Review: The Reykjavik EDITION

Recently I had the pleasure of staying in the EDITION in Iceland’s capital of Reykjavik for a single night, the final of my trip to Iceland (see my full Iceland trip report).

The Reykjavik EDITION is a brand new Marriott Bonvoy property in the city, only opened in November 2021.

As such a new addition to the Marriott portfolio and part of the esteemed EDITION brand, I was keen to check out the hotel (and also get a great night’s sleep after a busy week of non-stop exploring). 

Booking & Check-in

While I would normally use points for a Marriott Bonvoy stay at a premium property like the EDITION, I elected to book using an industry rate. The rate was only 30,774 ISK per night which is approximately $290 CAD at the time of writing. While I didn’t push too hard for an upgrade, I did get upgraded to an Ocean view room.

For a seasonal property that can retail for more than 100,000 ISK ($1,000 CAD) per night at peak times of the year, this is quite exceptional value.  

Upon arriving, the level of service was high, as is expected at an EDITION brand. We were greeted by multiple staff members, one of whom guided us to the front desk and took our bags to a trolley for us. 

The process did take a surprisingly long time. We had to provide passports for both guests. The clerk asked if we wanted coffee but then went and made the coffee herself, leaving us standing around. So that didn’t really make a lot of sense.

But from there everything was pretty smooth. Another staff member escorted us to our room and transported our luggage trolley for us, which was extremely helpful. 

Also, as part of the check-in process, I was charged a refundable fee for incidentals of 20,000 ISK (~$200 CAD) to my credit card. In my experience Marriott has usually just held the card number on file, but alas, not a big deal. 

The wooden room key cards we were provided were neat – not something I’ve seen before, but apparently the norm for EDITION properties.

Location

The Reykjavik EDITION is located in a perfect location, putting hotel guests just steps from the old harbour on the northern side of Reykjavik.

The side of the hotel directly faces the harbor, while the hotel’s main entrance is tucked into the laneway. The back side of the hotel is conveniently located adjacent to the Harpa Concert Hall.

As a result, rooms on the north side of the hotel can have a vintage harbor view, scenic mountain views, or both.

Importantly, most of the main attractions in Reykjavik including the city center are located close by. A 10-minute short walk brings you to the start of Laugavegur, the main shopping street, and an essential stop on anyone’s visit to the city. 

Related: Top 5 Things to Do in Reykjavík, Iceland

Parking

The Reykjavik EDITION has an underground parking lot and valet parking service which costs 5000 ISK per day as a package (as of June 2022).

Room – Deluxe Double Queen

Our room was the Deluxe Guest room with two double beds, which gave us a partial harbor ocean view. The room was 300 square feet and felt spacious enough for what it was (rooms with two beds always feel a bit more cramped than those with a single bed).

As you enter the room there is the bathroom directly on your left, as well as a concealed and spacious closet.

There was a momentary panic as I looked around for the coffee machine. Turns out it is hidden in the credenza. 

 The bathroom was spacious and elegant, in keeping with the theme of the rest of the room.

The pictures above don’t do it justice, as the pleasant brightness of the room wasn’t quite captured properly with my camera due to the lighting.

Also not pictured, there was a very nice amenity kit which included some bathroom essentials, a wooden toothbrush, and high-quality soaps and shampoos.

Finally, the waterfall shower tucked around the corner of the room was equally spacious and luxurious.

If waterfalls aren’t something you’re into, there is a hand wand as well. But if you’re not into waterfalls I’m not sure why you’ve come to Iceland in the first place.

The toilet and surroundings were simple and elegant. Excellent roll placement. The flush was a button located above the toilet, which added to the minimalistic style.

The toilet paper itself could have been a little softer, and the flushing power left a little something to be desired. Overall rating: 1.85 / 2.

Facilities

The Reykjavík EDITION has a standard set of facilities available, including a fitness center, on-site spa, conference, and boardrooms. The spa and gym were both on floor -1 (lower level 1).

Fitness Center

The fitness center was fairly small and minimal, having just the basics: treadmills, ellipticals, and a set of dumbbells. 

It was rather dark. Although I didn’t get around to working out here, I am not sure I would have wanted to. Something with a view of the harbor would have been nicer.

The fitness center gives off the vibe that they just threw a bunch of equipment in a spare room to check off the ‘fitness facilities checkbox’, so to speak. But I won’t hold it against the EDITION if that is the case. Fitness equipment is not high on the priority list for most people on vacation, myself included.

Spa

Unfortunately, the Reykjavik EDITION spa was closed when I went to take a tour. Its hours of operation are Monday – Tuesday: 12:00 PM – 9:00 PM and Wednesday – Sunday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM.

I’m not much of a spa guy, but from what I’ve read, the spa here is quite nice. It includes a sauna, steam room, power showers, hot tub, plunge pool, spa changing, and relaxation areas.

The spa also includes a central lounge with a bar – by day it serves a selection of healthy smoothies, and later in the evening, it becomes a  “pre-party pamper spot”, all part of the pioneering social spa concept.

You can read more about it on this page, including the full spa treatments menu and pricing.

