The Credentials:
Situated in the very centre of Reykjavik, Hotel Borg represents an imposing yet elegant mark on the landscape of that quiet Icelandic city. Built in the late 1920s by adventurer and martial arts champion Jóhannes Jósefsson, the hotel quickly became one of Rekyjavik’s iconic buildings.
Inside, the decor is as classically Art Deco as it gets, complete with ITC Anna typefaces on the signs and gilded walls in the ballroom—it’s very much a hotel out of time. One might not initially associate Iceland’s capital with the glitz and glamour of 1930s Hollywood, New York, Paris or London, but it’s an aesthetic that is evoked brilliantly throughout the building’s design.
Dine:
The hotel has its own restaurant, Borg Restaurant. Beyond effortlessly fitting into the hotel’s aesthetic, the four-star restaurant offers up both local and international recipes (and one hell of a cocktail list), masterfully presented in a semi-formal environment. Reykjavik is pretty fantastic for food, but it’s worth taking at least one meal here.
As for drinking, the restaurant does have a bar, though due to the more formal nature of the establishment you may want to look elsewhere; the hotel’s central location means that there are at least half a dozen decent bars within thirty seconds’ walk of the hotel, and one particularly trendy place right next door.
Breakfast is available, too, but isn’t cheap—par for the course for Reykjavik—expect to pay €18 for the privilege.
Sleep:
The rooms are pretty—slightly less in-your-face than the style of the hotel, but noticeably in keeping with it—comfortable and surprisingly large. The walls are adorned with black and white photographs of scenes from Icelandic life, the bathroom is clad in black marble and the furnishings are simple yet stylish. Don’t expect anything too hi-tech (the TV was your basic, five-channel affair, and there was nothing particularly wowing about the whole setup) but the rooms do, if nothing else, feel a bit more Icelandic than the rest of the hotel—down, perhaps, to those photographs, the chic effortlessness of the décor or a combination of the two.
There are 99 rooms in total, with superior rooms, deluxe rooms and suites available, as well as the Tower Suite for the ultimate view across the city.
Who goes there?
It’s hard to say. Reykjavik is a startlingly quiet city where many seem to like to keep to themselves, and Hotel Borg is no different. If you do happen to run into another guest, they are likely to be wealthier older couples out holidaying.
Out & about:
An absolute tonne of places: there are a range of bars nearby, including one next door and an American Bar and English Pub just across the square from the hotel. Reykjavik’s main streets for shopping, dining and nightlife are all within a few minutes’ walk of the hotel at the very most—it’s really not a very big city.
The worst thing:
The wi-fi in the rooms. At best, slow; at worst, unworkable. Not acceptable considering the cost of the hotel.
The best thing:
It really is a beautiful building, and a lot can be said for the quiet, lavish dignity of the place, but the location trumps that. Practically everything you’d ever want to see in Reykjavik is situated almost on top of the hotel—there’s nowhere you’ll want or need to go within the city itself that will ever be a hassle to get to.
