Categories: Kex Hostel Hostel

Amazing atmosphere, cool staff and great music 🤍

Really the best hostel in town, we spend 3 nights here and had a great time. It is 5 min walk from the city center, nice staff, and a good restaurant. I highly recommend it.

Lovely place to be. Friendly staff, clean rooms and a handsome style somewhere between trendy modern and classic.
Had just one Gin-Drink at your bar, but it was great with the salty liquorice.

Friendly staff. Clean environment. The rooms are basic, but no issues. Good communal showers. Got its own barber shop!

Great flair. Had private room. Quiet. Shared showers are ok and hostel standard. Very friendly service.

Good environment, clean also you can find food and drinks!

I never stayed in a hostel before so didn’t know what to expect, but for my first time I can say Kex was great. Even though I stayed in a private room the price was affordable, the hostel was very homely and very clean. All I can say is a few nights I would be woken up by people shouting in the hallway and slamming doors early hours of the morning for at least half an hour which got very annoying, but that’s just something you have to expect I suppose when staying in a hostel.

Only went for the evening for a drink and dinner, having read there was a bar, serving food which was highly recommended. The bar was great, atmosphere busy and friendly, decor perfect very unique retro/industrial/reclaimed but didn’t feel affected. Food was excellent — concise menu but tasty stuff!

Very good atmosphere and helpful staff.

Absolutely, the best hostel I ever stayed in. Amazing view and very live nights.

Absolutely order the Parmesan crackers and grilled bread with dips! So delicious.

I was not a fan of Kex for several reasons: 1) The 6-bed dorm was soooooooooooo hot and never cooled off, despite the window being open (I had to sleep with the curtains open all night, which is difficult in Iceland in the summer). The only time a breeze came in was when the door was opened, so they clearly need to improve the ventilation. 2) Directly next to the hostel/our dorm is a HUGE construction site. They weren’t doing any work, but they left these bright spotlights on all night which made it even harder to sleep with the curtains open. 3) They advertise luggage storage for a fee, which I needed for two weeks. I was denied because my bag was large and would take up too much room. I took it to a hotel I stayed at earlier in my trip and they kindly stored it for free, no issues. 4) The front desk staff just isn’t helpful in person. I asked if they could put a postcard (stamped) in the mail and was told to go find a public box on a busier street. I heard other guests asking for help with airport transfers and they were told to check the bus websites. If you want laundry, you have to use a laundry service and bring your laundry down at 4pm (I was hoping to do my own laundry). 5) No elevator! The entrance is on the second floor and my room was on the third floor. I had to haul a month’s worth of gear up three flights of stairs without help. 6) Overall, the place just felt old and dirty for the price and reviews it gets.

The food was fantastic! Nice place to meet people. Great bands performing on stage to create nice ambiance!

Amazing hostel for groups and solo travelling. It is very unique and over looks the mountains! Everyone is so friendly and it is a very social hostel you will end up at the pub with a bunch of amazing people.

I have never stayed in the hostel but the food is good and the shows that I have seen through Airwaves have been fantastic.

Good location, unique furniture, helpful staff, kitchen on every dorm floor and plenty of shared bathrooms and showers. I really like the outdoor patio, bar, bookcases, chill area. Although the term "gym & tonic" threw me off, I thought there would be more fun equipment in the room. And my mattress was squeaky, but others in the 6 bunk room weren't, at least. Bathrooms can use some good air filtering, smells a bit weird. But overall, nice hostel. It has a unique touch.

Seems like the place to hang out in Reykjavik, especially if you’re traveling solo and looking to meet people. Had a killer atmosphere and big open space. Very rustic, nostalgic, almost hipster vibe. In house bar. English is spoken just like everywhere else. Well priced dorms and lots of other options too.

Great atmosphere, friendly and nice staff, and the food is Excellent!

Great service, great food, and good beer!

Fantastic bar with brilliant and quirky interior. Little tricky to find but absolutely worth looking for. Very chilled. Out bar with great staff and fab food. Loved this place. Love Iceland. Icelandic people are incredibly generous friendly human beings. We could learn a lot from them xx.

