Kex Hostel

Iceland , Reykjavik
Reykjavík, Skúlagata, 28
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100 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

17 Mar 2026

Guilherme

Great place to stay if you're visiting Reykjavik. They also have nice spaces to get work done online.

Self

2/10

Poor

12 Mar 2026

Aman

Bathrooms were not clean. Didn't have paper towels.

6/10

Pleasant

11 Mar 2026

Taylor

A decent space to spend a few nights when looking to save a few bucks, but not the same as it has been in the past. Staff wasn’t as friendly and welcoming as before, new renovations didn’t improve the place much. No food at night which was a bummer knowing they’d had it before. Fine stay for travelers passing through but won’t be personally returning

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 Mar 2026

Nathalie

This hostel has character. I pretty much enjoyed my time and stay in KEC Hotel and Hostel Reykjavik!

Self

2/10

Poor

08 Mar 2026

Emma

Staff are kind, but the rooms/kitchen/common areas are pretty run down. A huge range of travellers staying there, unfortunately someone in our 6 bed bunk peed in the corner…

Good location though!

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

07 Mar 2026

Catalina

Friendly people and comfy bed!

Self

10/10

Exceptional

15 Feb 2026

Candace

Staff was great. The room was clean. The atmosphere and location were perfect!

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

11 Feb 2026

Jack

Staff was lovely and rooms were clean.

10/10

Exceptional

06 Feb 2026

Rachael

Rooms and lockers big, and warm.
Kitchens were good. Showers enough for each floor.
Staff so friendly
Great stay overall

Leisure Self

4/10

Poor

06 Feb 2026

Joshua

Rooms were smelly- 80% of the showers on the 3rd floor were closed for maintenance- the plastic on the windows of the building under construction next door rattled in the wind all night. The entire hostel was overall dirty, the tables in the kitchen had peeling paint and stains. The bathrooms and remaining open showers were all usually filthy as well

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jan 2026

Hongxia

Like museum! Great location! Comfortable bed. Great views ! Great price !

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jan 2026

Hong

Nice

Self

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jan 2026

Colton

Was a very good experience and i would highly recommend any travellar to stay here

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jan 2026

Ben

Yes

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jan 2026

Brayden

Great place to stay right in the heart of the city!

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

03 Jan 2026

Autumn Lyn

The hostel was consistently cleaned which was great. I found the beds comfortable and I liked the little curtain for a bit of privacy in the shared room. They were able to accommodate a request for a bottom bunk which was also nice. The only thing I found a bit challenging was the dim lighting everywhere. It made it a bit hard to see at times but overall, I'd stay here again. The location was great - walking distance to almost everything I did.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jan 2026

Hannah Maria

Loved the staff loved the hostel it was super clean and staff was always friendly and helpful :)

Self

10/10

Exceptional

01 Jan 2026

Jeremy

Staff gave helpful advice and it was a great central location from which to explore the city and give our kids their first hostel experience!

Family

10/10

Exceptional

31 Dec 2025

Michael

Excellent room set up. Enjoyed the stay & view the room had to offer.

5star establishment

10/10

Exceptional

30 Dec 2025

成美

clean room!

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

20 Dec 2025

David

What an amazing hostel. Really liked this place. Felt very safe, spacious, clean, comfy beds.
Great storage space in kitchen for food and to cook. Lots of seating on each floor.
Fantastic reception and staff.
Ideal location, stunning views and seen the northern lights across the road from the hostel. Easy walking distance to main town area.
Grocery store round the corner, 3 minute walk and open from 8am until midnight.
Lockers in room so bring a padlock.
Never queued for showers or toilets.
Amazing place and fab price

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

18 Dec 2025

Matthew

Super friendly and convenient airport pickup (and drove us to town to the grocery/alcohol store).

Sauna was really nice and easy to book and breakfast was nice (coffee/tea/cheese/yogurt/meats/bread/cereal).

Also really nice was the free borrowing of snow gear (full snowsuit, gloves, boots, hat). Recommend you also bring a hot pad for the feet/hands.

It's about a 20 minute walk to nearby restaurant (was about 450 SEK for a nice meal at ice restaurant).

Only downside I'd say was it felt a bit expensive for the glass igloo (5000 SEK/night). It was a beautiful view (recommend the river view) but it's super small (basically just a bedroom with a super small countertop stove and a toilet that goes to a bucket).

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Dec 2025

BARBARA

I appreciated the calm relaxed atmosphere and the personal attention of the staff. Thank you Kex!

