The Oddsson Hotel/Hostel

Eclectic design, Icelandic art, playfulness, powerful contrasts, and more than just a hint of eccentricity can all be found at ODDSSON. Located in a 1940s warehouse in a popular area of Reykjavík, the hotel provides a new kind of hospitality experience, one that puts design and ‘slow living’, or appreciating the present moment, at its core. The interior was designed by the Döðlur concept and design studio which is based in Reykjavík. Custom furniture with creative silhouettes are joined by an impressively curated and eclectic collection of 20th century furniture, including pieces designed by Pierre Jeanneret, Augusto Bozzi, Mario Bellini, Paul Evans, and Tomasso Barbi, to name just a few. Industrial accents abound, especially in the common areas where concrete, exposed pipes, bricks and beams remind of the building’s past. The color palette relies on shades of blue, gray and warm brown, with pastel pink, blue and green accents adding vibrancy. The hostel can accommodate up to 250 guests at a time and offers a varied selection of rooms, to suit virtually any preference, from single pods to bunk beds, classic rooms, and a 70-square-meter apartment filled with art yet providing a breathtaking view towards an ever-changing masterpiece, the ocean. Proving that Icelandic people truly deserve their reputation for doing things differently, at the Italian restaurant and bar guests can enjoy Mediterranean dishes with a contemporary twist while admiring the silent spectacle of karaoke singers singing their hearts out in the soundproof yet mirrored karaoke booth, custom-designed for the hotel and placed in the middle of the Bazaar restaurant. If you’re planning on taking a trip to Iceland this summer, be sure to check ODDSSON out. And maybe even sing a song or two. Photography by Ari Magg.