus ride. There were 2 bus stops located within a block of the hotel. I was not renting a car, but if so, the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica would be a good hotel base for exploring the island without navigating the city center.

Booking Hilton Reykjavik Nordica

Flying to Iceland

For previous trips to Iceland, I have booked flights connecting to the first nonstop flights of the season from Minneapolis (MSP) to Reykjavik (KEF). These flights usually begin the first week of June. This year, Delta Air Lines began nonstop flights from Detroit (DTW), creating an additional option to reach Iceland with just 1 connection. From DTW, the flight was just over 5 hours.

I occasionally pick up Delta gift cards at the grocery store or the office supply store using my American Express^® Gold Card or Chase Ink business credit cards to receive bonus earnings and additional store perks. I applied a few of these Delta gift cards toward the cost of the flight, which was initially less than $1,000.

Booking the Hotel

Booking with hotel loyalty points or using free hotel night certificates is normally my preference, especially when cash rates are expensive.

A standard room reserved with Hilton Honors points at the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica costs 60,000 points, when available. We value Hilton Honors points at 0.5 cents apiece, so this is the equivalent of ~$300 worth of points per night, based on our estimate. The total cash rate for the 2 nights I wanted in June 2023 was ~$724 (kr. 101,650), including taxes and fees. While not a huge saving — $600 worth of points versus $724 cash — I had plenty of points and was happy with the decision to use them versus paying cash.

For comparison, here’s an overview of all the Hilton properties in Reykjavik and the points price when standard rooms are available. As I mentioned earlier, the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica, while available with fewer Hilton Honors points, is not as conveniently located as the other properties.

Hot Tip:

If you’re planning a trip to Iceland during the summer months and want to use miles and points for your flight or hotel, you’ll want to plan in advance. Award flights and reward hotel night availability disappear quickly for peak season bookings.

Transportation and Arrival

Earlier, I mentioned that the city of Reykjavik is approximately an hour from Keflavik International Airport (KEF), where I arrived. Fortunately, there are several options to reach the city center and the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica.

My favorite option is the Flybus. A ticket is easy to obtain on arrival and the buses are always waiting outside of the airport. I also liked that complimentary Wi-Fi was available onboard. In high season, it may be better to book online in advance.

For a one-way transfer from KEF to the central bus station, which includes the ongoing shuttle from there to my city hotel, I paid ~$35.

Airport Direct is another bus transfer option from KEF Airport. I’ve used both services with equal success, although the Wi-Fi was not working the last time I used the Airport Direct service.

A taxi would have cost approximately $160 and the public bus ~$8 to $12.

On this trip, I initially took the Flybus to another hotel in the city center, then used the local city bus to reach the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica from my first hotel. Bus #11 took me directly from the city center to within a block of the hotel in about 15 minutes.

The Hilton Reykjavik Nordica was easy to spot at the corner of a main intersection — whether approaching on foot or when driving, the hotel stands out, even from a distance.

I walked to the hotel from the bus stop and as I got closer, I immediately saw the main entrance.

The lobby was sizable but welcoming. There were also several comfortable seating areas in case I had to wait for check-in.

Seating was available near the front desk and throughout the lobby space.

Adjacent to the lobby was additional seating which had outdoor access. It was also an extension of the bar area used for entertainment and lounging.

Check-in and Elite Benefits

I arrived at the hotel just before 1 p.m. and fortunately, my room was ready. Normal check-in is at 3 p.m. Tryggvi greeted me and proceeded with a perfect 10-out-of-10 check-in. He promptly took care of the necessities, recognized my Hilton Honors Diamond elite status, then gave me a thorough overview of the hotel amenities and my benefits.

He told me not to try to remember everything as he would give me a written copy when he was finished.

Because of my Hilton Honors Diamond elite status that I receive complimentary with my Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, I was given an upgrade to an executive room with access to the executive lounge and to the spa. I would also earn 14x points with the card for any charges made to my room during my stay.

Tryggvi also mentioned that he could find a room with a nicer view than the one I had been assigned.

As promised, I was provided with a printed copy of all the information I needed for my stay, some bottled water, and chocolates.

Amenities

Fitness Center

The fitness center was available to guests 24/7 but staffed from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There was an access code that could be used to enter the gym after hours.

The space was sprawling and bigger than any hotel fitness center I can remember.

There were so many workout machines, I didn’t even count them. There were treadmills, elliptical machines, circuit training machines, stationary bikes, and many more. I won’t bore you with every inch of the space, but here’s a sampling of what you would see there.