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 Dec 2025

Joshua

Very nice hostel

8/10

Excellent

03 Dec 2025

Francesca

Everything for fine. Staff were great! Breakfast was mid. I had hoped or more warm selections. The kitchen also looked dirty at times. The room was comfortable, bathrooms were clean.

Self

8/10

Excellent

28 Nov 2025

Molly

Overall my stay was great! I was placed in a bunk I asked for seen as I had an injury and was originally gonna have a top bunk, staff very helpful, very pleased. Clean sheets, clean surroundings. I did notice that the far sides of the underbeds (floors) could've done with a little bit more cleaning but overall the place is amazing, left along to do as u please.

Leisure Self

2/10

Poor

17 Nov 2025

Liam

Awful

Business_and_leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

14 Nov 2025

Savannah

Cons: Poor cleanliness. Almost no staff if you need help. Code at door kept not working. 2 shower and no towels. Hard to find on second level.

Pros: good wifi. Big lounge area. Close to food.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 Nov 2025

Lilly

Fairly quiet, clean. I would stay there again.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

05 Nov 2025

Shelley

The staff was extremely helpful, nice and professional. I first booked as a solo traveler for a bedroom and later was updated to 2 people; there was a miniscule hiccup where the bed was a double instead of 2 twins. But that was quickly sorted out before check in time and we were very happy that the staff was so accommodating and worked so quickly. The room had a great view and the communal spaces were nice also. The situation with the kitchen really depends on who is also staying there (not everyone cleans up after themselves and leaves a mess expecting the staff to clean after them when there is a dishwasher avaliable). Its close to bonus and other bus stops, walkable distance to the church and rainbow street if that is up your alley. 10/10- no complaints.

Leisure Friends

6/10

Pleasant

03 Nov 2025

Alma Daniela

It was good, I recommend it for just a few days.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

28 Oct 2025

Ahmet

Great staff, great location, good value for money

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

22 Oct 2025

Peri

Private room with shower was perfect. To be able to access the kitchen through our stay made it even better! Kitchen when used was clean and the free shelf was amazing! Check it out before going to the shop! Building work going on next door but wasn’t in enough to hear it. Black out curtains work but can’t see the northern lights from your rooms because the building works next door has a spotlight that floods your room with light at night time even with your own lights off. Can’t fault the private room we had although it could do with more storage. 4 hooks isn’t enough for a week stay. Great designed hotel. Quirky and fun and felt safe and wasn’t noisy even with a group of school kids we didn’t hear a sound on the private floor.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Oct 2025

Naresh

Amazing

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

12 Oct 2025

Varman Gnanachandran

The bathrooms are sometimes a little messy, but you get what you pay for. The reception desk was helpful and I had no issues staying here. It is a solid place to stay and conveniently located.

Leisure Self

4/10

Poor

11 Oct 2025

nelly

Had to carry my luggage cause there was no lift,secondly their reception towards us after our checkout time .

8/10

Excellent

04 Oct 2025

Odette

Well located. Room was a little old, but clean.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

04 Oct 2025

Ian

Great stay. Good amenities and close to bus stops. Good restaurant options nearby, and a nice view of the sea. Someone checked in really late (just after midnight), blaring music and talking loudly and waking everyone up, but that was likely an isolated incident.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

28 Sep 2025

Ally

Overall we really loved our stay at Kex. The hostel was very clean and I loved the decorations. We were able to walk all around the city with no issues, even parked our van out front. The only negatives were how small the private dorms were, for 2 people plus our luggage we were very squished. The bathroom was beautiful but not very functional, the open shower sprayed water everywhere. The vanity had little room to store your toiletries. We made do since it was a short stay but it could be claustrophobic for a lot of people. The staff were all great! We would definitely return!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Sep 2025

Shunmugapriya

I stayed at this hostel in Iceland for 4 nights, and it turned out to be the perfect base for my trip. The location was super convenient—close enough to the main attractions and tours, yet quiet enough to get a good night’s rest after long days of exploring. The staff were welcoming and always ready to help with tips about local transport, food spots, and hidden gems.

Leisure Self

6/10

Pleasant

18 Sep 2025

Daniel

It was okay.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

15 Sep 2025

Vicky

Great place to stay, we had a family room, spacious and comfortable, & great location in Reykjavik.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Sep 2025

Alexander

Awesome Stay!

