Short stay: Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel, Reykjavik, Iceland

The 88 rooms Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel is located in a historic building in downtown Reykjavik and caters to both business and leisure travelers. This charming, historic hotel is housed in a repurposed office building that dates back to – yes, you guessed it – 1919. It’s one of Reykjavík’s oldest buildings and opened as a hotel in the summer 2005.

Home

We arrived quite late after traveling past the Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon (a 5+ hour journey) and took in the plane wreckage, Skógafoss, Seljavallalaug pool and Seljalandsfoss along the way . We therefore commended the quick and efficient nature of the check-in process in the hotel’s spacious and immaculate lobby.

It is here in the hotel reception area that there is also free coffee and tea, water, fruit and energy bars from 4am to 7am for anyone who wants a “to-go breakfast”.

Bedroom

Our contemporary room was compact but very comfortable, with everything we needed.

Equipped with a desk, sockets on each side of the bed, a flat-screen TV hung on the wall and a kettle with tea, coffee and sugar, the room also had a closet with safe, door -luggage, iron and ironing board, plus a possibility to request laundry or dry cleaning services.

Our TV’s English-language channels included CNN, BBC News, Sky News and Cartoon Network, while additional TV services included a home, alarm clock, news, web radio and YouTube, and you could even select a video from a fireplace to give your room that extra cozy feeling.

The bathroom

Our bathroom had a large shower with one of Iceland’s many waterfalls used as a backdrop, as well as a sink, magnifying mirror and toilet.

Radisson brand toiletries were also provided.

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The installations

Restaurant Brut is an upscale casual seafood restaurant established in the fall of 2021, which we dined in as one lunch. Among the mains we had was a deliciously tender octopus starter accompanied by a lightly smoked and rich salsa rojo and kohlrabi.

Also among our orders were whelks, which tasted sweet and slightly chewy but not overcooked, served with a garlic butter.

The broccoli with chilli, capers and Tindur cheese was another interesting starter, especially since we had never tried (or heard of!) this type of cheese before. Turns out it’s a hard, pungent (but also tasty!) Icelandic cheese.

And to complete our starters, raw scallops marinated in tomato and lemon juice. Who knew scallops could taste so sweet and delicious if they weren’t actually cooked? !

Our dishes were also a big hit, from this sea bass with olives, tomatoes and basil (an excellent choice for a mild and sweet fish)…

…with grilled zucchini with yogurt and a lemon and salsa verde, perfect for vegetarians.

But don’t forget this is a fish restaurant just two minutes walk from the port so the fish is definitely worth trying. Perhaps the best dish of all was the monkfish with a chicken glaze, toasted hazelnuts and mushrooms – an unusual combination you might think, but monkfish is a meaty fish that can handle those extra flavors.

For something more delicate, try the lemon sole with an elegant white butter and salicornia sauce.

A selection of pastries were carried on a trolley which made the desserts hard to resist. These delights come from Gulli Arnar, a relatively new bakery in Hafnarfjörður (just outside Reykjavik).

Their selection of cupcakes is made with the finest ingredients and includes a lemon tart with a butter biscuit base, lemon cream and Italian meringues…

…plus this hazelnut milk chocolate mousse with apricot jelly.

The Brut restaurant also serves a buffet breakfast in the morning.

A fitness floor is located on floor 0 and offers a range of modern exercise equipment as well as complimentary water and towels. It is open 24/7.

And there are a variety of meeting rooms for business travelers to use, as well as private dining opportunities.

Location

The Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel is located in downtown Reykjavik, in an area known as District 101 (due to its postcode 101). It is within walking distance of bars and restaurants and major shopping streets such as Laugavegur, as well as close to the old harbour, Reykjavik Art Museum, Reykjavik City Hall, downtown Harpa Conference and the National Museum of Iceland. The famous Hallgrímskirkja Church is less than 1 km away.

Street parking is available right outside the hotel and is free after 6:00 p.m. In addition, there is a multi-storey car park nearby at Hafnartorg. Just outside the hotel is the Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur hot dog stand, owned by the same family since it opened in 1937, made famous after Bill Clinton’s visit in 2004.

Other little touches

Free chocolates were in our room on arrival and free sparkling and still water is available for Radisson Rewards members (becoming a member is easy – you can sign up online in minutes).

Cost

Standard rooms start at ISK 23,000 for Radisson Rewards prepaid members, on a room-only basis.

The best piece

The best part of our stay was lunch at the Brut restaurant. It lived up to some of our best meals in Iceland, with the service and food being exceptional.

The final verdict

The Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel, Reykjavik is a very comfortable lifestyle hotel with an excellent restaurant. Its location in a fashionable area of ​​downtown Reykjavik is perfect, with everything you could want within walking distance: the harbour, many attractions, shops, bars and restaurants.

Are you planning a trip to Iceland yourself? You can watch a video of our trip to Iceland here:

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel, Reykjavík. Our trip to Iceland was also sponsored by Helly Hansen.