The free-weights area was well-stocked.

Trainers were on staff and available for booking.

Outside, there was a transition area between the gym and the spa where the hot tub and sauna were located.

In addition to the well-equipped fitness center, classes were held daily and included hot yoga, Zumba, Pilates, body toning, and strengthening sessions.

Hilton Reykjavik Spa

The Hilton Reykjavik Spa was open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends and until 6 p.m. on Saturdays. Sunday hours were from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. The cost to use the spa was ~$49 per day. Complimentary access was included when booking any treatment.

Some hotel room rates included spa access and Hilton Diamond Elite members were granted complimentary access.

Treatments started at ~$84 for a classic 25-minute massage. Additional treatments included salt and essential oils therapy, classic and deep tissue massages, and hot stone massages.

This is one of the lovely peaceful rooms to sit in while waiting for a scheduled treatment. Individual private rooms surrounded the area.

There were 2 hot tubs, a steam room, and a soaking pool. Unfortunately, there was power washing going on the 2 days I was there so I was not able to see the entire spa, just enough to give you an idea of the facilities.

The sauna was located next to the outdoor hot tub in the area between the spa and the fitness center.

Meeting Rooms

The Hilton Reykjavik Nordica has a full-service meeting and event center. With over 21,000 square feet of available space, the facility can handle any conference, event, or social gathering.

In addition to full support services, the conference center provides event sponsors with the ability to create their own interactive event website to host event information. Attendees can also use the site to book individual hotel rooms at the group’s special rate.

This was just 1 of the smaller meeting rooms, but the largest room is over 5,000 square feet and can accommodate more than 200 attendees.

Pet Policy

The hotel does not allow pets although service animals are accommodated.

Business Center

There was a desktop computer and printer near the reception area. There were also several tourist information brochures and local publications.

Wi-Fi

I found internet speeds to be just adequate, but I had no problem getting some work accomplished. There were moments of grandness when speeds appeared much faster.

Parking

The Hilton Reykjavik Nordica had a generous amount of complimentary on-site parking directly in front of the hotel. This was a real plus compared to the limited, mostly paid, parking at city center hotels.

The Room

I was impressed at the first sight of my executive room. The hardwood floors were attractive and gave the room a rich contemporary feel.

The floor-to-ceiling windows added brightness to the room but also gave it that wow factor similar to an upscale urban loft in a big city. I really liked the feel of the space. And, wow, that view.

While this image doesn’t do it justice, the view from my room was incredible. This is just a portion of the view.

Just as I entered, there was a closet to my right. The closet contained a safe, an iron/ironing board, storage drawers, a hair dryer, a folding luggage rack, 2 robes, and slippers.

Next to the closet was the coffee station and a small area for the minifridge.

The coffee station had a LOR-branded espresso machine, assorted coffee, teas, and condiments. An electric kettle was also available.

The dining table would be the work area during my stay. At least there were comfortable seats and convenient electrical outlets.

There was no sofa in the living area, but these 2 comfortable chairs and a side table were perfect for watching late-night TV.

The TV was an expansive 55-inch flat screen with 46 channels, 8 radio stations, and YouTube access. The TV also had an HDMI hook-up. One important feature of the TV stand was that I could turn it around to face the bedroom area.

The bedroom area was smaller than the living area but still spacious enough to easily move around.

The bed was super comfortable and nothing could beat waking up to that view each morning.

The right nightstand had an electrical outlet, USB ports, a master light control switch, and the phone.

The left nightstand also had USB ports, an electrical outlet, master lighting controls, and a digital alarm clock. Personal halogen lights were also built into each side of the headboard.

The bathroom was compact but sufficient, especially for just 1 person.

The shower and tub combo works for me, personally. I like having the choice. There was a shower wand that did double duty as a shower head.

The open vanity had washcloths (yay!), hand towels, an extra roll of toilet paper, and a scale. Personally, I don’t weigh myself while on vacation.

Small-sized Crabtree & Evelyn-branded amenities were also provided and included bottles of bath wash, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, a shower cap, and a soap bar.

The personal vanity mirror was useful as well as having electrical outlets in the bathroom for the hairdryer. A full-sized Hapal-branded squeeze bottle of body/hair wash was mounted on the wall. The same was mounted in the shower.

Food and Beverage

The VOX Brasserie restaurant and VOX Lobby Bar are the food and beverage venues available at the hotel. Guests with executive rooms and lounge access will have complimentary additional food and beverage options served there.

