Arnarstapi Hotel

Room was good, standard for a double in Iceland. The shower was good. No extra pillows for bed. Window was ocean-view which is nice but the curtains were open all day and the room was quite hot upon arrival. We closed the curtains and opened the window and the room cooled adequately.
The restaurant: upon arrival, we were instructed to sit where we like and to order at the counter, both of which seemed odd for an expensive dinner. We had to get condiments from a table also. (Ketchup in packets, etc. ) In light of all that I would've expected dinner to be less expensive than we'd encountered at similar hotel restaurants but no, similar prices. I had fish and chips, my husband had lamb chops. Fries were cooked well, fish was okay, not great.
Arnistapi is a good stop-off after a travel day. I was disappointed in dinner, especially as noted above. It seems the hotel/restaurant/campground is trying to be too many things without achieving highly in any one area.

I strongly advise travelers not to book Arnarstapi Hotel, especially under a non‑refundable rate.
I had to request a cancellation because Iceland was under an official orange weather alert, with road closures making travel unsafe and impossible. This was not a personal preference change but a documented safety situation beyond my control. I raised the request promptly and escalated it through Hotels. Com, who contacted the property directly.
Despite the seriousness of the weather conditions and road closures, the hotel refused any refund, waiver, or flexibility and strictly enforced the cancellation policy. There was no consideration for guest safety, no goodwill, and no attempt to reach a fair resolution.
While communication was polite, the response was rigid and disappointing. If you book here, understand that even severe weather alerts and closed roads are not valid reasons for cancellation in their view. I would strongly recommend choosing a property that values guest safety and shows reasonable flexibility during emergencies.

This hotel was amazing. The staff was so friendly. The rooms where super clean, and comfortable. The room had a TV with a camera so you could see the Auroras outside from your room. They made us a free packed lunch so we could take on the road the next day. The town is very charming and the harbour was out of this world. We saw whales within a 5 min walk from the hotel, Auroras, and insane stars. The staff also gave us great recomendations of what to do in the area. I really recomend it. The food was also great.

We had a fantastic experience. Winter in Arnarstapi means places close earlier and it’s a quieter time. Our host checked us in, stayed open later so that we could eat dinner in the restaurant, and made us a packed breakfast so that we could leave early for our next days adventures. On return to our room (ocean facing — so lovely) we unpacked our breakfast and found lunch as well! What fabulous people. So pleased to recommend for future visitors.

The architecture of the hotel is interesting. The room was nice and had everything we needed. It was good to have our own bathroom after the hostel in Reykjavik. Breakfast and dinner were very good and tasty, and the staff was extremly friendly. The restaurant has big windows and I guess it must be nice to watch the northern lights while sipping a wine in the warmth. Unfortunatley the aurora prediction was not good and it was cloudy the two nights that we were there.
Just across the road is a petrol pump.

The room was decent sized and clean.
The staff on the other hand was rude. We have been to several hotels around the island and they were by far the worst. They did not seem to care at all.
The hotel sidewalk to the room was so unsafe to walk on. The ground was coveted in ice and I almost fell three times and they didn't seem to care. I had to walk in the grass to get to my room just so I wouldn't fall.
The restaurant was okay. We ate there for dinner because it was the only thing opened. My husband loved the lamb. The lettuce for my salad was soggy and the the fries were cold.

TLDR: BEWARE OF ARNARSTAPI HOTEL.
This is a bit long but Just a heads up for anyone visiting the Snæfellsness Peninsula — beware of staying at Arnarstapi Hotel/Cabins.
I got an email saying the reception closed early as theyre on limited hours but that we could self-check-in by utilizing a lockbox next to our door. We drove about 5 hours, arriving around 11 pm, so reception was closed. We went to our room and when we tried to input the code that was emailed to us, we realized the code was already entered and there was no key inside the lockbox. And of course, the door was locked. Because reception was closed, we could not get assistance on the property or by phone so I sent them an email explaining the problem around 11:30 PM. After waiting around a bit, we realized we were screwed with nowhere to stay for the evening and began heading back to Reykjavik.
Around midnight, I received a call from the booking agent for Arnastapi Hotels who said she saw my email and if we wanted to turn around and go back, she would give me the code for a different room. It was closer to turn around that go all the way back to Rek.
When we arrived back at the property, we input the code into the lockbox of the new room and retrieved the key. Unfortunately upon entering the new room (now, about 12:30 AM), we found a family sleeping inside. I attempted to call the number back and it would not go through so I emailed again.

