The Reykjavik EDITION – The Best Stay for a Luxury Iceland Vacation. A Hotel with Northern Lights Views. Marriott Bonvoy Platinum. Michelin-Guide Restaurant Tides. Sauna. Glacier Tour.

Hello.

I am Director Baek, a dentist who dreams of becoming an implant specialist and a food connoisseur.

This time, I would like to introduce The Reykjavik EDITION, one of the best five-star hotels in Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland in Europe, a country famous for its glaciers and Northern Lights.

As it happened, right after I returned from my London–Iceland trip, a YouTube video of Han Hye-jin taking a similar trip was uploaded! I also went to watch Son Heung-min play in person, so I had a lot to share. :)

I was surprised by how similar our itineraries were. Haha.

Through several previous posts, I shared vivid reviews of Marriott-affiliated five-star hotels in London. :)

The Reykjavik EDITION in Iceland was the first EDITION hotel I had ever visited, while The London EDITION mentioned in the post above was my second. ^^

That means I have now visited two of the 20 EDITION hotels currently open around the world. Haha.

If you enjoy traveling, there probably are not many people unfamiliar with it—the Shinhan Card Marriott Bonvoy card has practically become essential. ^^

The Reykjavik EDITION

One of the items on my bucket list was a Northern Lights tour. As far as I knew, the Northern Lights could be seen in Iceland or Yellowknife, Canada!

The reason I initially planned a trip to London was that I had a feeling this might be Son Heung-min’s final season with Tottenham. At the same time, it seemed like the right moment for a trip to Iceland because:

1. I had enough time for the trip
2. Flights from London were the most popular option
3. It was the right season for viewing the Northern Lights

All three conditions happened to fit my situation perfectly, so I decided to make a big commitment and plan a trip to Iceland.

As far as I know, this is one of the three five-star hotels in Iceland.

Those planning a trip to Iceland probably already know this, but it is quite a large island, and most travelers drive around the island in a loop.

We did not have enough time or energy to travel that intensively, so from the beginning, we planned a four-night stay at The Reykjavik EDITION. We were also hoping to enjoy a little luxury hotel vacation.

In keeping with the EDITION brand’s concept of using premium wood, The Reykjavik EDITION looked as though it had been built with high-quality Nordic timber. Its appearance was imposing and stylish in every way.

The Reykjavik EDITION becomes even more impressive at night.

That wonderful glass building right next to it is HARPA, a concert hall. You could say that nearly every performance in Iceland takes place there. The Reykjavik EDITION is also quietly famous as a place where you may be able to see the Northern Lights from the hotel. That was another reason we chose it!

If you want to use the Iceland EDITION’s parking lot, you need to pay 7,000 Icelandic króna per day (ISK hereafter). You can think of that as a little over ten times the amount in Korean won, so for a little over 70,000 won per day, you can use unlimited valet parking through the lobby.

We used the public parking lot right across the street instead, so parking did not cost us very much—about 100,000 won in total for four nights and five days. Please leave a comment if you are curious. Haha.

When you enter the lobby, you can see the Lounge & Bar, featuring a screen that seems to evoke the Northern Lights.

It is a shame that the elegance of this wonderful hotel does not come across well in photographs. If you look at the columns and beams, you can see how extensively wood has been used. It is a truly beautiful building where wood tones, white, and black blend together.

The restaurant over there is TIDES. It is a restaurant selected by the Michelin Guide, and it was where we would be having our meals. Like The London EDITION, The Reykjavik EDITION generally does not follow the Marriott Bonvoy elite membership policy.

Therefore, breakfast must be paid for. However, hotel guests can enjoy a one-for-one offer, allowing two people to have breakfast for 6,000 ISK. In addition, guests receive a daily credit of 7,000 ISK, which can be used toward lunch or dinner at TIDES. (The Lounge & Bar and Rooftop Bar are excluded.)

There is also an event at check-in where you spin a roulette wheel once on a tablet. In my case, I won 5,000 ISK in credit—I was lucky, haha—so we also enjoyed a delicious dinner using the credit.

King Room, Guest Room, 1 King Bed, Garden View

When booking the most basic room, the price appears to be around 700,000 won. Depending on the season, it was sometimes around 800,000 won.

Looking back, it seems they upgraded our room. We stayed in a room with two queen beds!

