HI - Vík Hostel, Vík

Good place

I was traveling in Iceland with a friend, by car, when we stayed here, and it was great for us. It was a nice place, both clean and atmospheric. The rooms weren't cramped (although if you're on the top bunk, the mattress isn't so far from the ceiling, making it hard to sit up unless you're below average height). The kitchen is well-stocked, so self-catering is no problem. Showers were hot. It was possible to hire clean towels for about 2. The wi-fi worked fine for us. It was also easy to find for us -- it's almost the only road in Vik on the northern side of the ring road, and there's a YHA/HI flag flying outside the building. The staff were also friendly and helpful. It rains a lot in Vik, so it's good to be in a warm and dry place.

HI - Vik Hostel is an old house situated at the hilltop of a very scenic landscape in the most southern tip of Iceland.

The Location

The hostel is very difficult to find -- the street sign is very confusing and the HI logo can only be seen at the house up close. The hostel is located at the top of a hill and has a great view of the the entire town. It is best to purchase food before coming to Vik as there is only one supermarket in town with overpriced food.

Rooms and Bathrooms

The rooms are definitely not the cleanest. The double room is extremely small, with hardly any room to walk around in once a few bags are placed inside. The sheets and pillows are awfully smelly -- we kept it under the bed to minimize the smell of sweaty sports equipment. There is linen for hire but it's best to use your sleeping bag, as linen is overpriced. The furniture is very old and moldy. The windows condensate by morning. The door of the room had a loud creak, which can definitely be heard by everyone on the same floor. There are about thirty-six beds available in the hostel ranging from one, two, four, or six beds per room. There do not appear to be in-room locks but all rooms are secured with a lock and key. There are also rooms located in the basement.

There is only one, extremely old washroom for the upstairs, which is shared by at least six rooms (there is another washroom on the ground floor). The water pressure is very weak and hot water is very limited, but the water does not smell of sulfur. The washroom does not look like it is cleaned often.

Common Spaces

The common space is very limited -- the TV room is located right by the reception and consists of a few sofas and a table. There are no computers for use but free Wi-Fi available, which is only accessible from ground floor as signal is very weak. The reception is also a little shop selling Icelandic crafts. The kitchen is quite small but sufficient and there are plenty of tables available. In the morning, breakfast is provided at extra cost and includes pancakes, toasts, fruit, coffee, and tea. At low season, the hostel seemed full with a mix crowd of families, couples, and singles.

Summary

The hostel is a little overpriced compared to other hostels in northern Iceland. It is definitely not the cleanest -- more effort is needed to keep the washroom and rooms cleaner. The staff does not appear friendly or approachable. We had to stay here because the other options are closed during low season -- if you have other options, go for those.