Review: Torfhus Retreat Iceland (Pricey, Mostly Charming, Unique Location)

Great review! This was particularly fun to read as I had a big client booking there this past summer. I'd add that they also have "Torfvilla" - a 4 bedroom villa. When I booked it for my clients, it wasn't all that much more than their other villa but included a LOT more (private chef and all dinners being one of them), and it's much more private.
It's definitely pricey for what it is, but as you point out, that's Iceland.

Question about the 'geothermal' water... did it smell (like rotten eggs)? Stayed at Lake Mývatn (north side of the island), and, oof, the water there was 'too much.'

@ pstm91 -- Totally forgot about the four-bedroom villa, but just added that to the post. Thanks!

@ 1990 -- Funny you mention that. I distinctly remember that smell from my visit to Iceland over a decade ago, but didn't encounter that smell once during this trip.

Impressive. They somehow managed to overcome the smell, like, as an island. LOL.

Well I would have preferred those very pale strawberries to have been omitted in favor of actual Icelandic offerings like bilberry and crowberry, especially in Autumn.

Looks like the kind of place I’d enjoy just wandering around. At that price point, though, I doubt I’d ever stay there.

This level of service suits me just fine. I dislike having staff constantly hovering around asking me if everything is ok. If I want something, I'll let you know.

Thanks for the blast from the past! My family and I spent 4 nights at Torfhus back in 2023 and loved it. One thing that they did for us is arrange for an Icelandic astronomy professor to come to our (2-BR) villa with a couple telescopes to do an evening of stargazing. Another night that old-school phone rang to let us know about some Northern Lights! Since you're out in the middle of nowhere, the starry sky can be pretty amazing. So, service can be pretty light-touch but they will do some pretty special things if asked!

Although not necessarily a good deal, there is a points angle - this is part of Mr. & Mrs. Smith so you can redeem Hyatt points. I think I paid 75k points per night which is admittedly a lot but I had something like 700k hyatt points at the time. Hyatt redemption values at MMS are not very good but if you have an excess of Hyatt points as I did it's an option

Perfect for a late October or early November after having enough of South Florida heat. And spend four days sleeping 12 hours a night and lounging around a beautiful place with nowhere to be and nothing to do. Heaven.

Okay, so you get a cramped basic two-star cabin and indifferent service for 800 euros. An easy pass. No wonder only two rooms were occupied.

Are they afraid of colour in Iceland? Because this place is so dreary, so depressing and so boring. Those wide-angle shots of the restaurant - what a sad looking room, at least add a few plants or something.

Sounds like my idea of heaven, too!

Racist.

Selfoss is a great area to base from. But I would have visited in summer months (the extra long days are magical both for lighting and for schedule flexibility).

800euro/night is a lot, even for Iceland, but that would go with a themed-retreat sort of place.

I've been to Iceland 3x now and would return a 4th for sure.

Neat to see you staying in a non-urban/non-resort spot, thanks for the review!

Utterly boring. You're under 40 (I think), but have the travel taste of a Medicare recipient.

I think Lucky is just not a great photographer. See his articles about EVA Air, that all feature the same late 2010s cellphone shot of an EVA plane through a foggy window, without the white balance adjusted.

I think I recognize a bottle of Berserkja Brennivin on the shelf at the bar. It's also known as "Black Death". Nasty stuff.

I like the feel of this place. Very rustic.

I wouldn't pay what they're charging, but I don't see a problem (other than not filling out the spirits menu to make the full range of cocktails).

As for adding plants, plants aren't really a thing in Iceland. Between the rocks, volcanoes, and winter weather, trees don't really grow on the island. It is a rugged landscape, and the country's culture reflects that.

It's totally normal for a set course or tasting menu to have additional courses added in - I think the most I ever had was 17 total courses in a nominally 8 course menu (at &Moshyk in Amsterdam, now closed unfortunately). Even a three course set lunch will quite often have five courses.

What's wrong with that bridge? 🙂

Overall I find this property having a bit of an identity crisis, trying to both be an upscal hotel and keep to the theme that doesn't really match "luxury". I mean, Vikings didn't have shower cubicles at their farms. It just looks weird together.

Also, the location on the Golden Circle isn't that great imho, as the area is extremely touristy and overcrowded all the time. I don't see a point of flying to a fairly remote place to spend my time among crowds of tourists (especially at a destination that is all about nature). There are much nicer places in Iceland where you can enjoy stunning nature and sights in peace.

Yeah, I'm actually a bit confused by that part of the article because Ben says that the service was mediocre but then fails to list a single fault other than no one "greeting him" at breakfast (why would you need that)? It's not like they failed to provide something he asked for. Sounds like a great service to me, if you get everything you want without being bothered all the time.

@ Cassie -- I'm curious... where do you recommend staying in Iceland if you don't have "the travel taste of a Medicare recipient?"

@ omarsidd -- Yeah, we hope to return again in summer in the coming years, because we absolutely loved our time here. But we also loved the change of seasons, and seeing the Northern Lights was a bucket list thing that we finally checked off, and that obviously wouldn't have happened in summer.

@ Rihanna -- Hey, you don't have to compliment my photography, but you're suggesting that the reason the hotel looks the way it does is because of my (point and shoot) pictures, and not... because of how it looks?

@ Samo -- I don't think I ever called the service "mediocre" (though maybe I'm missing something), but I did call it "low-touch" four times. And I think that seems pretty accurate? Or how would you describe service where you have almost no interactions with staff?

Icarus… LOL

Ben, please don’t take Rihanna seriously; your photos are just fine.

Like, Rihanna should be asking whether the bed was…a California King *cough* …because she’s 10,000 miles apart (from reality.)

This hotel interior looks like a typical midwestern state park lodge room that can be had offseason for under $100 a night. I would wake up thinking I was in Ohio.

And I should add that the 75k was for the 2BR house, which never felt cramped for our family of four

I think the service perfectly reflects the style and type of hotel that it is. I think the problem is that is not what you expected for that price. Much as the same with your comment about the spread at breakfast.