As far as hostels go, Kex really offers something different. It's a little difficult to find, if you don't know the area very well. And when you walk through the front door you're met with a barren, generic stairwell. Go up! The staff were polite and helpful; not super friendly (a theme in Iceland, I found). Kex is a stunning, very Instagramable place. Everywhere you look there's something cool to discover. And, everywhere I looked I saw people like me: young travellers. No weirdos here! I stayed in a 16-bed room. It was very clean, and the other guests were quiet and mostly kept to themselves. Breakfast (which is not included in the cost of your stay) was very nice. A true Icelandic spread… nothing like a standard North American buffet… but satisfying. I would definitely recommend Kex to anyone who's looking for a fun, safe and unique stay in Reykjavik.

The stay was nice. Showers were the best thing about the place. Only problem was when I left the hotel to do I hike I was given a spot to place my belonging and my bag. It was called a "secure locking area" by the staff member. When I returned from the hike, my passport, 2 ID cards and $700 was stolen from my bag. The staff did nothing to help me only that "you shouldn't leave valuables in the secure locking area" they didn't even write me a statement for my insurance company. I emailed them 3 times for at least a reply to give to my insurance company but no avail! Really pathetic and a key down considering the stay was 3-4 star. Don't trust these Guys I wouldnt be surprised if they stole it themselves. Breakfast wasn't bad.

I loved Kex when I visited. From the art work on the walls to the cozy common area. The entire place is nicely decorated. The staff went above and beyond to give us a private room when we realized that we had made a mistake when booking. We were also given free drink vouchers due to construction. Even if you're not staying here, Kex is worth visiting for the interior design and bar area.

It's a typical hostel. HUGE! and lots of people to fill it. The beer is good. The music is good. It feels dingy and a little unkept. The price is really good compared to other hostels in Reykjavik for what you get. For one or two nights it's fine, and really who wants to stay in Reykjavik for more than a night or two?

Huge facility. Book ahead for a filling breakfast. Beds are cozy. Outlets all over plus in room lockers. Bring a lock. Staff are very friendly and there are plenty of washrooms. There's a huge library as well.

This hostel was tricky to find, but I'm glad I did! Funky hostel in central Reykjavik. The rooms are clean and tidy, the rates are affordable, and the common hangout areas are very hipster. Staff are very helpful.

A very cool hostel. Industrial design with lots of charm and (literal) old school features. Staff are efficient and everything runs smoothly. Dorms are a bit more straightforward, but all fine other than the metal lockers which are seemingly designed to maximize the noise of leaving in the morning. Plenty of power outlets and break out spaces, and location to the main streets is perfect. Found lots of handy cheap eats nearby as well as the proximity to the main sights of Reyjkavik. Great view from the bar too!

If you like hostels this is the best.

I love this place. As an American that visits Iceland frequently, Kex is my home away from home. A great hostel with character, charm, service, and a fantastic location. They have great breakfast, a thriving bar atmosphere, and spacious rooms. Would 100% recommend.

Beachfront and close to the centre on foot.

Stayed next door at skulagata but went to Kex Hostel for breakfast. It was very easy and the staff was friendly. About $20 for breakfast buffet that included bread, jam, cheese and meat platter, oatmeal, hard boiled eggs, coffee, tea, and more. The views looked out towards the water to the north and was very beautiful. The hostel was very open, welcoming, and civil. Would definitely recommend checking it out if people are in Reykjavik.

Definitely recommended. We booked a double room plus for the start of our stay which was spacious and had it's own private bathroom. Everything was clean and above our expectations. The bar downstairs is great, featuring locally brewed beer and excellent food. We liked it so much we booked in again for our last night of the trip.

You'll find people from all over the world. The guys at the front desk are very very friendly, they help you in whatever you need. Making friends from different corners of the world is very easy here. Recommended…

Overall: Great place to meet people that are traveling. Diverse bar and restaurant. Terrible employee hospitality. Pros: Bar with a great happy deal. Hip place to be. Lots of fun people to meet. Very clean. Very artsy and interesting decor. Great location. Cons: Loud. Very low hospitality level of staff. No complimentary coffee for guests. Cheap furniture in which everything creaked and squeaked from bed frames, doors, lock doors, and room chairs.

Overall: Great place to meet people that are traveling. Diverse bar and restaurant. Terrible employee hospitality. Pros: Bar with a great happy deal. Hip place to be. Lots of fun people to meet. Very clean. Very artsy and interesting decor. Great location. Cons: Loud. Very low hospitality level of staff. No complimentary coffee for guests. Cheap furniture in which everything creaked and squeaked from bed frames, doors, lock doors, and room chairs.

