Hilton officially announced a franchise agreement with Bohemian Hotels ehf. to open the Akureyri “Skáld” Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton hotel property, which will be the first internationally branded countryside property in the north of Iceland sometime in the summer of 2025. This article contains some photographs which give my glimpse into Akureyri in Iceland when I visited there.
My Glimpse Into Akureyri in Iceland: Hilton Announces New Hotel Property
The important port and fishing center of Akureyri is the fifth most populous municipality in Iceland. Its nickname is the Capital of North Iceland.
Although I did not take photographs of them, the red lights on the traffic lights in this town are in the shape of hearts rather than circles. Eiríkur Björn Björgvinsson — who was the mayor of Akureyri — said in 2013 to Pam Stucky of Huffington Post that “The hearts appeared as a consequence of the financial crash in Iceland in 2008, when there was a need for some positive thinking and to put emphasis on what really matters. Since then the red hearts in the traffic lights are visible, as well as plenty of red hearts made of the flower ‘forget me not’ decorating windows, cars and signs throughout the town. The huge heart that ‘pounded’ in Mt. Vaðlaheiði opposite the town on the other side of the fjord was made by a private initiative of an electrical company in town together with other supporters. The heart was the size of a football field and was made of about four hundred bulbs.”
Parking of motor vehicles is timed in some parts of Akureyri. According to the sign shown in the photograph above, parking is permitted for up to one hour between the hours of 10:00 in the morning and 4:00 in the afternoon on weekdays.
I stayed at Gula Villan Brekkugata when I visited Akureyri; but I do not believe this guest house is available at which to stay anymore. If it still is available, I would recommend staying here if you find yourself in Akureyri. Outside on the patio near the entrance was a picnic table and a barbecue grill.
Much of the available lodging in the country of Iceland outside of the greater metropolitan Reykjavik area is comprised of guesthouses.
Gula Villan Brekkugata was a comfortable place to stay on a quiet street — yet not far from a commercial district.
The bathroom was rather quaint, with a sloped ceiling due to the roof.
It included a shower stall, a sink, and a toilet.
Shown in the photograph above is probably the best use of the shortest part of the bathroom in terms of height.
A full kitchen included plenty of cabinets, counter space, an oven, a cooktop, and a microwave oven.
A toaster and full sized refrigerator were included as well.
A sink by a window rounded out the kitchen.
Just like the aforementioned traffic lights, red hearts adorned the windows of the dining area.
My favorite part of this guest house was the peaceful semi-enclosed outdoor balcony…
…which had four chairs and a small round glass table. Thankfully, no one was around to use the ash tray.
Final Boarding Call
Akureyri is located in the central northern part of Iceland on the southern tip of Eyjafjörður — which translates from Icelandic to English as Island Fjord and is one of the longest fjords in the country. The town of Húsavík — which is where I saw a blue whale live and in person — is located approximately one hour and ten minutes away by motor vehicle; although you can go watching whales directly from Akureyri.
Despite the official announcement by Hilton on Monday, June 17, 2024 that a new hotel property will open in Akureyri, plenty of guest houses will still be available if that is where you prefer to stay. I believe I paid less than $100.00 in United States dollars for the night at Gula Villan Brekkugata; whereas I highly doubt that a room at Akureyri “Skáld” Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton hotel property will cost less than $200.00 per night.
Plan to spend at least four hours and 41 minutes to drive the approximately 388 kilometers from Reykjavik.
All photographs ©2018 by Brian Cohen.