Always love staying here :)

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Sep 2025

Darla

We stayed in two different rooms. First one was tiny but had everything we needed. Second one was much larger and really neat.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

14 Sep 2025

Shelley

We had a private room with a great view of the harbor. The facility is old and shabby but was clean and comfortable. Very noisy at night and our room was above the entrance where apparently people hang out and chat which is fine unless you’re trying to sleep.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

12 Sep 2025

Leah Rose

Affordable and unique place to stay in Reykjavik. The private room was clean and had everything we needed in order to be comfortable. We had a lovely mountain view and a comfy bed. Common areas were not in great shape - shared bathrooms are grimy and get really gross by the end of the night due to so much use during the day. Shared Kitchen felt grubby and the shared fridges were brimming with unlabeled products. Staff were super kind and helpful. There is construction going on within the hostel as well as on both sides of the hostel, as well as in the street in front, so the atmosphere is not the nicest in that regard.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Sep 2025

Kerry

Nearby on-street, metered parking took credit card and did not require an app. Welcoming staff. Clean, comfortable room and nice private bathroom. Funky, fun decor. Good breakfast buffet. The bar in the evening had a nice energy, with travelers of all ages mingling. Easy walking distance to city center.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Sep 2025

Kirsten

Such a lovely experience!! Would definitely recommend to stay here, the front desk staff were consistently incredibly kind while also being professional. I have medication that must be refrigerated and the staff was always there to help with this matter and I was able to access my medication 24/7 since the front desk is always open. The housekeeping staff kicked me out of the bathroom when I was brushing my teeth so that was a bit odd lol. BUT everything was very clean and I felt safe as a solo hostel goer

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Sep 2025

Christopher

Wonderful Stay

Loved our visit. Pub style bar comfortable sitting easy to visit with travelers

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

10 Sep 2025

Artem

Front desk staff was friendly, helpful, and polite. The room was cleans, but the restroom felt dirty. Every time I took a shower, I felt disgusted by the restrooms.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

10 Sep 2025

Larry

We had the private room with bathroom. Although there was some work going on next door, it was barely noticeable with the windows shut.

Our bed was great as was the bedding, and the sofabed was excellent as well.

The staff were very helpful and flexible. We were given access to the shared kitchen, which was great because meals outside were generally very pricey and one could say overpriced compared to North America and even Europe. But eating in a few times was a godsend.

Parking is cheap in the P3 zone by the hotel and I think I paid around 15 USD equiv over 3 days. It’s free at night. Once I had a hard time finding a spot but eventually did about 10min walk from the hotel (after 15 mins searching).

Area is nice. Rooms are clean and ours was big enough although a bit tight with the sofabed opened. Still a very good choice and a reasonable price (for Iceland).

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

09 Sep 2025

Jesus

Place is always clean and with a great location close to the bsi and downtown, I’d recommend it for sure.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

07 Sep 2025

Jonathan

Good stay!

Would be nice if the bar was open a bit later - especially for a hostel and travellers wanting to meet new people as they closed at 11 but nice place

Self

6/10

Pleasant

07 Sep 2025

Arslan

Overall, it is alright for a hostel. The front-end staff was friendly and helpful. Cannot beat the location of this hostel.

10/10

Exceptional

06 Sep 2025

michael

The place was an outstanding place to visit while in the city, a lot of character and charm
The staff was polite and helpful
The only downside was no elevator
Would highly recommend

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Sep 2025

Linh

Unique hotel with the way it decor. Room really clean. Near downtown. Convince.

Friends_and_family Family

8/10

Excellent

06 Sep 2025

Deb

Great location, walking distance to popular shopping area. Very clean. Simple breakfast available. Staff were very nice.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Sep 2025

Alexandre

nice

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

05 Sep 2025

Nazia

Convenient location, clean and great staff

10/10

Exceptional

04 Sep 2025

Linda

I just wish that they had curtains between the showers. Not doing so felt uncomfortable. Also,

8/10

Excellent

04 Sep 2025

Nathan

Good for the price

The rooms were clean, there are many areas to sit outside your room, to read your book or watch a movie on your device. It had a kitchen area, with fridge, microwave in it. It had a bar downstairs.

The prices of the food and drink were expensive, but as is everywhere in Iceland. £7 for a HALF pint during Happy Hour, then rises to £11 for the same HALF pint outside those times.

A few times I entered the communal toilets / showers and there were no soap or paper. Overall, beds were comfy. Bring a padlock to secure your times in the lockers in the rooms.

