Highlights
- Modern property and guest rooms.
- Delicious East-Icelandic cuisine.
- High tea served daily.
- New conference facilities.
Background
The Icelandair Hotel chain is considered the premiere hotel group in Iceland. There are nine locations throughout the island and another on the way next year. The Icelandair Hotel Herad is the easternmost location in the relatively small town of Egilsstadir. It recently celebrated its 15 year anniversary with extensive renovations throughout the common areas of the hotel. The décor has been updated with natural finishes and soft color palettes inspired by the distinctive landscape. The town is popular year round with skiing and natural hot springs in the winter and beautiful hiking trails and waterfalls in summer.
Experience
There’s an easy way and a hard way to get to Egilsstadir; direct and indirect flights are available but the more adventurous travelers might like to rent a car or join a Ring Road tour and drive along the Southern coast from Reykjavik.
Make sure you have reservations because there are only 60 rooms at Icelandair Hotel Herad, each with plenty of natural light and gorgeous views in any direction. I stayed in a Standard Room with attractive parquet floors, large picture windows, and an extremely comfortable bed. There’s also satellite TV, telephone, and wireless internet for a small fee.
The Icelandair Hotel Herad Restaurant is one of the best in Eglisstadir. As part of the hotel’s environmental policy, the restaurant is part of the East-Icelandic Delicacies Association which puts extra emphasis on local Icelandic ingredients and resources. One of the most popular dishes is reindeer steak carefully prepared to keep the game meat juicy and tender. East Iceland is the only region with native reindeer. There’s also various seafood on the menu like salted cod caught just off the coast in Borgarfjörður Eystri which is a short drive away.
The hotel also serves a delicious Breakfast Buffet everyday beginning at 7 am which is perfect for tourists getting a early start. Don’t miss the shot of cod liver oil to start your day! There’s also the option of room service if you want to pamper yourself a little with breakfast in bed.
The Bar & Lounge is also a great place to enjoy a quiet drink while waiting for a table or meeting up with friends. I was particularly impressed with the extensive wine selection and Icelandic beers which have a super clean and refreshing taste. During the summer months the balcony area opens up so guests can enjoy the near 24 hour daylight.
Icelandair Hotel Herad also offers High Tea daily which is a first in Eglisstadir. Not only is there an assortment of decaffeinated and caffeinated teas but sweet and savory hors d’oeuvres served on a three tiered platters to share.
Full catering is also offered as part of the Delegate Packages in the Meetings & Conference Facilities. The large and small rooms are located in the brand new wing of the Icelandair Hotel Herad which is perfect for any private event. The facilities are full of technology like wireless internet, projector, DVD/VHS player and audio equipment. The room itself is very minimalist, like a blank canvas so guests can add their own personalized touches to their events.
I was impressed with the professionalism of the staff at Icelandair Hotel Herad. From the servers to the front desk, everyone was very welcoming and showed their warm Icelandic hospitality. Though the hotel is part of a larger chain I still saw a lot of personal attention and real effort to make guest experiences the best possible.
Parking is readily available at the hotel lot making it convenient to drive to hiking trails or the Lagarfljót River.
Overall the Icelandair Hotel Herad was one of the more luxurious stays I had in Eastern Iceland. For comfort, great cuisine, and friendly service I would recommend staying here on a road trip through the country!
Contact
Icelandair Hotel Herad
Address: Midvangur 1-7, 700 Egilsstadir, Iceland
Telephone: +354 471 1500
Website: http://www.icelandairhotels.com/en/hotels/herad
Email: herad@icehotels.is