Berjaya Reykjavik Marina Hotel
by the TopOfHotel team
Berjaya Reykjavik Marina is a cheerful hotel on the old fishing pier with Reykjavik's first cocktail bar and a bay view good enough to step outside and watch the northern lights right away.
Berjaya Reykjavik Marina is a cheerful hotel on the old fishing pier with Reykjavik's first cocktail bar and a bay view good enough to step outside and watch the northern lights right away.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Picture a pale-brick 1960s building that once held the offices of a fishing and ship-repair business, standing right on Reykjavik's old harbour. That's where Berjaya Reykjavik Marina Hotel began. Today it sits in the Grandi / Old Harbour district, which locals have spent the past decade or so turning into a creative waterfront of galleries, the Valdis ice-cream shop, small-batch coffee roasters, and the Whales of Iceland museum, all while keeping its working-port edge. The roughly 147 rooms and suites play with a modern fishing-and-boat theme rather than country kitsch. Old crew photos, fishing gear, wooden floats, and bay charts hang on the walls as gimmicks, and warm wood floors meet plain navy and brick-red bedspreads. Some rooms have big windows facing the bay and Mount Esja across the water, the kind of view that lifts the mood when you open the curtains. A few suites in the newer wing even have a private hot tub for soaking under the stars.
Food and amenities
The heart of the hotel is on the lobby floor: SLIPPBARINN, the cocktail bar many credit as Reykjavik's first, open since 2012 and still a Friday-and-Saturday meeting point for locals. Bartenders rotate the menu by season, using Icelandic herbs like angelica and birch, and some nights bring a DJ or light live music. Next to it, the main restaurant serves a breakfast buffet that reviews single out as a highlight, with Icelandic smoked salmon, house-baked rye bread, local skyr yogurt, eggs cooked to order, and fresh fruit. It's enough to start the day warm. Practical touches round things out: free Wi-Fi in every room, parking near the hotel, and a 24-hour reception with a tour desk that can book whale-watching, puffin, and northern-lights trips that leave from the harbour right outside.
Location and getting there
Location is the other thing that sets this place apart from the central options. The hotel isn't on the main Laugavegur shopping street but sits an easy 12-minute walk away, far enough to stay quiet yet close enough to reach the city's restaurants and cafes. What stands out most is the 10-minute walk to Harpa Concert Hall, Reykjavik's iconic hexagonal glass building, and the spot right on the old harbour where whale, puffin, and aurora-cruise tours depart. Reykjavik city airport (RKV) is about 5 minutes by car, and Keflavik International (KEF) roughly 50 minutes; take the Flybus into town and a quick taxi or Bolt to the door. On nights when the Kp index looks promising, you can pull on a down jacket and walk just 2 minutes from the lobby to a stretch of waterfront where the city glow is weak, facing the bay with Esja behind, ready for the lights without driving out every night. For sharp photos, though, it's still worth heading out of town.
Things to know before booking
Straight talk to help you decide. The most common gripe in reviews is the walk to the Laugavegur eating-and-drinking area, about 12 minutes. It sounds close, but Reykjavik winters are windy and some days bring snow, which makes it feel farther than the number, and anyone wanting bars right outside the door may not love it. Second is room size: some standard rooms run fairly small, especially the bathrooms, which several guests say are fine for two people but leave little room to open two suitcases at once. If you're traveling with big bags and camera gear for aurora hunts, size up a category. Third, rooms facing Myrargata look onto the building wall across the street with no bay view, at the same price but a very different experience, so state clearly that you want a bay or harbour view when you book. Finally, in the northern-lights high season (October to March), king rooms and bay-view suites can push past $315 a night, so book two to three months ahead to lock a better rate.
Our take
After reading through hundreds of real reviews across Agoda, Booking, and Tripadvisor, Berjaya Reykjavik Marina Hotel clearly stands out among Reykjavik's 4-star options for atmosphere and a location with real character. It doesn't try to be a polished international-brand hotel; instead it sells the charm of the old harbour district, warm and easygoing fishing-themed rooms, the SLIPPBARINN cocktail bar that locals still frequent, a praised breakfast buffet, and a short walk to Harpa and the whale-watching pier. If your trip in your head is staying by the bay, waking up to skyr and smoked salmon, wandering Grandi, catching sunset at Harpa, and coming back for a cocktail while you wait on the aurora, this fits well. If you expect large rooms, plush bathrooms, a spot directly on the shopping street, or full-tilt luxury everywhere, another pick on the list may suit you better. Overall we give it 8.6/10, best for atmosphere-loving couples, fans of creative waterfront districts, and aurora chasers who want a relaxed base in town without the bustle.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- The location sits right on the Old Harbour fishing pier beside the still-working Slippurinn dry dock, so it feels like staying in a living waterfront building rather than a generic block, with Harpa Concert Hall about a 10-minute walk away.
- SLIPPBARINN, the lobby cocktail bar, is widely called Reykjavik's first, and locals pack it most nights. It's a genuine Icelandic spot rather than a hotel bar that only serves guests.
- Rooms lean into a modern fishing-and-boat theme, with old crew photos, nets, and gear hung on the walls. There's plenty of detail to take in, unlike the identikit rooms you find at chains with the same floor plan.
- The breakfast buffet earns steady praise for being fresh and varied, with Icelandic smoked salmon, house-baked rye bread, skyr yogurt, and eggs cooked to order.
- Sitting on Faxafloi bay makes it easy to step out and wait for the northern lights on a clear night without driving anywhere, and the view of Mount Esja across the water is lovely day and night.
- It's about a 12-minute walk from Laugavegur, the city's main eating-and-drinking strip. That sounds close, but Reykjavik winters bring strong wind and the odd snow day, so it can feel farther than the number suggests, and anyone who wants restaurants right outside the door may find it a stretch.
- Some standard rooms run fairly small, especially the bathrooms. Several reviews note they're fine for two people but leave little room to open two suitcases at once, so pack light or size up if you're carrying camera gear for aurora trips.
- King rooms and bay-view suites climb in the northern-lights high season (October to March), with some nights pushing past $315. A room facing the inner wall at the same price feels poor value, so confirm the room type carefully when you book.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Reykjavík
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Insider Tips
- For the northern lights, walk out of the lobby toward the harbour for about 2 minutes to reach the waterfront, where the city glow is weaker. Check an aurora forecast app each night before bed from October to March.
- Request a higher floor facing the bay when you book. Reviews say the view is far better than rooms facing the Myrargata side, and some guests regret not specifying it.
- SLIPPBARINN fills up after 9pm. For a relaxed seat and the same atmosphere, drop in during cocktail hour from 5pm to 7pm instead.