Beautiful hostel, suggestive with its wooden panelling. Well equipped and comfortable. Staff always available at any time. Also very good location in the city.

It is a super nice hostel, the common areas are designed to live with other people, has what it takes to sleep and rest.

Awesome hostel for the price! Great restaurant in it, and has a really cool, rustic atmosphere. I'm very thankful for the front desk / tourism employees there, they did a great job getting me in a last-minute tour on my last day when my originally scheduled tour failed to pick me up! Made my trip.

Spent our first night in Iceland here. It is a great hostel for meeting people, night life and being close to the city center. Good price for what you get, but you do have to pay extra for bed sheets, pillows and a towel which was a downside when comparing hostels. The breakfast was pretty good, but it was great to be able to join a table of travelers and strike up a conversation. There was one inebriated guest who was taken care of by staff effectively, which was greatly appreciated. Would definitely come back here.

Stopped in for a burger and beer and was very impressed. Nice atmosphere and the food was excellent. Great selection of beer. It was expensive (typical for Iceland tho) and the service could have been better.

Great hostel that you must have seen.

I loved this place. Great staff, facilities are clean, and an all around great place for food, drinks, and live music. Stay here or just come out for the evening. You won't regret it!

Very happy with my stay at KEX! The location is hard to beat, got good advice from the staff and had some great beers during happy hour. The design of the place is quite unique and encourages interaction between the guests.

Great hostel with fairly reasonable rates. Bar with it is excellent with some great great gigs held there. Few frees beers there also at function we ended up at. Bar food quite nice also.

My first experience in a hostel and absolutely loved it. Immaculate rooms, lots of space and very friendly staff. The food at the restaurant was amazing as well. Definitely recommend!

Super cool and unique hostel. Lobby great to hang out and talk to other travellers. There's a nice bar there to grab a drink and some of the best live jazz on certain nights come to play. Staff is awesome. Very helpful and friendly. Feels like home after a long day of exploring! One of the best hostels I've ever stayed at!

Top hotel chain, all very friendly, only the prices…

What an awesome environment. Has great decor and vibe. Loved the linens (i believe they cost extra) — they were big comfy down comforters. Has a great location and right by a grocery store.

Super cool hostel with a great happy hour. Has a lot going on in the bar downstairs with live music and locals milling around. The staff is extremely helpful and friendly and I never felt uncomfortable to ask a question. The bathrooms were clean and beds were comfortable. Near a Bonus and the Main Street in Reykjavik.

One of the best city hostels I've been to. The pace really changes during the day — — lively nightlife in the bar compared to laid-back afternoons. The breakfast is overpriced — — as is everything in Iceland. If you're coming over on a red-eye flight, I suggest booking a room for the night prior and crash as soon as you arrive.

It's okay if you're looking for a place not to sleep. People are not respectful with the rest schedules and the night is a continuous hustle and bustle of people coming out and entering the room making noise. With its consequential slamming as the doors weigh very much. The bathrooms and the kitchen are quite dirty and the cooking material is scarce.
It has a nice Icelandic price bar which is nice and the décor is very cool, yes.
To take something may be fine, to sleep, NO.

Kex was a great start and end to our Iceland vacation. The staff was excellent, the rooms were clean, and the location was perfect. I stayed in a 6-bed room both times. Breakfast was provided in the morning for an additional charge, but was well worth it compared to the area. Would highly recommend a stay here for anyone taking a trip to this beautiful island.

I'm a great fan of Iceland Airwaves and I saw online so many cool concerts on KEX, so the place was my first choice when I booked my flight to Reykjavík! Excellent and cosy hostel to stay with lots of charisma, great ambient and if you have luck: some nice live concerts! Comfortable beds, clean dorms, toilets/showers could be better but they were clean. The decoration of the place is top notch and the staff were friendly and helpful all the time.
My only let down were the expensive prices of the bar but i'm definitely returning to KEX on my next Iceland visit! :)

The best hostel in Reykjavik without a doubt, a place with a special atmosphere. The beds are very comfortable, and you have the possibility to use full bathrooms for yourself, which makes it much more comfortable. The common area is a very cool bar with terrace. Also on weekends they usually have live music. Very well located and very close to the Harpa and the old town. Super recommended.

