Enjoyed the Saga

My husband, our two sons and I stayed for two nights at the Saga. The room was quite nice and very clean. The beds were comfortable although the fact that the sun almost never set made sleeping a little difficult. As with other reviewers, I agree that the early check-in makes this hotel earn its ranking. We arrived early in the morning after an all night flight from Orlando. We are Floridians but the plane was full of families going home from holiday. With all the children on the plane, no one slept. When we arrived at the Saga we were immediately shown to our rooms. What a blessing. I also agree that the breakfast was very good, some of it was different from what we expect, but good. We rented a car for one night and the parking lot was more than adequate and free. The downtown area is very crowded and this is obviously a luxury. Enjoy your trip. It is a beautiful country.

Special consideration

A previous Trip Advisor reviewer said that the Saga arranged for early morning arrivals to get into their rooms early or, if that was not possible, to get a complimentary breakfast while they waited. The complimentary breakfast was not agreed to (and we did ask), but they really hustled to get us a room as quickly as possible, so we could take a quick nap before spending the rest of the day at the Blue Lagoon -- a great combination antidote to jet lag after our 9:00 p.m. departure and overnight flight from NYC. The room was sparkling clean, terrific ocean view, great complimentary breakfasts for the rest of our stay. Service was excellent and the hotel is away from the the noise of the busier parts of town. The lobby is simple, the bar adequate, the restaurant fine. The Saga's competitive edge is their help getting you into your room hours before traditional check-in. There was a Rekjavik tours desk in the lobby and when we asked a question, we were treated with a terse response because we were not customers. We highly recommend Icelandic Excursions instead. Don't miss learning about Iceland's 13 Santas and the Hidden People. Wonderful people, great legends and sagas, fascinating scenery. We're so glad to went to England via the Iceland Airline's stopover plan!

Just right for a nice vacation

We were on a 7 day holiday round iceland and we stayed the full time at the Saga.

The hotel isn't the best i've ever stayed in. The rooms are a little dated (late 1980's, early 1990's decor) and showing signs of wear and tear but they are a reasonable size. The bathroom was very clean and well stocked every day and there was plenty geothermal hot water all day long (the smell is a little sulphury but it shows its all natural!).

The reception areas are very nice. Good bar, nice restaurant and very freindly staff who speak perfect english. they are only too happy to help.

If you want to spend the whole day in the hotel, then find another one as you wont be entertained (the swimming pool is 5 mins walk and there are only 7 working channels on the TV). There is a gym (that you have to pay for) and a health spa (again an optional extra).

Right so why have I given the hotel 5 stars?

1) it is very conveniently located - 10 mins walk maximum to the centre of town (i have no idea whay other people are reviewing saying its miles out - they must be lazy or incapable of any physical activity - 10 mins walk MAX). This is great because the town gets noisy on a night and you don't hear any of it at the Saga. (I know I sound like an old fuddy duddy but I am in my 20's and the centre of town stays active til 5am - you will be kept awake in the town centre)

2) it has a massive car park. ideal if your hiring a car (like we did). Everywhere in the centre of town you have to pay to park (and it isnt cheap)

3) the hotel is situated off the main road so getting to the major tourist areas are easy (i.e. route 1). If you are a nervous driver - dont worry driving round iceland is easy and the loaction of the Saga just makes it even easier

4) Flybus have a desk at the hotel so you can book excursions and you trip back to the airport real easy (2100k return). they pick up from the hotel at the right connection times for your flights too.

5) THe breakfasts are fantastic. It is't the best food but there is plenty, its fresh and you just help yourself. We made sanwiches each morning to take with us on our drives too (saves money and makes life a little easier)

6) the staff are really nice and helpful

7) there is a fridge (mini bar) in your room for keeping beers and drinks cold

If you want a swanky experience, dont bother going to the Saga as there are better hotels in Reykjavik. If you want a hotel that is a little quieter, has good facilities, nice breakfasts and is ideally located if your driving round Iceland, then this is place to stay.

My final tip - be careful on the roundabouts - they have no idea what they are doing and it gets a little dangerous (always opt for the inside lane as you have right of way!)