As a general rule, upgrades are not provided.

After walking through a very clean white-and-black hallway, you arrive at the room.

One slightly unusual thing (?) was that nearly all the staff were white. It felt somewhat different from London, where there were many Indian staff members.

The moment we opened the door, we exclaimed, “Wow!” That was The Reykjavik EDITION.

HARPA spread out before us outside the window. :)

It felt as though we had come to visit someone’s cabin. Haha.

The room had such a warm atmosphere that it immediately put me in a good mood.

When you lie on the bed and turn your head, you can see that magnificent glass building! If the Northern Lights appear, you can actually see them from the room as well.

The room was in truly excellent condition. The mohair blanket was a perfect accent. Another advantage was that Iceland uses 220V electricity, unlike the UK, which made things convenient!

Even looking at these photos again, I think it was a space that really lifted my mood!

Oh, wait—there is something on the table.

The chocolate that came with the letter!

I only found out on the last day of the trip that this was OMNOM chocolate. There is an ice cream shop not far from The Reykjavik EDITION that also sells chocolate. It is available in supermarkets too, but the cheapest place is the duty-free shop! Be sure to remember that!

The view outside the window was wonderful, and it was a truly romantic space. Haha.

I never expected to enjoy a luxury hotel vacation in Iceland. Life really does surprise you.

Although we did not drink them, the room had a well-stocked minibar with these impressive vodkas and other items.

Since prices in Iceland are not as high as expected, you can easily find these products by taking a short walk to the BONUS market in town!

The bathroom also featured an extremely clean, modern design.

The white tiles, black fixtures, and black-framed mirror created striking accents.

The London EDITION, which I wrote about recently, had a similar atmosphere, didn’t it? Haha.

As expected, the amenities were from Le Labo.

I really wanted to take home the Le Labo products carrying EDITION’s signature scent. Unfortunately, there is no EDITION in Korea....

The nearest locations are in Toranomon Hills and Ginza, as well as Shanghai. There is also one in Singapore.

The robe hanging there is perfect for wearing when you go to the sauna later.

The quality of the robe was genuinely excellent, although that does not come across in the photo.

SPA & SAUNA

There is a spa downstairs, including sauna facilities.

The Reykjavik EDITION does not have a swimming pool. When I asked why, they explained that there are so many swimming pools in downtown Iceland that the hotel did not really need one. There is a very small pool, though, where you can soak and relax.

When you enter, you will find numerous amenities, and you can request a massage service if you wish.

It seemed to cost around 300,000 won. We did not use it, though.

In the waiting area, you can enjoy light refreshments, detox water, and other drinks.

Naturally, you need to wash thoroughly before entering the sauna facilities.

As you can see, the shower area has an interior design that suits the EDITION’s standards.

The slightly bluish square tiles reminded me of a LOEWE store. The black floor tiles create a nice contrast. Haha. As expected, the amenities were the Le Labo EDITION version! It was nice to see them again.

Of course, this was not really a place where I should have taken photos... but I was the only person there anyway. Haha.

It is a small space. If you lie down on the flat stone on the left, you can warm yourself on it. It felt wonderful to lie there.

The pool on the right is 1.1 meters deep. It is not large enough for swimming, but the water was warm, so it was a nice place for two people to sit and chat!

There was also an elegant sauna facility, where I saw white guests sweating it out. It seems there is no difference between East and West when it comes to enjoying a sauna. Haha.

Personally, I preferred spending time in the steam room, which had a lovely scent.

An ear, nose, and throat specialist I visited recently said that it is sometimes good to go into a humid place and create a moist environment, and this was exactly that kind of place. Haha.

Tides – Breakfast

As I mentioned earlier, TIDES is the restaurant connected to the lobby.

It has been selected by the Michelin Guide for two consecutive years. Once you eat here, you may not feel the need to go out to eat elsewhere.

It is like eating at a restaurant at The Westin Josun Seoul—you would not necessarily be desperate to try all the major restaurants in Euljiro while you were there, right?

This was the general atmosphere! In Iceland, the sun has not even risen by breakfast time. Haha.

Let’s take a look at breakfast first!

The display was impossible not to find appetizing.

First, the bakery selection! They had every kind of bread.

There were, of course, my personal favorites, croissants and pain au chocolat, as well as salted butter and butter mixed with fresh cream.