Here are the food and beverage options I had at the hotel.

Vox Brasserie

Breakfast

Breakfast was served from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Executive rooms and some standard room rates included breakfast. Otherwise, the breakfast buffet was ~$35.

It was a generous spread of food.

I started with coffee at 1 of the 2 coffee stations located at opposite ends of the dining room. Assorted teas and associated condiments were also offered.

I had a selection of juices from which to choose, including orange, apple, cranberry, and pineapple. There was also ice water.

Next, I could select pastries, muffins, jams, bread, and even gluten-free options. There were also 2 toasters.

Salad options in this area of the buffet included lettuce and olives. There was also sliced lemon and cream cheese for the smoked salmon, cottage cheese, and prunes.

Continuing with the cold items, there were additional salad options, including cucumbers, tomatoes, and mixed vegetables. A wide selection of meats and cheeses were on the buffet plus my favorite — smoked salmon.

Hot items on the buffet included broiled tomatoes, baked beans, roasted potatoes, sausages, scrambled eggs, bacon, fried eggs (both over-easy and sunny-side-up), and pancakes with optional toppings.

Assorted dry cereal, 2 milk choices (including light and whole milk), and oatmeal were included in the buffet.

While there was no omelet station, freshly fried eggs were constantly being made. Scrambled eggs, sunny-side-up eggs, and over-easy eggs were included in the hot items set up on the buffet.

I could select fresh or sliced fruit, plain yogurt, or Icelandic skyr (a thicker, creamier yogurt). Toppings of nuts, seeds, and dried berries were also available for yogurt, skyr, and oatmeal.

Brunch, Lunch, and Dinner

Brunch was served on the weekends from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday and on Sunday until 2:30 p.m. The brunch was priced at ~$49 per person and was touted as being one of the most extensive spreads in town.

The day menu at the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica was served from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. You can order in the bar area as well as the restaurant. A lunch buffet can be enjoyed in the restaurant from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily for ~$42 per person.

Dinner was served from 6 p.m. until the kitchen closes at 9 p.m. each evening, and drinks were available in the dining room until 11 p.m.

The evening dinner menu included items such as langoustine soup (~$25), fish and chips (~$35), a rib-eye steak (~$56), or a 3-course chef’s choice menu for ~$78 per person. Desserts, including sorbet with berries and white chocolate crumbles, were available from ~$17. One of the signature dinner dishes, beef Wellington, was offered for ~$99 for 2 people.

VOX Lobby Bar

The Vox Lobby Bar was open from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on weekdays and until 12 a.m. on weekends. I could order items from the day menu, bar food to share, and my favorite beverage.

Cocktails cost about $24 each; beers ranged from ~$7 to ~$15; and wines from $15 to ~$22 per glass.

There was a happy hour each day from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. when select cocktail prices were ~$15 and other select drinks were discounted.

I could order a drink and food from just about anywhere in the lobby as seating was widely available.

The bar seating extended further into the lobby where there was a complimentary water station.

For a real treat, high tea was served in the bar area from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Small sandwiches, fresh fruits, mini-cakes, Champagne, tea, and coffee were served. The price was ~$32 per person.

Executive Lounge

One huge advantage of the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica over other hotels I’ve stayed at in Reykjavik is the executive lounge. Of the nearly dozen city hotels at which I’ve visited, none had an executive lounge. Since my stay included access, I was eager to try out the experience.

The lounge was located on the eighth floor and was open daily from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. for water, soft drinks, tea, coffee, biscuits, cookies, and fresh fruit. Happy hour was from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. when drinks, soup, and appetizers were served.

The view from the lounge, identical to the view from my room situated just above it, was spectacular.

With floor-to-ceiling windows, regardless of where I chose to sit, I could take advantage of that great view.

The corner seating at each end of the lounge was the prime viewing, eating, and drinking spot.

If I had chosen more comfortable seating, further back in the lounge, I could still enjoy the view.

Self-serve beverage choices in the lounge included soft drinks, water, gin, vodka, rum, whiskey, tonic, red and white wine, and fruit-infused water.

The beer fridge was fully stocked for a busy happy hour. The executive lounge was very popular during that time.

Each day the lounge offered a different homemade soup. One day of my stay the selection was leek soup, a spring favorite. Another day, it was butternut squash. Fresh bread rolls and butter accompanied the soup. Both were delicious.

