託爾胡斯度假屋(Torfhus Retreat)

This is my first review on Trip Advisor. Be careful of Torhus's "Standard Rate" non-refundable deposit! Here's why I say that...Torfhus looks amazing, but I will never visit. I booked one of their cute houses for two nights in June of this year under "Standard Rate". The other option was a "Non-Refundable Rate". Three days later, we unfortunately cancelled our entire trip to Iceland due to family issues. Six of the seven hotels cancelled our stay with no problems. Torfhus would not. The "Standard Rate" actually contains a 20% non-refundable deposit. It was my fault that I did not read the cancellation policy, so that is on me. Three days after booking a hotel five months ahead, we lost $800. I suggested splitting it or thought returning it when it was re-booked would be fair, but Torfhus would not agree. Again, it was my fault that I did not know I would lose 20% immediately booking on the Standard Rate, but I was very surprised Torfhus would not work with us given we had to cancel our entire trip for family issues. If you understand the terms, it does look lovely.

Torfus was a special place to stay. We had a group of three “cottages” for our family of six. A hot tub to meet at, at all times of the day, sunken and cocooned by basalt columns. Fields around us with Icelandic ponies keeping us company. The food in the evenings, with a set menu for everyone, was a treat. So good to meet each of the chefs as part of the evening service. Each member of staff provided such a welcome and truly professional. Recommend highly.

We stayed at Torfhus Retreat for 2 nights in February as a family of four. First of all I would say that the setting, layout and design aesthetic are perfect. The houses themselves are built in the style of a traditional Icelandic Torfhus (Turf House), there are a row of one bedroom (semi-detached) and a group of detached two bedroom houses. The main building “the long house” is where you’ll find reception, a bar, breakfast and dinner areas. Our “house” had a private basalt heated pool (more of a hot-tub) which was a lovely experience. Positives: you really do feel like you’re getting the Icelandic “wilderness” experience, there’s nothing much around the plot of land the retreat is built upon, at night if you’re lucky you’ll be able to catch the northern lights (you can get a call from reception to let you know when it’s visible if you like). The food and drinks were both very good, but with some caveats (see below). Negatives: for dinner they only serve the flamboyant chef’s “set menu”, which was very good, if not Michelin worthy. However you have no idea how much it will cost, there is no menu or pricing (turned out to be €105 for adults, €50 for children). There is also no bar menu, no wine list (with dinner they do offer a wine pairing at €80 per person). If you want a glass of wine you’re simply asked “red or white?” (€18 a glass). There was no champagne, despite having a bottle on display. There were no cocktails unless you want a simple gin & tonic. Some of the staff (not so much the waiters) seem a bit unprofessional and “green”, upon leaving we had to open the main gate ourselves and retrieve our luggage from behind the reception counter as all the staff had vanished. The experience overall was certainly not five star, yet the pricing definitely is. Our suggestion to the owners is to include dinner cost into the room rates, a “half board” solution, most guests are out during the day but as the property is so remote you would have no option but to eat at the restaurant for dinner.

We took a house for the first two nights (airport then blue lagoon, Geysir then Torfhus) of the holiday and had breakfast and dinner twice. Used it as a base for Silfra and Gullfoss the second day which was within reach. Food and service is excellent. It’s pretty much fine dining but both the kids enjoyed the food which was a surprise. There’s no menu at dinner just whatever chef is making that day. No problem for us but could be for some. Breakfast varied and excellent especially the gravlax for me. It’s expensive. Accommodation (house) was superb, quiet and comfortable with own steaming hot tub outside. Two rooms and a lounge. Very friendly and helpful staff. Would definitely recommend.

Loved our stay at Torfhus. Unique and beautiful location and accommodation to base adventures from. Staff was very nice and the food amazing. Had dinner both nights of our stay and well worth price. Chefs tasting dinner perhaps one of my favorite meals ever. Highly recommend this special spot.