Reasonable and Comfortable

Spent 4 nights at the SAS Saga Hotel. To be honest we didn't stay in the hotel that much. With daylight effectively around 24 hours a day the tendency is to be out and about. The hotel is beyond the fringe of downtown which made it necessary to travel by taxi most times. Certainly walking is not out of the question, but for many people it would be too far to walk downtown. The hotel was quiet, clean and the staff unassuming. The rooms are quite small, even by European standards and I'll never get used to the twin bed concept, but the price of the hotel was very reasonable for Iceland (which is shockingly expensive), and included a buffet breakfast each morning. The offerings at the buffet take some getting used to, but the food was fresh and filling. One note of caution. The water from the tap in the bathrooms is scalding hot. Not the water in the shower which can be controlled, but just turning on the hot water in the bathroom sink could be dangerous if you are not careful. Would we stay here again..... yes, but would also likely explore other choices more central to downtown.

1960s office block

We recently stayed at this hotel for 3 nights. The general quality of the hotel is good - rooms quite large and clean with reasonable facilities, yet let down somewhat by the 1960s office block feel. I think the whole place needs a bit of refurbishment to return it to a luxury establishment as everything was slightly 'tired'.

Easy access to central city (20 minutes walk), yet far enough away to not suffer from the noise problems of other establishments. Fine view from the top of the 7th floor of the moutains and sea surrounding the city.

Food was good if a little anonymous. As is usual with hotels aimed a little more towards the 'business traveller', avoid the restaurant between 8-9:30AM. Its fighting room only! A tad busy.

Beautiful hotel and great breakfasts!

We arrived late and decided there and then we had made the right choice, a stylish hotel at a reasonable price, perfect! The receptionist was kind and accommodating - just what you would expect! The room was clean and comfortable and had everything you would need. However the best bit of this hotel was by far the breakfast, so much variety and so much food, hot and cold. The restaurant on the lower floor was reasonable (for iceland) and delicious too. Thanks Saga for a lovely time.

Chill Out in Iceland!.

I have been to Iceland 3 times now, and I seriously could not stay anywhere else then the Hotel Saga. The cleanliness of the hotel is 2nd to none, the staff are lovely, the rooms I have had have been quiet with nice views.

The breakfast buffet is delicious, We have had delicious evening meals there too.

One drawback that seems to concern many travellers is that it is a mile or two to the centre, but the walk into town is a leisurley one past old Icelandic houses, over a small bridge and around a big lake, which is normally frozen over upon your return.

Great excursions can be booked directly through the hotel, such as The Blue Lagoon or a trip out onto the glacier by 4 wheel drive - a must.

Surely Iceland is not a cheap place to visit, but perhaps that helps to keep it special, and keep out the yobbish elements

of society. If you want spectacular scenery and geological wonders then come to Iceland, you wont be dissapointed.

Decent Hotel

My husband and I stayed here last weekend on our way back from mainland Europe since our Icelandair flight had a layover in Reykjavik. The hotel was clean and was a 15-minute walk to downtown Reykjavik. We had booked this hotel at a good price, considering how expensive Iceland is. However, there weren't any restaurants closeby, other than the hotel's, and we had wished that we had stayed closer to the "action," so if you want to be more centrally-located, look elsewhere.

Hotel Rating in Iceland

I stayed here for three nights in early September. Considering how expensive everything in Iceland, including this hotel, is you might think this is a 4 or 5 star hotel like a Marriott or Hilton. My room had a style of perhaps 20 years ago and needed its carpet replaced (although I saw other rooms on the floor with newer carpets). The buffet breakfast was nice and the restaurant on the top floor was very good (although I was a guest at dinner and don't know the prices). My view looked out over part of the town and the ocean. It's about a 10 minute walk to the center of Reykjavik.

What planet are we on!!

We just returned from a trip to London with a stopover in Iceland. This was an Icelandair package and we had a wonderful time in this very interesting country. We would never have visited this country had it not been for the Take-a-Break package. It is expensive (Food, tours, etc.) but for 3 days the experience in the very different country is worth it. Go there if you can. We stayed at the Radisson SAS Saga Hotel and it was very nice. They upgraded us to a Business Class room.Iceland is worth the time and you can break up the trans-atlantic flight by stopping over on your way home from Europe. Give it a try, bet you will like it!!