Torfhús Retreat

My husband and I chose Torfhús for our 30th wedding anniversary. While we were celebrating special occasion, we are accustomed to staying in luxury properties and this one did not disappoint. We spent three nights here. I was surprised at some of the negative reviews and felt them to be somewhat unfair although everyone is entitled to their opinions. And so here is mine… the service was outstanding on all counts. The room was cozy and comfortable, the bed was perfect as were the blankets. The bathroom had shampoo, conditioner and body wash. There was a bathmat and plenty of towels. While no robes, they do provide poncho style hooded towels for getting out of the wonderful basalt hot tub. Dinner was amazing, a true culinary delight. I advised them in advance about my allergies and everything was accommodated. As for being surprised, they left it up to us to be advised or surprised - we chose surprised and they didn’t disappoint. Beef, lamb, fish - all delicious! I found the cost to be reasonable and it was made known right at the front desk as were the added cost for wine pairings. The wine list was expansive, had no troubles choosing. Also, we had arrived without having had lunch and the chef made us a few sandwiches to tide us over until dinner. The breakfast service was plentiful and was included in the cost. We found everything about this property to be what someone else called laid back luxury - I very much like that definition. I would highly recommend Torfhus!

We stayed at Torfus Retreat for 2 nights in early February. We enjoyed our stay, and there were very few guests. Although we didn't have dinner, the breakfast offered a good variety. Everything was clean and well-maintained, with a great Viking ambiance, especially in the main building. Our room, a trofbear in the Thor group (room #3), was the farthest from the main house and near the horse stable. The floor heating made the room slow to cool down; we slept with all three windows open the first night and adjusted the heat earlier the second night. Great bed with both a thin and thick pillow for each. The shared hot tub was right outside our room, and we had it to ourselves. The complimentary minibar was restocked daily with champagne, beer, water, and a soft drink. The in-room coffee machine was a nice touch. The door locks are unnecessarily a pain in the neck. One criticism is the arrival process. There is no way to alert the hotel that you are waiting at the gate; you have to call, which can be problematic. (I forgot to put the “+” sign before the number) We were stuck outside for 20 minutes until we were noticed on the security monitors. There should be a call button or intercom at the gate. We received a gate opener after checking in. The retreat is located right off the Golden Circle, with easy access to many attractions. We particularly enjoyed Faxifoss, just down the road over a very narrow bridge. Alternate dining is around 20 minutes away, but have early closing hours in the winter.

The good - service in the restaurant was stellar and employees go over the top. The layout of the hotel is very cool with three rooms together in each section. You do have to walk outside to get to the main facility but it isn’t a terribly long distance. The Bad - the beds stink and the comforters are two tiny ones for a shared bed. It doesn’t make for a good sleeping experience. Our back door couldn’t be locked so whenever the front door was opened, the back door would open up due to a wind tunnel. I reported this to the front desk but they didn’t fix it. I would also say that the restaurant is a bit pretentious. Not everyone wants a fixed menu with nothing revealed until the food is served. While they took dietary restrictions into account, the substitutions were lack luster. I understand what they are going for but it comes off as very high and mighty.

This retreat was spectacular. It felt a little like Icelandic Disneyland and I say that as a compliment. Intentional in every detail, the dining experience was exquisite. They were able to cater to my many dietary needs, and it didn't take away from my husband's unfettered experience. The basalt hot tub was shared between three residences but that didn't take away from the experience. The retreat was located in a great place, close to some geothermal spas and a quick trip up to Þingvellir National Park. Oh my gosh the beds were like sleeping on concrete and I was so sad. I don't even typically mind a harder mattress but it just felt like they were missing a soft topper or something. You also couldn't connect to the TV with any external hardware (which wasn't an issue for us bc we didn't want to spend much time in the room itself).

This place is straight up magical. We stayed for two nights in late June with a family of 4 and were mesmerized. We didn't check in until close to 10pm but Leo did an incredible job making us feel welcome, bringing us some wine and even some incredible french fries for our kids. We spent both late evenings in the hot tub which was a great experience given the Icelandic weather where one second it is sunny and the next raining and windy. The dinner, while expensive, was a great experience and they kept the wine flowing as part of the pairing. The room that dinner is served in is very special with incredible views of the property and viking-like styling. The breakfast buffet was also delicious and had enough items to keep everyone in the family happy. While you likely won't need to eat lunch on property, be aware that they don't serve it so you will have to go off-property in case you are just hanging around for the day and not off seeing sites. The overall setting is beautiful with fields and horses in view. Each house is far enough away from the next to feel relatively private. The concierges that I emailed while planning our trip were super helpful in coordinating a private SuperJeep tour which we took for the day into the Þjórsárdalur Valley and all the way to Landmannalaugar in the Highlands. I highly recommend this day trip as it is somewhat off the beaten path and we experienced some landscapes that were totally different than what we saw throughout the South Coast and Golden Circle. If you do this trip, make sure to coordinate for bagged lunches at least 24 hours in advance as we did not and had to stop at a local 7-eleven style market to grab lunch items. If I were to come to Iceland again, I would make this my home base and do excursions from here rather than splitting my time with a few nights in Reykjavik. It is that beautiful and unique of an experience. Thanks Torfhus for such a fantastic family experience!

My partner and I were left utterly disappointed with our stay at the Torfhaus (Torf-House) Retreat. First, the rooms were quite lackluster considering the exorbitant prices we paid - lack of shampoo, conditioner and other normal amenities, close-quarters living in the TorfBaer (twin-bed setup), and no access to light snacks and beverages pre/post meal. Speaking of food, while the quality of the food is outstanding, the optionality was non-existent. While I think it’s lovely that they are promoting Icelandic food, it is also important to cater to your audience and add some optionality. If you are going to charge a fixed 100 euros for dinner, I should be able to somewhat pick what I’m eating. All in all, I would not recommend Torfhaus to future guests in Iceland. Do better.