Highland Base Kerlingarfjoll

I have visited Kerlingarfjöll quite often through the years to snowboard, splitboard, hike, mountain bike and just to enjoy the area. Kerlingarfjöll are a beautiful group of mountains located between two of Iceland prominent glaciers, Hofsjökull and Langjökull. So the area in itself is spectacular and worth a visit. The facilities before the recent developement were run down, they used to have a ski school for spring skiing and a very old school lift there on the glacier. The new facilities called Highland Base, Kerlingarfjöll are really well thought out and tasteful, they connect to the landscape, rooms have large windows to see the views and they have built really nice hot tubs and a sauna to enjoy after a day of outdoor activities. The staff were very helpful, me and my wife got a room with single beds but the staff (I believe his name was Daði) sorted that out with a smile. The food at the restaurant was also very good, our group had the beef and were impressed. We travelled by our own modified Arctic Trucks super jeeps to the location and it took us about 2,5 hours from Gullfoss with the road snowed in and marked impassable. This can vary depending on conditions but the hotel arranges travel for most of their guests that do not have access to trucks like that. So a very enjoyable stay at this new hotel, I hope to visit soon again for some nostalgic spring skiing on Snækollur and Fannborg and a cold beer in the hot tub afterwards.

My husband and I made hotel and shuttle reservations about a month ago for early December. Having been to Iceland many times, we booked this short trip for the sole purpose of checking out this new resort. When I recently inquired about their cancellation policy (we were worried about flights being impacted by a potential water eruption) - the response from management was they are not offering a shuttle on the days I had already booked, and my options were to cancel my reservation, change dates, or pay around $3200 USD for private transport. What? We leave for Iceland in 2 weeks. We are now scrambling for alternative plans, since it’s too late to change our dates. Needless to say we are really disappointed on how our situation was handled, and not being notified immediately that our shuttle reservation was not available.

If you are an avid hiker who wants to experience a part of Iceland very few tourists get to see then this hotel is for you. The service is truly world class: Hlynur and Claudia and all the staff went above and beyond to cater to my every need, including providing me with helpful tips for solo hikes and customizing my dinner options since I was staying 5 nights. The restaurant and chef are truly exceptional and I recommend stopping in even if you don’t stay the night: there is an a la carte menu during the day and the dinner buffet is outstanding and offers many choices (and they might add a la carte dinner over time). My suite was terrific with an amazing hot tub on the balcony that fills directly from the geothermal pool and terrific shower with Blue Lagoon products. The bed is super comfy and the windows offer amazing views. There is a fun lounge area with games and books where guests gather to connect and socialize after dinner. Read a great book and disconnect from the world. Once the baths are completed later this winter it should be a big plus, but even now you can hike to the hot geothermal pools just 1km away and the cold river right next to it is also fun if you are into cold water therapy :-)! The weather constantly changes (I had snow and sun and wind and rain and more sun in my time there) but the hikes and landscape are amazing in any weather if you come prepared. I did a bunch of solo hikes and there are lots of easy and challenging options depending on your level. I also did an amazing guided hike with Ruben (they have many guided options and a guide on staff during the summer) which was incredible: he showed me the ropes on how to navigate the glaciers and hidden trails that are hard to find, so definitely recommend signing up for a guided hike if you are staying multiple days.

Had a lovely room albeit too hot which we couldn’t control. But one night stay ruined when a group of Americans of which some were wearing masks decended on the lounge upstairs and restaurant joking about drinking alcohol to kill the germs and one promising to breath the other way when removing their mask to eat. We evacuated both areas when we heard their conversation but had already been exposed for a while and skipped breakfast. But now 4 days on I have this morning tested positive for Covid for the first time and am very unwell. Thank you selfish group of Americans - you know who you are

The newly re-opened highland base was worth the wait. A little of the old rustic, in the middle of nowhere charm has been lost, but instead, you get a very comfortable place with excellent lunch and dinner (breakfast wasn't bad, just not great). Our room was excellent with a great view. The location can't be beat, walkable to a hot spring and a short 3-km drive to the main area. Really worthwhile to stay overnight.

Did not stay at the hotel but only had lunch while visiting the area. Food was exceptional & staff extraordinary welcoming. We did not know about the hotel before, otherwise we would have stayed for a night. Still some construction ongoing.

The resort is great but the amount of construction makes the place unlivable during the day. The food is good, our room is very nice, prices are high for during a period of major reconstruction. Too bad. the hiking and architecture is outstanding.

Only a tiny window despite sun exposure all day. First night we could not sleep well because of this. Next day kept curtain closed all day and it helped somewhat. Otherwise we had an amazing stay. Staff were friendly, food was good, activities nearby are mind blowing. but it's a brand new place so can't understand why this wasn't thought out. Maybe they could put UV filter film on the windows? It's clearly the place to stay, and definitely a must see in Iceland, but make sure you keep curtains closed.

We cannot thank enough the staff of this beautiful place, for saving our trip yesterday! ❤️ one tire of our car was leaking and we barely managed to reach this place. I asked for help in the reception and there was this nice and kind guy who offered his help immediately, and he fixed our car! Thanks to him we were able to continue our trip and see the beautif ul Kerlingarfjöll Hot Springs. To be honest, this site is unbelieveably beautiful and surrealistic, it is for sure the Top 1 of the whole Iceland trip. It is really worth coming here and preferably staying at least overnight to be able to enjoy the place, therefore staying at Highland Base at Kerlingarfjöll would make your visit just perfect :)