The setting, the outdoor hot tub fed by hot spring water, and the food were the standouts. Located a few minutes outside of town, Hotel Katla is off in its own little world. You have to do some outdoor walking to get from most rooms to other facilities — which can be daunting during Icelandic winters. But everything was marvelous. The rooms themselves were good, with comfortable beds, good wifi, hot hot water like you want after trekking through the snow, and with radiant floor heat. But the outdoor hot tub - with a sauna and gym as well - is the real highlight of the hotel. The hot spring water is on the cooler side for hot springs — but warm enough I sat in it comfortably for over an hour in the middle of a blizzard. The bar and restaurant were above expectations, with a few dishes that were real standouts. There's almost always a dinner buffet, with rotating main dishes accompanied by a dizzying array of appetizers, soup, salad, side dishes, and desserts. The emphasis was on Icelandic cuisine, but you'd find your French chocolate cakes and pavlova as well. Outside of the buffet, the menu was rather small — they definitely steer you in that direction. It's not a cheap buffet, but from what we saw of Iceland, it isn't outrageous either. The free breakfast buffet was excellent as well. Over the course of several days, I had skyr, fresh fruits, fresh breads with cheeses meats vegetables or jams, and really good herring, smoked salmon, and gravlax. But the waffle bar was quite popular with guests, as were the juices and smoothie.

Having to walk outside to get to the bar, the restaurant, or the hot tub wasn't awesome during the blizzard that visited during our stay. I usually like outdoor set ups, but be aware it can get cold, and icy, and require suiting yourself up if you're visiting in winter and experience inclement weather.

The check in was easy and quick. The layout is very different in that there are at least 6 buildings. The room was clean and comfy. We didn't get to use the sauna or hot tub but they looked fine. The restaurant was really nice - loved the design and wood timbers. Breakfast was plentiful. Bummer that a latte and a few other coffee drinks are not included. Coffee is! The variety is excellent - better than most hotels here in the US. Very close to Vik (5 minutes max). We would stay thee again for sure. Oh, the sheep roa ming in the parking lot and right outside the hotel window is a bonus.

No charge for the specialty coffees. Otherwise, no complaints at all (after all, we were in Iceland!)

Hotel Katla was a great place to spend the night! I wish we could have stayed longer. It's close to the Viking Park and also to Vik, with plenty to do in both spots. Rooms were large, clean, with big bathrooms and plenty of space for luggage. Beds are comfy, the restaurant had both a fabulous dinner buffet and you could order off the menu (our group did both). The breakfast buffet (included with our room) was awesome! Staff was friendly as well.

The weather! Nothing related to our stay at the hotel, but walking between buildings to get to the reception and dining area was a pain with constant rain.

I recently stayed at hotel Katla with two friends and had a great experience. The room was spacious, stylishly decorated, and perfect for the three of us. One of the highlights of our stay was the wellness area — I especially enjoyed the sauna and the outdoor jacuzzi, which were perfect for relaxing after a day out. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly, and communication was smooth from booking to check-out. Overall, a comfortable and welcoming stay—would definitely recommend and come back again!

The only small downside was the short opening hours of the restaurant, which made it a bit tricky to plan meals around.

The overall room was very modern, clean, and comfy. I love the finishes of the room, the wood and the bright big windows. The bathroom was very clean. The service and staff were very friendly and accommodating.

One small caveat, which is probably a cultural thing, is the fact that 1) the shower had no curtain and 2) there was no conditioner, tho in the end the shampoo body wash 2 in 1 didn’t dry my hair which was good. The shower pressure was on the weak side however. Finally, the lack of a fridge was a bit bothersome.

Spa Was great to chill in the hot water Spacious rooms and very clean

From changing rooms to spa is about 5 meters where you have to walk in your shorts and slippers if you have any. I did not had any with me so I had to walk barefoot. Not a problem except the dirt from the ash/gravel they use on ice to avoid slipping got on my feet and took it into the hot tub. Also there was still ice around the hot tub. I guess they could have used something like a mat to make sure you don’t slip and keep your feet clean. Or supply slippers for people like me who don’t pack their own. Breakfast was good but personally I would have preferred a variety of eggs, like fried or omelette other than only hard boiled.

Overall decent stay. Rooms were clean, quiet, and comfortable (which were most important for us). It was easy to access, with plenty of parking. We thought breakfast was fine, but average compared to other places we stayed in Iceland.

The bathrooms were tiny (smallest of the 6 hotels we stayed at in Iceland), no counter space and there was no way to shower without the entire floor getting soaked. We also had a couple of disappointing beers at the bar. It was a little pricier vs. other hotels we stayed at.

Huge spacious room and bathroom with comfortable wide beds. Convenient location with great views, close to Vik town centre and the other tourist attractions. Parking can sometimes be an issue late in the evening. Plenty of facilities in the room and around the hotel but it was also peaceful and quiet.

Nothing much to complain about but perhaps a bit more expensive than the other hotels in the area. Huge variety of food options for breakfast but had limited hot food options provided besides toast, waffles and porridge.

We received a surprise in that we were upgraded to a suite overlooking the bay at Vik. The room was simply wonderful. The view was spectacular! There was a large tub for soaking. There were large, comfy chairs, a couch, & a coffee table to sit and enjoy the view with a cocktail or snacks. There was plenty of room to do yoga, The room & the hotel was very clean, & comfortable. The hotel is conveniently located near so many activities & sights in & around Vik. The rooms are quiet & have black out drapes. Our suite overlooked a large pond where swans & other waterfowl were swimming every day. Breakfast was a somewhat large buffet with options for vegetarians, offering cereals, yogurts, cheeses, croissants, breads, boiled eggs, pickled herring & (my new favorite) curried herring. There was plenty of food on the buffet to satisfy most appetites. Our disappointment was no scrambled eggs. But the teas & coffees offered were excellent! Would have liked some scrambled eggs for breakfast. Otherwise, total wonderful experience.

Would have liked some scrambled eggs for breakfast. Otherwise, total wonderful experience.

We had a great stay at Hotel Katla. We were in room 213 in the larger main building and had a fantastic view. Their breakfast buffet was excellent,with lots of choices and places to sit. We were very lucky and got to see the aurora as a bonus! We didn't use the hotspring or sauna because we ran out of time, but they looked nice and felt warm. Thank you for a great stay.

Bigger coffee cups would be great. We had about 6 tiny cups of coffee, lol. Definitely not a make or break deal.