Shortly before 8pm, after our fourth day exploring the island, we arrive at the Icelandair Lake Mytavn hotel on the shores of the eponymous lake.
As a reminder, here is the itinerary followed in Iceland
Booking
I booked this hotel between 2 and 3 months before our arrival in Iceland, directly through the property’s website.
I found this property by doing a fast search on the TripAdvisor website, which enabled me to identify this hotel as one of the best on the shores of Lake Mytavn.
I always prefer to book on the hotel or hotel chain’s website, as this saves the hotelier from paying the 15, 20 or 25% commission to sites like Expedia or Booking.
So I booked for about 34,000 ISK which makes a total of just under 250€, but for this price I booked a Junior Suite, not a standard room which will make this night a little more comfortable in the midst of less comfortable nights.
Breakfast is not included, but a 2500 ISK credit is available to cover at least one of the two breakfasts we will have.
Arrival
We arrive at the hotel in the late afternoon after a busy day of sightseeing.
During the journey, I e-mailed the hotel to reserve a table for the evening at the property’s restaurant. The hotel responded very promptly, less than 10 minutes later, confirming my reservation. Very professional!
The receptionist takes charge of us. Although she’s very nice, she speaks very little English, which doesn’t really make it easy to talk to her. Nevertheless, our arrival file is ready and we are proceeding quickly with the formalities. I’m asked for ID and a credit card to guarantee my stay, which has not been prepaid, but also for extras, such as the restaurant or breakfast.
The credit card will not be debited, nor will an imprint be taken prior to departure.
Our Junior Suite is confirmed as room 104, and we are given the key to access it.
Room
Our suite, the only one in the property, is on the first floor.
As soon as you enter, you’ll notice that the decor is very elegant, completely contemporary and in Icelandic colors.
The entrance leads into the large lounge, which features a variety of armchairs, a TV, a sofa, a coffee table and a desk, and is decorated to the absolute perfection you’d expect in your own home.
The heater is on, and a fan distributes the heat throughout the room.
From here, you enter the bathroom, which is very well equipped, with shower, bath, toilet and washbasin. The decor is very modern, reminiscent of the hotel we stayed in in Vík.
Normal, since this hotel used to be part of the Icelandair chain, and was debranded a few weeks ago.
L’Occitane products are available in the bathroom in the shower, bath and washbasin.
Finally, there is the bedroom, bathed in light by two large bay windows opening onto a private terrace.
As usual in Scandinavia, the bedding is a little unusual, and two comforters are available so that you don’t get uncomfortable during the night. Here too, the decor is very elegant.
Finally, a video tour:
Hotel facilities
The hotel does not have a fitness room, but two outdoor Jacuzzis are available. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to use them as customers will be squatting on them shamelessly all evening.
The hotel also has a number of meeting rooms, one of which is reserved for broadcasting Euro 2020 matches, which were still in progress during our stay in July 2021.
The lobby is very elegant, decorated by an interior designer specializing in recovery, and intrigues all visitors to the hotel.
Food options
The property has a bar and restaurant located near the reception. We will use the restaurant for both dinner and breakfast service.
Dinner service
As I mentioned earlier, we had proceeded to reserve a table on our way to the hotel. Our reservation was there, and we were seated very quickly at our table.
At the time of our visit to the hotel, only a set menu was being served at a price of ISK 8500: a bit expensive, but we’re in a remote area and Iceland is an expensive country anyway.
So we opt for this three-course menu, and order a few drinks.
As a starter, I’d opt for the succulent lobster bisque.
For the main course, the ribeye was very well prepared and perfectly cooked, and the gratin was excellent.
For dessert, the chocolate tart was very good but a little rich.
Finally, service was particularly slow.
Breakfast service
We booked a slot for breakfast service at 8am, but when we arrived the room was virtually empty anyway.
We are seated at a table and head for the buffet.
The buffet is of good quality, even if the variety is a little lacking. We’d have liked some more sophisticated charcuterie or smoked salmon, for example.
Nevertheless, the food is still very good, the pastries are of good quality, and the only thing we regret, as is the case everywhere in Iceland, is the presence of a rather modern coffee machine for espressos, cappuccinos and lattes.
It is possible to ask for one, but this is in addition to the breakfast charge, which is already quite high at around €25 per person.
We’ll skip it, and have a simple filter coffee with milk, included in the breakfast price.
Departure
Departure formalities are fairly fast, payment is made very quickly, and we are quickly released to our car.
Bottom line
An excellent stay, unfortunately too short, which I hope we’ll have the pleasure of repeating in the months or years to come!
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