托爾胡斯度假屋

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.

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

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!

My wife and I just returned from a three night stay, We had originally booked two nights but the accommodations and the food were more than superb so we added an additional night. Suffice it to say, the location allowed us the ability to access some excellent hiking and outside activities. After a busy day, we relaxed in the outdoor soaking pool which was just outside of our suite. Dinners were spectacular. The Chef's daily selections for dinner were a 10. Breakfasts were likewise ample with many selections. The "staff" was extremely professional and yet they maintained an easy approachable manner. This is well worth the visit and we will return. Rob & Laura G.