Blue Luxury Apartments

Consistently praised for cleanliness and well-equipped facilities. Convenient location near city center and tourist attractions. Guests appreciate comfortable, spacious beds and plentiful free parking nearby.

A truly soulless apartment that felt like it had been designed for, and perhaps even by, a recently divorced traveling salesman. In a country know for its ‘hygge’ design this place was as sterile as a hospital ward. In a busy market of dedicated ‘super hosts’ this was as impersonal an experience as might be imagined. It seems that a bedside table, a few sidelights here and there, some non-generic pictures, a couple of welcoming teabags, and an emptied dishwasher, are no longer needed to meet the “luxury” benchmark. And as for parking, ice making, a washing machine or dryer, a radio, a made-up sofa bed (when we had flagged we needed to use it)… forget it. The good news though is that there is a clear set of laminated instructions to greet you in the entrance hall setting out all the things you should and should not do. At the foot of the ’house rules’ the owners note two things - that (i) they also own the Blue Car Hire company, and (ii) the place only recently opened and feedback is welcomed. So, in this spirit, I would note the following: firstly hiring Dacia Dusters is different to renting ‘luxury’ apartments. The former requires anonymous efficiency (and having rented our car from Blue I can only praise their ability in this regard - it was super slick and eminently affordable). The latter, however, requires intimacy and personality - the more so at the price point being charged (this was our most expensive stay). Before the ‘meh’ reviews mount I suggest Blue ask a designer to turn the apartment into something guests want to be in rather than a place they have paid to sleep in - today’s market demands it, especially for a modestly discerning audience that is attuned to the sophisticated aesthetic and warm welcome that Iceland affords. It doesn’t need much - we are talking soft furnishings combined with a keen eye, an ounce of thought, and a personal touch (welcome packs work wonders). But Blue needs someone who knows about room hire not car hire. And fast.