Excellent, affordable hostel. Inauspicious entrance, but once inside, it's truly lovable. Wonderful views over Reykjavik bay. Easy walking access to all downtown venues. I stayed 4 nights in girls' 4-bed dorm. Very clean and comfy — lockable lockers if you want them. Large, spacious, and yet friendly bar, with live music many evenings, but the loudness always stopped by 10.30-11.00pm. Shower facilities excellent, with plenty of hot water (of course: we're in Iceland). Breakfast (best to pay in advance) tasty and plentiful; enough to keep me going all day. Only downside was poor provision of crockery and cutlery in self-catering kitchen. I hunted in vain for a mug for coffee. Would happily return.

Clean Room (we got a private room) with good blackout curtains. No cooling things at all, so was over warm during the night. Has a good range of services available to make use of, including barber and laundry.

Beautiful place, it's hidden, but it's beautiful.

I spent three nights there: two nights when I first arrived in Reykjavik and one just before leaving Iceland. I showed up very early in the morning and they had a secure location to hold my bags until I could check in. The concierge helped me plan a tour for that same day which was incredible! She also provided me with a list of places to see for a 4 day roadtrip around the country. The staff are friendly and always there to help! The atmosphere is different but very cozy and it promotes everyone to meet other travellers. Many people from Reykjavik or other hostels usually come for the live music and bar. It's only a 5-10 minute walk to get to downtown and see all the sights in the city. Breakfast is offered for cheaper if paid in advance and there is a fair bit I of selection, bottomless coffee and juice, and fresh bread baked in their kitchen. Overall it was a very fun time at the hostel and they helped me a lot with planning my Iceland trip in ways I couldn't imagine. For anyone travelling to Reykjavik I would highly recommend staying there.

Cool atmosphere and decor. The staff is friendly. Some of the larger rooms can get quite noisy due to no sound absorbing materials in the room. The place is kept very clean, but its pretty dark! Bar on the main floor is good but a bit expensive for a hostel (in my opinion).

Cool atmosphere and decor. The staff is friendly. Some of the larger rooms can get quite noisy due to no sound absorbing materials in the room. The place is kept very clean. Bar on the main floor is good but a bit expensive for a hostel (in my opinion).

A beautiful hostel with many live artists that perform in the bar. Staff is so cozy and nice, and the guests are always a lively crowd in my experience. Located close to downtown and with a decent priced bar, it's a great place to stay if you want to meet people!

Nice place to stay. Very central.

Nice Hostel and event Location with a good Bar & Superb Barfood.

Good atmosphere! They have a large lobby/common area/ restaurant. There are a lot of rooms and plenty of washrooms and showers. There is also kitchens on both floors. Suggest staying in a smaller room with less beds. My stay in the 16 bed room wasn't the most ideal and the room mates I had were very messy. The breakfast has a large variety as well, but make sure to go earlier as there is less selection closer to the end.

First time staying at hostel and was very impressed with the way they preserved the old building transforming it into a hostel. Very nice atmosphere at the bar downstairs. Regarding the food pricing, the portions are a lot smaller but the quality of the food is great. All prices for food in Reykjavik are expensive so it is very unfair to judge it for the price. Recommend this to everyone who is spending a night in Reykjavik.

Bar and Restaurant in a cool Retro ambience to me, hip people. In addition, many of the Locals here for lunch.

Great and cozy bar with great food at reasonable (for Reykjavik! ) prices. The best thing is that there's always enough people for a fun atmosphere but never seems to be overcrowded. We always come for a lunch or happy hour when we visit. Until next time, Kex!

I had a very pleasant stay. They have a nice little restaurant, good facilities, and comfortable lounge area.

Awesome place! Loved staying here. Very helpful staff. Expensive just like the rest of Iceland, but great atmosphere and nice place to hang out.

Kex is the best darn hostel I've ever stayed in, and I've stayed in a lot of them. As a woman traveling alone, I felt perfectly safe and comfy in the mixed dorm rooms. Everybody was really nice and they have lockers available if you're worried about any valuables. I didn't have reason to worry — everyone was leaving their iPhones out, but locking them up is an option. The bedding was super soft and comfortable and I liked that each bed had its own reading light. The ambiance is great, like a true hotel; the hostel is very clean, and the food at the restaurant downstairs is super delicious. Breakfast is not included, but it's worth paying for it — it's really delicious and huge. The only weird thing is the locker-style shower in the men's and women's restrooms, so be sure to note the sign before you enter. There's also a private shower if you don't want to shower in front of other people. Overall, awesome stay! Can't wait to go back.

