Where to Stay in Reykjavik

     Reykjavik hotels will not be cheap.  Nothing in Iceland is going to be cheap.  But there are plenty of great options, across the whole spectrum of accommodations.  I won't get all presumptive about specific hotels, but rather will think about this geographically...

          -  For those without a car, I tend to recommend staying within a quasi-rectangular area downtown.  This rectangle is roughly bounded on the south by an imaginary line connecting the Sundhollin (indoor pool and baths), the Halgrimskirkja (famous hill-top church) and the Tjornin (lake next to the parliament building)… and bounded on the north by the Sun Voyager (waterside sculpture), the Harpa (waterside concert hall), and the embassy district (northwest of the parliament building).

         -  For those renting a car to explore other parts of Iceland, I would honestly recommend that you don’t need it in / around Reykjavik.  Save the money on the car for these days, and spend it on a closer-in hotel instead.  (See the rectangle-shaped area mentioned above.)   Then pick up your car only when it is time to head out into the countryside to explore.

         -  If you absolutely must have a car, hotels closer to the public park areas east of downtown will likely be better options.  Look just north and east of the Hateigskirkja, and just west of the botanical gardens.