The Fosshotel Skaftafell held wonderful memories for us.  This was the place where Tommy and I saw the Northern Lights for the first time in our lives.  Located within the beautiful Skaftafell National Park, some of the rooms at the Fosshotel Skaftafell offer a view of the Vatnajökull Glacier, the largest glacier in Iceland and Europe.

Hotel with Best View of Vatnajökull Glacier

We arrived at the Fosshotel Skaftafell in the late evening and could not see our surroundings clearly. There is a glacier (Svinafellsjokull) right behind the property which we did not see on arrival.

This glacier is within a comfortable walking distance from the Fosshotel Skaftafell and we had the privilege to hike around the very next day!

Simple but Functional Room

The rooms at the Fosshotel Skaftafell are located in four different buildings.  This property has all its guest room on the ground level, and as our room was facing the central courtyard, it was particularly noisy even in the late night, due to the large numbers of people loitering outdoors waiting for the Northern Lights to make an appearance. It would have been good if our room were facing North, for easy monitoring of the Northern Lights, but as luck shall have it, our room faced South!

A rather tired-looking room, the fixtures at the Fosshotel Skaftafell were obviously aged, but thankfully clean and useable.  Just like the Fosshotel Lind, the room tended to be a little on the small side and looked much more like a dormitory than a hotel. The air-conditioning was also too weak in the room, and we had to open the windows to let in the cool winter air.

One plus point of staying at Fosshotel Skaftafell – we had cool and odour free water, the source of which came presumably from the nearby glaciers.  This is in sharp contrast to the sulphur-laced bathwater we had for days.

The Surrounding Area

In addition to a restaurant cum dining area, the Fosshotel Skaftafell features a bar/lounge with a ‘Happy Hour’, front desk, internet station, a common lounge area and a small gift shop. Other amenities include complimentary wireless internet access.

Dining at Fosshotel Skaftafell

The dining room at the Fosshotel Skaftafell is one of the cosiest out of all the Fosshotels (Fosshotel Lind, Fosshotel Reyholt) that we stayed in, and one of the best places for socializing with the rest of our tour mates.

If you have read our review on the Fosshotel Reyholt, you would have been informed of the expensive dinners at the hotels.  Besides being expensive, the menu at these hotels was also limited to a choice between 3 main courses.

We had initially wanted to order dessert (ice-cream) to add on to dinner, but it costs almost SGD$16!

Our expensive 3-course meal consisting of an appetizer, carrot soup and lamb ribeye.  If you are in Iceland, lamb is one of those things that you must try. Perhaps it was due to the cosy environment, or to the wonderful company we had, but this was one of the best dinners we had at a hotel.

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Breakfast served at the Fosshotel Skaftafell is the standard fare served by the Fosshotel chain – sumptuous with a good variation.

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Wonderful Location

Located in Skaftafell National Park, the Fosshotel Skaftafell offers easy access to Vatnajokull Glacier, Jökulsárlón Glacial Lagoon and other attractions within the National Park.

Hotel Details

Fosshótel Skaftafell
Freysnesi – 785 Oraefi
Website: hotelskaftafell.is

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Fosshotel Skaftafell holds wonderful memories for us, and although the property is in need of a facelift, everything was clean and cosy and very much like a home away from home.   If you have time on your hands, you can have a leisurely hike along the Svinafellsjokull glacier, which offers views comparable or even better views than the Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska.  We will not hesitate to stay here again.

Join us next as we visit the old harbour of Reykjavik