It's a well-known fact that all the cool kids hang out at Kex. Standard beer options and some very interesting food (a little pricy, but generally worth it) with a wonderful, laid-back ambience featuring a great view of Mt Esjan and often live music.

I rarely give 5 stars but it deserves it. Service is perfect: efficient, nice and fun. The hypster atmosphere of the lobby is perfect to chill with some huge and comfortable couches. Moreover they did not forgot to put the same endeavor in the upper floors where are all the dormitory. It's so cool a place that lot of locals come over to work, grab a beer or listen to live music. This place is really lively: you won't get bored. Last but not least: it is the cheapest youth hostel I've encountered in Rey and perfectly functional. It's a very good.

We came for a music festival but the best memory is lunch which was fantastic.

Really wanted to like this place, but I almost paid $11 U. S. For a pint of beer — eleven dollars! Luckily the bartender was cool, and realized that after tasting me on several beers, I didn't realize there was drastic price difference, and cut me a break. Very cool space, great view, but be careful which beer you order. Edit: I went back to see the Tuesday night jazz, and it was great — super cool spot (and I was more careful about which beer I ordered).

Great stay, breakfast top, simple and relaxed atmosphere in the morning, and rougher in the evening. Hostel for all, couple, group of friends, young and less young :-). Landmark of Hipsters.

Came here for a burger and though the food was nice the place was a bit chaotic as it was packed with residents eating and drinking and drunken tourists. Not the place to go if you want a quiet meal with table service but if you want a simple tasty meal with a bit of a party atmosphere its a good option.

We didn't stay here but instead popped in for lunch. It's a cool setting inside an old cookie factory (kex = cookie apparently) with sewing tables, industrial chic ceilings and parquet flooring. But most impressive of all was my soup. Yes soup! We had a great salad and hot tasty semi-chips (somewhere between a potato and a chip) but the soup stole the show. With pickled chills and brown butter, the carrot wonder was simply the best I've ever had. The free bread you could help yourself to also sweetened the deal.

The best hostel I met in Reykjvik highly recommended.

Social hostel while giving necessary privacy if needed. Please note that the atmosphere is quite dark and the gym does not really exist although it is being advertised.

Amazing artic char with arugula. It was a small serving but not super expensive for Iceland standards. Friends got the salted cod and it was also buttery and delicious. Very cool vibe. I would go back to chill and hangout out and get drinks with friends. Very cozy.

What's not to love? The guys at check-in sang me a Les Mis song when I arrived! Even if that isn't your experience, this is still the place to stay. I stayed in three different hostels while in Reykjavik, and this one was easily my favorite. (Hostel Village was depressing and not well-connected to the city center; Loft Hostel was comparable but had a slightly less friendly atmosphere in my opinion. ) I have no complaints about Kex. The kitchens on each floor are well-equipped and make it easy to eat cheaply rather than go out to restaurants. The bar is a great way to meet people or just chill out, and they have good beer on tap. I thought the breakfast was worth the price, but it would also be just as easy to grocery shop for breakfast instead. There are hostels with slightly better locations, but this one was still great and the view from the bar can't be beat. The atmosphere and the people (travelers as well as employees) are top-notch. If you have no other reason to come to Reykjavik, come just to stay at Kex.

Really great hostel. Stayed here a few times, rooms are clean, food is great and the people working here are preally nice! Also a lot of fun people staying at the hostel. I wouldn't recommend the breakfast though as it's a little expensive for what you get. But still the best hostel in Reykjavik.

Very stylish decor and a very pleasant and friendly staff.

Such a great place to stay! We were in the double room with en suite and it was better than many hotels which would cost more than twice the price. The decore is REALLY impressive, the staff are friendly/helpful, the food is great and it's centrally located. We were there during Burn's Night celebrations, so there was lots of live music and a brilliant atmosphere all weekend. We'll definitely be staying here again and highly recommend Kex as a place to stay in Reykjavik.

For a hostel this place is beautiful. We actually had our own double room and bathroom, but regardless it was very clean and in an excellent location. The breakfast is amazing value and worth staying at the hostel for. Iceland can be very expensive so it's worth filling up here before you head out for the day. Drinks and food at the bar downstairs are a little pricey, but again that's expected for Iceland. It's worth eating here at least once if you plan to stay for a few days, as the food was delicious, and a much higher standard than I had expected for a hostel. The staff are also very friendly and extremely helpful. They organised the booking of several tours and couldn't have done more to help us.