This smart 4-star stop on Laugavegur, Reykjavík’s main shopping street, offers comfortable and modern rooms in a relaxed and friendly environment. There’s a buzzing bar serving local draught beers and champagne cocktails and a rooftop terrace with sweeping views of the sea and the mountains around you. Alda also boasts its own chocolate shop, a 24-hour grab-n-go snack station and in-room massages, and a fitness centre with a sauna and a full range of exercise equipment.
Eat
There is no restaurant at the hotel, but Alda does provide some tasty treats in its Chocolate Store, which sells handmade confections that melt in the mouth. More indulgence can be found in the Barber Bar, which serves a splendid list of wines, beers and cocktails, and hunger pangs fade away around the clock at the snack station. For more substantial fare, visit the Old Iceland Restaurant, a stone’s throw away, serving gourmet and seasonal dishes, or head for the more straightforward pleasures of Gamla Vínhúsið – a fabulous steakhouse and grill.
Sleep
The 65 rooms at the Alda are decorated in the minimalist style that typifies Scandinavia and lends the hotel an edge of futuristic elegance. The best rooms are found on the fourth floor, due to the large shared balcony with vast views over the Atlantic and the city, including the dominating spire of Hallgrímskirkja – the country’s tallest church. All the rooms feature en-suites and mod-cons.
Do
Pop into 12 Tónar, Reykjavík’s favourite record store, close to the hotel and a chilled place to sit back with a coffee and listen to music. The store hosts gigs and concerts in the evenings, so head here at the end of the day to experience the music scene that produced Sigur Rós and Björk. Art enthusiasts will enjoy the Einar Jónsson museum, which showcases the work of Iceland’s most famous sculptor.