Self

8/10

Excellent

02 Sep 2025

Andrea

Great location and vibe, staff was very friendly and helpful. There was construction happening next door which impacted some tour pick-ups but the alternate location is a bus stop only a 5 minute walk. We had a compact room with a private bathroom which was clean and comfortable.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

01 Sep 2025

Michael

Needs attention

Bathroom stall door lock was broken, no toilet paper in restroom, no soap in restroom, paper towel dispenser didn’t work all three days. This was all just on the third floor. Walls are paper thin so you hear every loud person talking, every person walking, every item dropped, and was there a woman or child bawling on Sunday morning?!? It isn’t just the noise in your own room that you have to endure.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

01 Sep 2025

Kayla

The staff here made my stay really lovely from early check in to a smooth check out. I got a private room with shared bathroom both of which were clean and convenient. I would stay here again!

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

01 Sep 2025

Christopher

Great private room and the Hostel experience is amazing. Nice pub to hang out in at the end of the day.

Partner

2/10

Poor

30 Aug 2025

Rachel

The room is hot and stuffy and has only a small window that opens. The lockers in the room are tall and skinny, which is not conducive to holding luggage or a full backpack. And there isn’t much space elsewhere in the room to put belongings because the Hostel has filled it up with chairs and a desk. The room lighting is terrible! When I asked reception if there was a lift, she laughed in my face and told me this is a Hostel in Iceland. It’s an old building and no lifts. What did I find around the corner from the bar later? A sign in front of a lift saying they’re building an elevator!
Room doors slam which cause the walls to shake. Another thing to wake you up.
KEX website advertises convenient door-to-door Flybus service to pick you up in front of the Hostel. This has not been the case for 6 months due to construction. You must walk 5 minutes, but still pay the high cost for the convenience of door-to-door service which you are not receiving. The Hostel said there’s nothing they can do about this even after I suggested they update their website to have accurate information. Flybus and Tour Desk booking agent also refuse to do anything about it.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

27 Aug 2025

Silvia

Nice stay for a couple of days in Reykjavik. We had a private room with claen and spacious bathroom and a convenient sofa bed to accomodate children. Close to city centre and a quick drive to the bs station

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Aug 2025

Verified traveler

Good budget option for the city center

Stayed in the room with a private bathroom, good value for money in Reykjavik. The staff was very friendly and accommodating, a special thanks for storing my suitcase a day before check-in.

Haven't tried the breakfast option, but it looked nice.

No kettle/microwave in the room, but we were provided with a card to the hostel floors(there's a kitchen there). The bed was nice and cozy, no complaints here.

Friends_and_family Friends

8/10

Excellent

26 Aug 2025

Leonid

Nice place, unfortunately construction next door makes it hard to sleep.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 Aug 2025

paulina

Second time staying here. Great funky fun vibe. As Reykjavick has expanded it's a great spot, just a few blocks from one of the main streets for restaurants, shops, and bars. Would stay there again.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

24 Aug 2025

Breanna

Beautiful property with easy access to area around. Rooms were clean and loved having lockers. Bathrooms were a bit untidy but nothing to be unexpected when staying in a hostel. Be sure to bring your own towel as they charge for rental of same (1000 Icelandic Kronas). Easy check in/out with 24 hour front desk service. Would recommend

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

24 Aug 2025

Royston

Comfortable beds in room with a sea view. Good beer.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

22 Aug 2025

Jenai

The staff is very friendly, helpful, and patient. The beds were very comfortable and the housekeeping staff was very diligent about cleaning. I stayed in a six bedroom all women and this hostel was very kind to accommodate me sleeping on a bottom bunk. There is construction in the area so it can be noisy, but the location is excellent.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

21 Aug 2025

Alexandra

The door handle came off and I had to put it back on myself or be locked inside the dorm.

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

20 Aug 2025

Nicole

Our family stayed in a private room. The room was quiet and spacious. We used the communal kitchen, which was great for family breakfasts. The only downside is we misunderstood the parking fees. The parking in front of the hotel charges 24/7, so we were surprised by the parking fees.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

20 Aug 2025

Jacob

It was really nice people were friendly staff was helpful

10/10

Exceptional

19 Aug 2025

Ramon

I loved that KEX is at the heart of Reykjavik

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

19 Aug 2025

Ramon

I loved that KEX is basically at the heart of Reykjavik

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

18 Aug 2025

Verified traveler

The accommodations were cool and eclectic. Breakfast was very tasty and quite satisfying.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

