Toni S.
5/5
I visited Iceland this year to celebrate a milestone birthday with 20 of my closest friends and family and I was worried that I would have a difficult time finding a big enough space to accommodate the large group in a place where everyone would be able to experience the Iceland that I know and love. Fortunately, I discovered Hóll Adventure House, nestled in Siglufjörður, just an hour north of the northern capital, Akureyri – not far off the ring road. I travel to Iceland annually and have stayed in dozens of different places throughout the land of Fire & Ice, and Hóll Adventure House has by far been one of my greatest experiences in Iceland.
First and foremost, the house is newly renovated, so from the outside this house may seem like modest Icelandic abode secluded in the country – a 5-10min car ride to the nearest town center – but the interior is all modern and BIG. There were plenty of rooms and beds to accommodate more than the 20+ people in our group. The kitchen is massive and fully stocked with all the equipment and appliances you would need to cater to a large group. The spacious living room has enough comfortable seating for everyone, which can also double as additional sleeping accommodations if you intend on having an even larger group, and comes equipped with a big TV for a late night chill. The beds were extremely comfortable and there were plenty of extra linens to go around. And the bathrooms – which I cannot stress enough – are SUPURB. All showers and toilets are new, there was enough bathrooms for everyone to comfortably use and get ready in the mornings without stepping on each other’s toes and causing delays and the on-site sauna alone is enough to make anyone want to never leave this place. Out of all the rooms in the house, this was the area that was most utilized outside of the kitchen and adds to an authentic Icelandic home experience. Additionally, the WiFi signal was very strong and reliable, but considering where we were, we were all genuinely disconnected from the virtual world and getting lost in the surrounding landscapes.
There is so much to do in and on the way to Siglufjörður. At one point the host recommended we can take a free tour of the local brewery, Segull 67 Brewery, which is a staple beer in Iceland. It was a lot fun and the brewery was excited to have such a large group of friends to show around. The small harbor town is also equiped with enough grocery markets for multiple food trips as well as some local eateries if you want to experience some local cuisine.
But the five star rating factor for this place is how secluded it is from the world. Though it is near a quaint city center, it is far enough that we did not feel we were being a nuisance when playing loud music in the evening and it is secluded enough that there was no light pollution during clear evenings – the Northern Lights made an appearance multiple times for us during our stay and it was truly the icing on top the birthday cake of this very special weekend.
Communication with the host, Gulli, was also smooth and easy. He even dropped by at one point to make sure everything was going smoothly. The house is relatively newly renovated, so they are working on all sorts of additions – they showed us the current construction of the outdoor hot tub, so if you’re staying here by next Summer, you will have a luxe deck with a massive hot tub to relax and gaze at either the midnight sun or northern lights from. The exterior of the house also comes equipped with electrical access for camping during the Summer if you want to experience the outdoors a little bit more intimately. We’ll have to come back just to test it all out!
Overall, Hóll Adventure House is the perfect home for a large group of friends and family who want to visit and truly experience a part of Iceland off the beaten path.
