About Hótel Norðurljós
Hótel Norðurljós is a roughly 40-year old hotel with 15 ensuite rooms, restaurant for around 80 guests and a bar. The hotel was converted from an accommodation for up to 200 “herring-girls”, women who came to work on the herring fishing fleet that was important for this area. It was converted in the 1960s when the herring fishing era came to an end, originally only open to guests in the summer. Since roughly 2020 it has been open year-round.
Location
Hótel Norðurljós is located on the quay overlooking the harbour in Raufarhöfn, offering views in the afternoon of the fishermen offloading their catches. The restaurant offers a variety of meals and great fish dishes made these fish.
Raufarhöfn is mainland Iceland’s northernmost settlement and lies just below the Arctic Circle, meaning that while it does not completely lose the sun in the winter, some years there can be less than an hour of light. Conversely in the summer it never truly becomes pitch black.
Nearby is also the Arctic Henge, a modern “neolithic” monument to Iceland’s Viking roots and troll, elf and dwarf-based folklore.
Gallery
About the space
There are 15 ensuite rooms offering either a double bed or two singles. All rooms have private bathrooms, good soundproofing, and free WiFi, although it is only guaranteed in the common areas. Additional amenities include work desk and chair, shampoo/conditioner, and large windows.
There are also lounges on each floor with televisions, comfortable chairs and sofas, and games (boardgames, chess, etc).
The traditional restaurant serves lunch and dinner with continental and buffet breakfast options. Menus cater to special diets, and a bar provides a relaxing atmosphere.
The hotel provides free on-site parking, a minimarket, electric vehicle charging, and bicycle parking. Activities include cycling, and a tour desk assists with excursions.
The good
I really enjoyed staying at Hótel Norðurljós. The beds were extremely comfortable, the room and common areas were spotless, dinner at the restaurant was delicious (I had a fish dish made with locally caught fish) and once the door to your room was closed, you could not hear anything from outside of it.
Another thing that I have to highlight was the woman at reception, who may have also been the owner (although I am not certain if that is the case) who was extremely attentive, personable and friendly. She did not only answer any and all questions that we had but also was very interested in striking up conversation. She also served us during dinner where this really came out, telling us more about the area, the history and a bit about her time as a Herring Girl.
The bad
There is absolutely nothing bad to report! It is easy to see why it so highly rated.
What I did while there
Here are some things to do in the area:
Verdict
10/10 would absolutely stay here again! The only thing stopping me from staying there forever is that 1) it gets cold in the winter and 2) I do not have unlimited money 😭
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