Customer Service was given in Abundance! Thank you Dombrusha and Camelia.
Even though located in a pretty remote area-room has all conveniences of home (comfy beds, nice shower, hair dryer, heating rack) and a great restaurant attached!

Similar to other reviews one of the rudest staffs I have encountered. Room was on the cold side and there was a note on the bathroom door to take a short shower since there is limited hot water. Breakfast was included in my stay but options were limited.

We had an ocean facing room which I strongly recommend asking for. The fish and chips and the hotel restaurant was delicious and there are two restaurants across the parking lot that we also enjoyed. The cliff walk to the next town is a must do and the cafe you end at is lovely. Hotel breakfast was skippable. I have read other reviews of the hotel being too hot, with the window open it was comfy and and the shower was fantastic.

We stayed in Arnarstapi for two nights during our ring road trip. The location is amazing and I felt super relaxed. Not sure why people are leaving bad reviews but I had a great experience with the hotel staff. Claudia who is the manager was wonderful and patient with my family and I during the stay. The TV system is a little different because you have to navigate it through a browser but nonetheless, it was easy to use. If you are not a fan of using the plastic kettle, the staff at the coffee bar is kind enough to provide hot water in to go cups and that’s what I did during my stay. Parking is free onsite and we did not have to pay. We did not have any issues with the hot water shower and only had to wait 15-20 mins for more hot water. This is a great place to stay if you’re doing the ring road trip! Thank you Claudia for such great hospitality.

Modern and well-maintained hotel. Not very spacious, but with all the comforts. It's a shame about the second bed, because if you're traveling with three or more people, it's placed in a somewhat awkward spot.

On the way to this hotel, we did experience heavy winds so we were very careful driving through this area.
The service was great. We really like the hotel style (small cottages). One think to note is that because they are not in geothermal area, heating is difficult so we showered for 10 mins since they said the water heats for 10 mins then rest for 20 mins and then try again.
The heater wasn’t on when we got in our hotel but we just turned it on and it was great all night.
They had continental breakfast which was great. It is close by to most of the attractions so I would recommend again.
The only thing I had a problem with were the other tourists who were really rude and complained a lot.

Stayed just the one night. The room was spacious and peaceful, ample suit case space, bed was comfortable, window blackout ok but an eye mask is helpful due to the 24 hour daylight at this time of year.
On site restaurant that was quite good for a meal and breakfast.
Big downside was the room being stifling hot, easily over 40 degrees when we entered.
The bathroom heated towel rail dial was broken off so it was on full wack so unplugged that. Together with the hot water service being located inside the room and only one window that can be opened a small crack the ambience is very poor.
When raised with the manager his comments…. ”oh they are always hot”.
The issue is the lack of options in the area so they are somewhat ambivalent.

Really enjoyed the rooms. Very spacious and big. Although it was some pretty bad service. Didn’t clean the bed properly and didn’t really clean the things much. Location was pretty good. In a nice spot with really nice views.

This place was fine. I read reviews how awful staff and showers were. First off, we were nice to them, they were nice to us. Did they ooze warmth, I didn't pick up on that but they were kind, and they worked hard. The rooms were fine, clean, we had "mountain side" which was more street view, but hey — we didn't sit in our room, we grabbed a glass of wine in the restaurant and chatted in there. The staff was more than happy to allow that. The showers, well yes, they are short and sweet. Pretend you are camping. Get in, get out and don't expect a long luxurious stream of geothermal heated goodness. Keep the water warm, instead of steaming and you'll get a longer shower. Meanwhile walk over to the cliffs and along that walk. It is beautiful. The harbor was a small, tidy place where we saw a seal. We spotted many birds along the walkways and later enjoyed a bowl of soup across the street. It's not posh, but, nor is Iceland.

Great hotel with cozy cottage-like rooms. Very comfortable and clean. The restaurant was good as well and the staff was excellent! The hotel is in about as perfect a location as you can get on Arnastapi, overlooking the cliffs and water, absolutely gorgeous!