15 Aug 2025

Kim

Comfortable, but Sleep Was Impossible

Comfortable for the price, but the noise was a major drawback. It wasn’t construction noise — it was doors slamming at all hours of the night. At first, I assumed it was inconsiderate guests coming in late, but it quickly became clear it was just how the doors closed, and it happened constantly — about every 10 minutes — from the time I went to bed until I finally gave up and got up at 6 a.m. Earplugs didn’t help, as the impact shook the room and woke me each time. It’s unfortunate, because otherwise the stay was great — excellent service, convenient location, and good amenities.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

12 Aug 2025

Luz

Lovely Stay

The room was very clean, the bed comfortable, the location was really good and the people were nice.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

12 Aug 2025

Leonardo

Staff was very fun and friendly! Stayed in the \"compact double room\" on second floor, and it was very clean and secure, with great view. Only main downside is the construction going on right now, but I still had a lovely experience, and would return.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

08 Aug 2025

Rachel

Bed was great. There was breakfast options great kitchen. Someone was stealing food though.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jul 2025

Kristina

Would stay again

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jul 2025

Joseph

I loved being on the water. Would have been really nice to have had an ocean view room. It was super close to downtown and the Main Street. The Hopp scooter is the best way to get around in the city without a lot of walking. I love Iceland and feel I’m 1% Icelandic now. It’s just such a beautiful country and so much to do and see. Even if it’s a scooter ride down the street to the houses and take a ride through the streets and see their homes as you scoot around. They are really beautiful and worth seeing. I can’t remember the price of the scooter services but let me tell you that they are worth every ISK lol can’t beat happy hour at the pubs. 999.00 ISK for a pint. That pretty good. Just order a few before last call and you’re good but I’m sure I don’t have to tell you that lol i got the Iceland AC/DC shirt. So sweet. Gotta check it it out if you’re a AC/DC fan. The sights outside of the city is up to you. I did the Blue Lagoon. The volcano area was closed off so that didn’t happen but the Blue Lagoon is just spectacular and so surreal. I’m not able to walk around as much so I went with the scooter trips and the Blue Lagoon. It just means I have to come back home to see them again and hopefully do the helicopter tour of the volcano and the possibility the tectonic plate scuba diving but definitely snowmobiling on the glacier. You can spend a summer in Iceland and still never see it all lol I miss it it so much. It made my life. I’ve never been so peaceful in my life.

Cheer

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jul 2025

Beatriz

I absolutely love this place. The staff is helpful, kind and welcoming.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

22 Jul 2025

Yohalis Del Carmen

Very nice hotel, The hotel is very clean, the staff is very friendly

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

21 Jul 2025

Sandra

Amazing! Beautiful views and was able to walk pretty much everywhere! Highly recommend!!!

8/10

Excellent

21 Jul 2025

Gina

This felt like a very hip spot. My only complaint was that you could hear other doors slam when people came and went from their rooms.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jul 2025

Cheryl

Great service .great apot

8/10

Excellent

19 Jul 2025

Craig

Great value, friendly staff. Our private room and bathroom was a little small and very simple but price was reasonable given Iceland is very expensive overall.

Leisure Family

2/10

Poor

19 Jul 2025

aniruddha

Poor location, rooms too small, no cooling, no space for luggage, storage, no elevators, bathroom unsafe, unsafe industrial neighborhood

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jul 2025

Dhruv

Best hostel I've been to in Iceland. Ok, at least in Rekjavik

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jul 2025

Uday

Nice n cosy.

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jul 2025

Taylor

Overall, very good for a hostel. Everyone at the front desk was very helpful and friendly. My only somewhat negative experience was many of the bathrooms on the 4th smelled like urine, especially when you'd shower. The staff works very hard to keep things clean, so not much to do about that. Would book here agin!

8/10

Excellent

15 Jul 2025

William

Both front desk guys were outstanding. One was Davidb

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jul 2025

Andrea

I had a fantastic stay! The 48 person dorm room wasn't bad since it was divided into 4 separate sections. The other night I stayed in the 6 person dorm that had a curtain. Both beds were super comfy. The check in guy with the rain cloud sweater was super friendly!!! It was a short walk from BSI bus terminal, the waterfront, and downtown! I would absolutely stay here again!

Leisure Self

4/10

Poor

06 Jul 2025

Luisa

The doors bang all night long, the building is concrete so you can hear it everywhere. The washrooms are dirty and wet all the time there was never soap or paper towels even when they were just cleaned.
I expected a bit more for the price.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jul 2025

Andrea

Great hostel, clean, convenient, breakfast option great!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jul 2025

Victoria

Was in a great location - easy to walk places but also find originally. Also a perk - we found free parking outside so didn't have to pay for the whole weekend!

Leisure Friends