Where do I begin? Iceland is beautiful in and of itself, but the Torfhus Retreat kicks it up a notch in a way that can't be matched. Someone wrote a review that the Edition is the best place to stay in Iceland. Obviously, that reviewer has never left Reykjavík. I beg to differ. THIS is the best place to stay in all of Iceland! This place is a dream come true. Someone actually made created the perfect Icelandic retreat . If you've ever wondered what it was like to stay in an upscale rustic nordic grass thatched roof hut, this is it!! From the beginning, all of the staff was helpful, kind, and funny. From the front desk clerks at check in and check out to the person showing us our retreat to the sommelier at dinner to the breakfast staff to the bar staff, each one made us feel so special as if we were the center of attention. My only comparison to a staff this helpful and kind to us and that pays this close to attention to detail in the decor and amenities is the The Broadmoor in Colorado. The dinner was so delicious that even my picky eater kids ate the asparagus soup and commented how delicious it was. We ate baskets (see plural) of bread with local butter and black lava salt served on pottery plates with the Torfhus design on them. The lamb was cooked to perfection and the pairings the sommelier picked kicked the meal up a notch. The dinner was superb. The basalt hot tub outside was relaxing after getting in from a 7 hour flight and seeing many of the nearby sights . Again, the detail of using basalts was a nice touch. The breakfast buffet was delicious with the pastries, skyr, meats and cheeses, granola, fruit, veggies etc. The minibar choices were fabulous and nice to have while soaking our sore muscles as there is no vinbudin nearby. No missed details in the decor. From the fur rugs to the wooden boat turned into a couch in the lobby area to the hot tub towels to the wool blankets on the couch to the all kitchen offerings to the hot towel warmer in the bathroom shower and waterfall design on the shower door to the nordic writing on iron and grass thatched roofs and rustic wood throughout, I loved everything about this place. It was a peaceful sanctuary getting away from Reykjavík and tour buses and crowds, but it was also close enough to Gullfoss and Strokkur that you could go before or after crowds or just see the sheep and lupines and horses. We had Gullfoss to ourselves early in the morning. The birds had tweeted us awake. We had views all around our place and it felt safe with the closed gates and safe provided in the room. And even though we weren't alone we sure felt like we were. Thank you for this peaceful retreat. When we come back to Iceland, you will be first on our list of places to come back to. I'm almost afraid to leave such a well deserved review as there may be no openings for when we want to come back, but I must acknowledge all the hard work, effort, and dedication put into this retreat and let you know what a fabulo

Very unique hotel, made up of a typical Island cottage cabins. It is conveniently located in a very quiet spot, but close enough to all attractions and excursions in the SW of Island. We had a double room, one of three in a cottage, which was very nice and uniquely decorated, with lots of wood paneling. Do not bring too much clothing though, as there is no hanging locker, just a number of hooks on the wall, and a cavernous drawer under each side of the bed. It’s all about the great outdoors experience, so do not expect a table to work at, or lots of TV channels – which was perfectly fine for us. Window blinds are Ikea and do not really blind out the light during the bright summer nights. The bathroom is very nice, but with little space to put your things and short on toiletries, but with a large and comfortable walk-in shower. The highlight is the thermal pool outside, shared by the three rooms of the cottage, which is a real treat. But watch out carefully, initially ours was very slippery indeed, due to some growth, until it was pressure cleaned on our last day. Breakfast provides a perfect start into a day of activities, with everything on the buffet one could possibly ask for. Dinner is a different surprise menu every night, which you have to specifically sign up for every day. We liked the dinner menus very much, as well as the small but carefully selected list of wines. Meals are certainly a highlight at the Torfhus. The team was very friendly and helpful, and committed to make our stay a very pleasant experience. We would consider coming back when in the area next time. However, the price is very high and very little of the luxuries usually expected in a hotel in this price range is provided. If that is important for you, it might not be the right choice – it’s all about the unique setting and style of the cottages. The Torfhus could be perfectly complemented with a full-service spa in the future, as there is no such service available anywhere in the area – a suggestions for an add-on in the future.

This is a very comfortable and unusual place to stay: a modern version of an old turf house. Very quiet and peaceful place; excellent dinner available. My wife and I enjoyed it very much.

If you are in Iceland, I highly recommend staying here. The people, the food, the accommodations and the view are simply amazing.