Next to them were various fruit jams, doughnuts, and muffins.

There was a well-stocked selection of typical European breakfast dishes, including scrambled eggs, beans, boiled eggs, shakshuka, and hash browns. Local guests also seemed to enjoy salads, which were available in a variety of forms.

Since breakfast is available as a one-for-one offer—it does not seem to have a limit on the number of times—you should definitely try it at least once if possible.

As was the case in London, the food at the EDITION restaurant was so good that it is one of the experiences you really should not miss.

The smoked salmon, smoked hams, and cheese were just as delicious as I remembered. There was cereal on the right as well.

Most European hotel breakfasts seem to have certain things in common. ^^

You can also have pancakes and waffles if you wish.

The fruit was neatly arranged and generously provided too!

What was interesting was that watermelon, pineapple, and melon were all commonly served.

You cannot leave out yogurt, either, right? Europeans seem to love it.

It tasted exactly as you would imagine, but it was really good.

Fresh fruit juice was prepared by juicing the fruit, and coffee was also available if you wanted it.

However, you can simply order coffee and have it brought to you. I always drink iced lattes. Haha.

And so, this was our first breakfast at The Reykjavik EDITION!

It was truly delicious. We kept going back for more, and because the space was so beautiful, we stayed for two hours. Haha.

I also remember that the tableware was not ordinary hotel tableware but beautiful pieces with a pinkish hue.

The staff were extremely friendly, and they responded promptly and accurately to our requests, making the experience very comfortable and pleasant.

One unusual thing was that the chef kept preparing small dishes and bringing them to us.

There was no additional charge, so I suppose it was a complimentary service for guests!

Most of the hotel guests were somewhat older white retirees. They also gave generous tips, and it was wonderful to see the young servers and retired guests talking with each other at length.

A society that continues to develop is one that progresses from one generation to the next and passes things down.

Tides – Dinner

Because we had quite a few activities scheduled, we probably ate dinner more often than breakfast.

A daily credit of 7,000 ISK was provided, so we had to use it every day. Haha.

The left side shows the counter seating at the Lounge & Bar in the lobby, while the right side shows the counter seating inside TIDES. ^^

Incidentally, if you look at the wine display in the distance, you can even find wine from North Korea! Very surprising.

This is the TIDES menu.

Depending on what you order, you may be seated either at the counter or at a table, even though both areas are inside TIDES.

It seems that cocktails and simple dishes are served at the counter, while full meals are enjoyed at a table.

It was such a wonderful space, and it is a shame that photographs cannot capture all of it.

The views outside are of the sea to the north and HARPA to the east.

The lighting was soft, and we could dine under a ceiling with wooden beams, illuminated by warm yellow lights!

The table was set, and bread was served before the meal.

It was a type of bread I had never tried before. It was hollow inside. The regular salted butter was more intense and tastier than the butter shown in the photo above, so try asking for it. Haha.

Lobster Ravioli (7,200 ISK)

Ravioli topped with lobster. There must have been lobster inside the ravioli too, right?

The sauce was made with lobster innards as well.

One downside is that food can look rather unappetizing in photos when the lighting is dark. :(

The flavor was exactly what you would expect, but I really liked the thick cream sauce and large pieces of lobster!

When you think about it, this would probably cost at least 50,000 won more at a five-star hotel in Korea. Haha.

Lobster & Langoustine Croquettes (4,300 ISK)

Lobster croquettes we had on another day! You can think of langoustine as something like a large shrimp.

What was unusual was the blueberry sauce in the center. Eating the croquettes with it balanced the creamy flavor with a touch of sweetness and made them even better! The portion was small, but the dish was naturally delicious. :)

North Icelandic Lamb Fillet (8,200 ISK)

I ordered this lamb tenderloin steak because I thought the price seemed reasonable. The word “Icelandic” in the name also made me want to try it.

It was refined and genuinely delicious, although the portion was a little small.

TIDES seems to occupy a fairly upscale position in the local dining scene. Interestingly, there were many couples on dates in the evening, and I even saw a couple of Chinese guests, whom I had not seen before. Haha.

(The place where I saw the most Chinese guests was on the glacier tour bus...... :’( )

Hamborgarinn / Signature Burger (5,200 ISK)

This was a hamburger we had at the bar on another day.