Restaurants & Bars

The Reykjavik EDITION is fortunate to have not just one but several distinct restaurants and bars.

Tides Restaurant & Cafe

Tides is the Reykjavik Edition’s main restaurant, serving separate menus for breakfast (7:00 – 11:00), lunch (12:00 – 3:00), and dinner (6:00 – 10:00, closed Sunday – Monday).

A la carte breakfasts include the traditional bacon and eggs or Tides eggs benedict, as well as various combinations of avocado, feta, and smoked salmon on toasted rye and sourdough. 

Dinner is a more exotic affair with modern Icelandic cuisine, including offerings like Iberico pork neck and lamb backstrap with smoked lamb fat. Of course, a large selection of seafood is also available.  

Read more about Tides, download the full menus, or make a reservation on the EDITION hotels website. 

Lobby Bar & Tolt

A centerpiece of any luxury hotel is the Lobby Bar. The EDITION features a nice bar in the lobby with an open-flame fireplace. The drink menu includes several locally produced macro and craft beers like GULL Lager, Helga Raspberry Sour, Arctic Fox Hazy Pale Ale (a collaboration with the EDITION hotel itself), and more. If beer is not enough, the menu also boasts signature and locally inspired specialty cocktails and a small food menu.

View the full menu here.

Furthermore, the lobby bar houses a hidden bar called TOLT, open only on Friday nights from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. TOLT is a cozy speakeasy named after the unique and smooth four-beat gait Icelandic horses are known for. 

Unfortunately, the timing didn’t permit me to visit TOLT, but the images paint a one-of-a-kind sanctuary that pays tribute to Icelandic culture with its design, decor, and drinks menu. There is also ample space, for a speakeasy, with three intimate nooks.  

I Will make it a point to return for a visit to Tolt next time I’m in Reykjavik. 

The ROOF

The Reykjavik EDITION has its very own rooftop bar on the 7th floor, aptly named ‘The ROOF’. We visited The ROOF bar about an hour before closing time (11 pm on Sundays, otherwise open until 1 am Wednesday – Saturday). 

It was a nice space, with quite a lot of room and a variety of seating arrangements, including sofas and tables with floor-to-ceiling windows. The menu was minimalistic but sophisticated. I especially enjoyed the Reykjavik cocktail, consisting of Þúfa Brennivín, Hvítserkur Rum, Fernet Branca, and Angostura Bitters.

Of course, the main attraction of The ROOF bar is the stunning 360° panoramic views of the Ocean, Mount Esja, and the Snæfellsjökul glacier that can be seen from the wrap-around outdoor terrace. I’d imagine it’s also a great viewing spot for Iceland’s spectacular northern lights.

Unfortunately for us, it was very windy and only about 10 degrees Celsius when we visited, so there was no service out there (we would have gladly bared the elements if given the option though). 

I’m also told that The ROOF will be hosting an exciting line-up of DJs every Friday and Saturday throughout the summer and is set to host a number of events for the Reykjavik International Film Festival, Iceland Airwaves, and Pride over the next few months.

If you are going to be staying here I definitely recommend trying to plan around some of these events and dedicating some time to enjoying everything The ROOF has to offer, particularly on one of Iceland’s bright summer nights. 

Sunset

The lower ground floor (-1), the same floor as the spa and gym, is home to Sunset. Sunset is a nightclub opening later in 2022. It will have a state-of-the-art sound system and lighting and aims to be a key addition to Reykjavik’s thriving nightlife scene, with access from both the hotel and Harpa concert hall.

Check-out

Check-out would normally not deserve its own heading in a review, however, we did encounter some minor issues at the EDITION that made the process less than smooth.

For example, we asked the hotel staff to provide a simple invoice. It seemed to be a foreign concept to them, stating that it would show $0 (as I paid with Marriott Gift cards from a previous promotion).

After questioning this a different staff member finally printed me the following receipt:

Also, it turns out, for incidentals they didn’t hold my credit card, instead they charged it $200. So at checkout, I had to provide my credit card again to have the $200 manually refunded. A strange and atypical experience when compared to my previous Marriott stays.

Finally, the valet parked our Jeep Wrangler close behind a trailer and then proceeded to park another vehicle adjacent (not behind) the Wrangler. We were boxed in and had great difficulty trying to get out, which was less than ideal given we had a flight to catch.

Overall these were minor issues but still dampened the overall smoothness of service we had experienced at the EDITION thus far.

Conclusion

Our stay at the Reykjavik EDITION was pleasant and luxurious. I was impressed with the elegance of the hotel, and it was a great way to end a grueling (but amazing) 6-day trek throughout Iceland. 

Would I pay $1,000+ a night to stay here under any normal circumstances? Absolutely not. That just isn’t the way to do Iceland on a budget. But if you’ve got industry privileges to access cheap cash rates or lots of Marriott Bonvoy points to burn, this is a great place to stay, and likely one of the nicest hotels in Reykjavik (and perhaps all of Iceland) right now. 

As some of the EDITION’s facilities continue to be finalized (like Sunset) and the surrounding construction is completed, I have no doubt the desirability and demand for the hotel will further increase.