Iceland
Where to stay with your family in Iceland
Iceland’s hotels are clean, comfortable and functional but don’t expect grand lobbies or ornate flourishes. The real drama here is outside the window. Volcanoes, glaciers, lava fields and vast open skies do the heavy lifting and most families find that warm, albeit small, rooms are all they need.
It’s worth being realistic about choice. Iceland is a sparsely populated country, and accommodation outside Reykjavík is more limited than many families expect. The options are there, but they are spread thinly across a big landscape, so it pays to plan well ahead. From characterful lodges and private apartments to mid-range Skandi-style hotels, many with hot tubs, and a few ‘push the boat out’ luxury lodges, you’ll find a surprisingly wide mix.
If stargazing is your thing, a glass-roofed cabin puts the Northern Lights directly overhead without stepping outside. The memory of watching the aurora from your bed is one that none of you will ever forget.
Family-friendly hotels in Iceland
Here are just a few of our favourite places to stay that work well for families.
Skalalot Manor Hotel, South Coast
With its glorious views of the south coast, this is a regular Stubborn Mule choice. It’s like staying with your eccentric Icelandic aunt… with a geothermal hot tub, a herd of sheep and waffles the size of your head. Kids are happy with treasure hunts and tractor rides, and everyone loves the hearty meals. The ideal blend of adventure and comfort.
Secret Glass Retreat
What, world-class stargazing without leaving the comfort of your bed or hut tub? Yes please! This unique accommodation is like sleeping in a sci-fi snow globe – minus the aliens, plus Northern Lights. Sustainable, made with wood, steel and glass, this is the ultimate upgrade.
Hotel Buoir, Snaeffelsnes Peninsula
Families love this place because it’s like stepping into a Wes Anderson film, if Wes liked lava fields, puffins and lobster soup. Perched on the wonderfully wild Snaefellsnes Peninsula, it’s got creaky charm, moody views and a church next door that’s the perfect stage for dramatic family photos. Kids roam free, parents sip wine, and everyone pretends they’re in a saga.
Why book Iceland with Stubborn Mule?
Our team have road tested pretty much every hotel in Iceland, often with our own families. We know which hotels have connecting rooms, which offer the most spectacular views and which have the best breakfast for fussy children. It’s this knowledge and experience that we feel really sets us apart. And it’s this which ensures that at the end of a wonderful day of exploring, you have the right place to lay your collective heads at night.
Iceland in pictures
