In June 2024, Hilton announced plans to bring its first internationally branded hotel to northern Iceland. Slated for Akureyri and scheduled to open in spring 2025, the Akureyri Skáld Hotel—part of the Curio Collection—was billed as a literary-inspired boutique property. But if you’ve seen the site lately, you’ll understand why that timeline is looking more and more like fiction.
Akureyri: A Poetic Setting for a Hilton Hotel
Akureyri is often referred to as the “Capital of the North,” and for good reason. Located along Iceland’s Ring Road, this charming town on the Eyjafjörður fjord is a must-stop for road trippers, with access to some of the island’s most dramatic natural scenery—waterfalls, geothermal areas, and whale-watching hotspots.
With its blend of urban amenities and Nordic charm, Akureyri is an ideal place for a high-end boutique hotel. The Akureyri Skáld Hotel, named after the Icelandic word for “poet,” pays homage to the country’s literary and artistic heritage.
Hilton’s 2024 Announcement and the Vision
When Hilton shared its plans in June 2024, it positioned Skáld Hotel as a modern but locally inspired retreat. The design renderings showed a 70-room hotel with minimalist Nordic aesthetics, an all-day restaurant, lounge, courtyard, and a “social club” concept.
The property would become part of Hilton’s Curio Collection, a brand known for distinctive, independently spirited hotels with a local feel, making it a potential standout in Iceland’s growing luxury scene.
History Meets Modernism: The Hafnarstræti Site
The project occupies a key stretch of Hafnarstræti, using two buildings: number 80 (a new construction) and number 82 (a protected historic site). Built in 1919, the older building once housed a warehouse, a bus terminal, and, more recently, a guesthouse. It has strong ties to Akureyri’s civic and commercial history.
Since it’s a registered landmark, changes to its exterior are limited by Iceland’s cultural heritage laws. To balance preservation with new development, architects from THG Arkitektar proposed a glass connector—a transparent link between old and new that satisfies both form and function.
A glass bridge visually separates the historic structure from the new wing, meeting preservation requirements while tying the hotel together.
Will It Actually Open in 2025?
The original announcement mentioned a spring 2025 opening, but that now looks very unlikely.
As of July 2024, Google Street View shows that the construction site was only a hole in the ground. No visible frame, no foundation for the new building, and no restoration work visible on the 1919 structure.
Even more telling: there’s no listing for the Skáld Hotel on Hilton’s website. No placeholder, no “Coming Soon” landing page—nothing. That’s usually a reliable signal that the project is far from ready to accept reservations.
Latest Progress: A Crane, Some Snow, and a New Timeline
It took a little digging, but I found a post on the Akureyri Town Facebook page.
This shows that there is now some visible progress with the construction of the hotel. According to the post, the hotel is now targeting a Spring 2026 opening, pushed back a full year from the original plan.
And if this all sounds familiar, you’ve probably followed the drawn-out saga of the Reykjavik EDITION or the still-pending Hyatt Centric Reykjavik. Icelandic hotel openings, especially those from international brands, often slip years behind schedule.
Final Thoughts
The Akureyri Skáld Hotel has all the makings of a fantastic property: a compelling location, a meaningful name, and a brand known for stylish stays. But for now, it’s more vision than reality.
If you’re planning a trip to northern Iceland and hoping to redeem Hilton Honors points, don’t count on Skáld just yet. Bookmark it, dream about it—but book elsewhere for the time being. Like many Icelandic construction projects, it may still be writing its opening chapter.
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