The lounge food offering was substantial. First, there was a tray of butterflied shrimp with sweet and sour sauce which was replenished as it was eaten. Next, there was a wide selection of sushi and sashimi complete with wasabi, pickled ginger, and seaweed salad.

Then, there was an assortment of salami, cheese, and pepper open-faced sandwiches, plus ham and cheese croissants. The vegetarian croissant sandwiches were made with spinach, peppers, and cheese.

And finally, there was a nice vegetable tray.

The following day, the presentation included seafood tempura, egg rolls, sushi, assorted sandwiches, and a large dessert selection.

There were restrooms located within the lounge. It’s also worth noting that during happy hour, when self-serve alcohol was available, no one under the age of 18 was allowed in the lounge.

Hot Tip:

Food and beverages can be expensive in Iceland. The complimentary options at the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica could easily save a hundred dollars per person, per day. For example, a bowl of soup can cost $15 to $20, a sandwich $12 to $15, a shrimp dinner $40, beer $10, and breakfast $30.

A day pass to the spa would be another ~$50 but was complimentary if you had Diamond status. If you’re renting a car or don’t mind the walk to town and have Diamond status (a complimentary benefit of the Hilton Aspire card), staying at the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica may be a wise choice for excellent value.

Lobby Pantry

The lobby food pantry was located adjacent to the front desk and was available 24/7. The pantry had a selection of soft drinks, coffee, beer, wine, fruit, snacks, sandwiches, and even sushi. All of it could be purchased at reception.

Service

The service at the hotel was excellent, but 2 employees stood out during my stay. Tryggvi, with his 10-out-of-10 check-in, started my stay off positively. Julia, with her super-friendly executive lounge-hosting demeanor, won me over and I’ll forever be a fan.

Additionally, my request to extend my checkout time from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. was granted.

Surrounding Area

While the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica is not in the city center, it’s not far away. You can reach it on foot or by taking the city bus. Uber and other ride-sharing services are not available in Iceland and taxi prices are high.

The hotel is a great base for exploring the surrounding area.

Touring

If I had rented a car, I would have been in a perfect position to drive the island from the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica. The hotel is a prime location for starting tours as well. Many, if not all, tour groups, pick up at the hotel.

Here’s an example of the Golden Circle route which can be done in 1 day from the hotel.

Hopefully, you’ll catch a little sun as I did on my excursion to the south shore during my stay in Reykjavik. It’s super easy to take a day tour from the hotel. I’ve successfully used Viator, Reykjavik Excursions, and Bus Travel Iceland.

Additional Activities in the Area

The Reykjavik Petting Zoo, Botanical Garden, and Laugardalslaug Baths are all just a short walk from the hotel. Here are some additional ideas of things to do in Reykjavik.

Dining Out

There are many eating establishments in the area of the hotel but Plan B Burger and Felino Restaurant & Cafe (Italian) are both very close and get good reviews.

Supermarket

A Netto supermarket is located just a 4-minute walk from the hotel. There is also a pharmacy adjacent to the supermarket.

Hot Tip:

Alcohol can be very expensive in Iceland and it is not sold at supermarkets or convenience stores. You can keep the cost down by grabbing your favorite beverages on arrival at the airport duty-free store. An additional way to keep costs down is to take advantage of the plentiful happy hours held at hotels, bars, and restaurants throughout the city.

Final Thoughts

I would absolutely stay at the Hilton Reykjavik Nordica again — but not for my entire stay in Reykjavik. Although the hotel offered exceptional value for me as a Hilton Honors Diamond elite member, I enjoy the vibe of the city and walking out of my hotel directly into everything the city offers.

If this were my first trip to Iceland, I would stay 2 to 4 days in the city center without a car and explore that area on foot. I’d then rent a car and consider moving out to the Hilton as a base for exploring some of the island on day trips.

Traveling solo, renting a car is more expensive than taking tours, which can be as low as $70 a day. For a couple or a family, renting a car can make more sense.

To learn more about some of the popular hotels in Reykjavik’s city center and near the airport, check out our in-depth reviews for these properties:

• Canopy by Hilton Reykjavik City Centre
• Courtyard by Marriott Reykjavik Keflavik Airport
• Iceland Parliament Hotel Curio Collection by Hilton
• Kvosin Hotel
• Reykjavik Konsulat Hotel Curio Collection by Hilton
• Sand Hotel by Mr. & Mrs. Smith

One last note is that I have estimated prices based on the currency exchange at the time of writing the article (June 2023). These prices could change and are for comparative informational purposes only.