Review of my stay in the 38-bed dorm room at the Kex Hostel in Reykjavik in Iceland.
In my 33 years as a traveller, I have stayed in a lot of hostels. Imagine, I have visited 130 countries and territories, with hundreds, close to a thousand, different towns, cities and villages all backpacked, and the Kex Hostel in Reykjavik is definitely up there in my top 10 of budget traveller hostels in recent years.
The criteria when choosing a place to stay are based on a combination of price, facilities and location:
- Cheap doesn’t mean the best. Most things, though not all, are cheap for a reason
- No good having a hostel miles from anywhere just to save a buck
- Pointless having a hostel above a bar where no one gets any sleep (London, take note)
- I’m a traveller. I need things. I need facilities.
Free Wi-Fi is a given these days in most places, and these days, as a budding travel blogger, I need to get online. I travelled for years before the internet was invented. Somehow, I can’t even remember how we used to do it. Now it’s not something you have to think about.
But I need a place to do laundry, I prefer to do my own, but having a place to hang your stuff ain’t always gonna happen, so you need access to a washing machine.
I like a place with a kitchen.
The Kex Hostel in Reykjavik is one of my happy places
And for me, if I am afforded a good night’s sleep, then I am happy.
The Andaina Hostel in Oaxaca had ticked all boxes.
The Boho Hostel in St. Julian’s in Malta was a very special place for me
As I said, Kex Hostel in Reykjavik, Iceland, would have made the top 10, or even the top 5, if such a list existed. Maybe I should do a post, “My Top 10 Best Hostels”. Stay tuned.
Fresh off the flight from Glasgow, I took the Bus 55 from Keflavik Airport to the BSI Bus Terminal in the centre of Reykjavik, from where a brisk 15-minute walk in frigid temperatures to the Kex Hostel, which is on Skulagata:
38-Bed Dorm Room:
The idea of a 38-bed dorm is scary, right?
But I’ll tell you 2 things:
- I slept in a 72-bed dorm in Bergen, Norway, back in 1999. It was the old seaman’s mission.
- The 38-bed dorm at the Kex Hostel, Reykjavik, is not as bad as it seems.
I had bed number 33:
The dorm room had dividing walls. So for me, there were 8 beds. 3 bunks and 2 single beds:
Then there were 2 sections with 12 beds, 6 beds, 3 bunks on either side and 1 section with 3 bunks, 6 beds.
We had a radiator, great for drying damp clothing, and a window for ventilation. The beds and pillows were firm, and the sheets were 100% cotton.
The other guests were considerate. And with earplugs, I slept well.
Facilities at the Kex Hostel
Rex Hostel is a big place. But they didn’t forget to put in enough toilets and bathrooms, and they employed an army of cleaners to keep them in top shape. The hostels in London could learn a lot from coming here and seeing how a hostel should be.
There are 2 kitchens equipped with everything you need. Electric stove, microwave and kettle with enough pots and pans and plates, cups, glasses and cutlery.
There’s also a self-service laundry:
There is a big bar/restaurant/common area.
It’s where I drank my morning coffee, took 3 breakfasts there, typed out my stories, and drank my evening beer.
Blogging takes time. So, taking every opportunity to keep it going:
Or doing some research on things to see in the city:
Blogging with a beer at the Kex Hostel in Reykjavik:
Chilling out: This is where I drink my morning coffee:
Things to de in Reykjavik
The Rex Hostel makes a great place to recover after backpacking the world’s most northerly capital – Reykjavik lies at 64 degrees north.
The Arctic Circle is at 66 degrees north. The most northerly point I have stayed at was at the YHA in Stamsund, Lofoten, way up at 68 degrees north.
There are many museums in Reykjavik, including the Reykjavik Art Museum, Maritime Museum, Saga Museum and The Settlement Exhibition. There is even an Icelandic Punk Museum and a Penis Museum.
I was happy to visit the Perlan Natural History Museum:
Of course, I saw lots of other stuff too, but you mostly come here to discover nature or go on a must-try adventure.
I was happy to go on a Reykjavik Golden Circle Tour run by Reykjavik Excursions:
And go to the Sky Lagoon Geothermal Spa for some relaxation before a very early flight out.
I am not going to say everything was perfect; the dorm room needed a few more lockers for one thing, but it suited my every need. I slept well, it was clean, and there were no bed bugs. What more does a backpacker need?