Torfhús Retreat

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.

My husband and I had the best couple of days at this beautiful retreat! The bedroom and bathroom were perfect and a particular mention to Doddi for his amazing service! Also, to the chef the food was outstanding. We ate at the restaurant both nights and it was exceptional we absolutely loved it all. We had the wine pairing both nights and it was really excellent! Thank you all for a wonderful stay in a beautiful and special place. PS We said yes to the wake up call and saw the Northern lights ...fabulous experience!

Not only was this place everything we expected, but we both had come down with a good old Icelandic cold. We were totally miserable for 3 day. The staff went above and beyond to help us through it. They even catered a 3 course chefs special directly to our cottage, offered to bring lemon slices and ginger to ease our sore throats. The word “no” never crossed their lips. Still was true service!! We can’t thank you enough.