It was The Reykjavik EDITION’s signature burger, so there was no way we could skip it, right?

It was a solid, delicious burger with a pleasant flavor.

Personally, I thought it was similar to the burgers at Lotte Hotel Seoul and Josun Palace, which cost 50,000 won in Korea.

It is expensive, but I would say it is worth the price.

The fries on the left are Truffle Parmesan Fries, but they are not worth paying 2,400 ISK for.

Fries come with the burger, so just order the burger.

Roof Top Bar

Finally, I would like to introduce the rooftop bar.

The reason this bar is famous is that, if you are lucky, you can see the Northern Lights in a very comfortable and dramatic setting.

We had already seen the Northern Lights once on a tour, but since it was our last day, we went to the rooftop bar to enjoy the mood and have a drink.

The atmosphere felt very European. Rather than being merely modern and neat, it had an added layer of richly detailed, attractive décor.

If you arrive at this wonderful bar a little early, you can sit wherever you like.

Naturally, we chose a seat at the very back, because it offered views of both the sea and the HARPA concert hall.

With our fourth and final night ahead of us, we came to have a cocktail while reminiscing about our trip to Iceland!

Previous image Next image

This is the rooftop bar menu.

We wondered what else to eat, but decided we could have chicken after returning to Korea, so we ordered only one cocktail. Haha.

We ordered a drink called APOTEK.

It contained hibiscus, so it had the color and flavor I had expected. Haha.

It was not bad.

The photo came out beautifully, but just as I was feeling disappointed that the drink itself seemed a little underwhelming...

The server suddenly told us to come outside quickly.

And so, we were lucky enough to see the Northern Lights on our last night at The Reykjavik EDITION.

The lights danced and rippled right before our eyes, and it was truly moving. Haha.

People say it is difficult enough to see the Northern Lights even once, so seeing them twice—and then being able to watch them so comfortably from our hotel—was more than we could have hoped for.

I was very glad that we had chosen to stay at The Reykjavik EDITION!

The stylish Northern Lights that suddenly appeared after we thought we would not see them on the first night, along with Hallgrímskirkja Church.

The Blue Lagoon spa was less impressive than expected, while the glacier tour was challenging but produced some wonderful photos.

It was a very full trip, and a time during which we created many comfortable, happy memories. :)

Unlike London, there was very little information available about The Reykjavik EDITION in Iceland.

I do not speak English well, but I searched online, and my wife worked hard to research and study everything. I still vividly remember it. Haha.

The Reykjavik EDITION has a fairly good location.

There is a chance of seeing the Northern Lights from the hotel, and it is closer to downtown than expected, so you can reach most places with a short walk.

HARPA directly in front of the hotel is a famous tourist attraction and is also widely used as a meeting point for tour products. The area where The Reykjavik EDITION is located also attracts many people at night hoping to see the Northern Lights.

As a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite member, there are no particularly obvious benefits provided.

However, the daily credit allows you to enjoy lunch or dinner at a Michelin-Guide restaurant without spending too much of your own money.

The breakfast offer, which effectively lets you dine for half price through the one-for-one deal, is quite good. I definitely recommend trying it.

Parking is somewhat expensive, but you can use the public parking lot instead. The prize from the tablet roulette at check-in is also a small but enjoyable part of the trip.

We even received a room upgrade without realizing it. Although it is an EDITION hotel, I think it is a fairly accommodating place.

Oh, one more thing! After returning from the glacier tour, I left the shoes I had worn in a corner of the room. When the room was cleaned, they had wiped all the dirt off the soles of my shoes. I am still touched by how kind that service was.

There is currently an event offering double credit for Marriott stays plus a 1,000-point bonus. Despite being a luxury brand, EDITION is participating in the event in full! This was another modestly useful benefit.

When I traveled around Europe in my twenties, the joy came from squeezing in as many tourist attractions as possible, studying them, and taking photos. This was actually my tenth European trip, beginning with the trips I took as a student. But now that I am older, I think enjoying good accommodations and their facilities is also an enjoyable way to travel.

In any case, this was one of the most memorable trips of my life—a trip taken with a good person, at a good time, thanks to a wonderful opportunity. ^^

That was another glimpse into the everyday life of Director Baek, the dentist!!