Last year, we wondered whether Hilton’s first hotel in North Iceland was anywhere close to opening. Now we finally have an answer: yes, but not quite on the original schedule.
When we checked on this project last year, it already looked like Hilton’s first North Iceland hotel was behind schedule. At the time, there was no Hilton listing, no way to book a room, and little indication that the original summer 2025 opening was still realistic.
A year later, there has been real progress.
What’s Changed Since Last Year?
The hotel now has a live Hilton page under the name Skald Hotel Akureyri Curio Collection by Hilton, and Hilton is accepting reservations for stays beginning June 26, 2026.
The hotel details have also changed a bit. Hilton’s original announcement described a 70-room property. The current Hilton listing now describes an 86-room hotel with three floors, one restaurant, two rooftop terraces, and 15 serviced apartments.
The property will be located at Hafnarstræti 80-82 in Akureyri, in the heart of town. That location should make it useful for travelers exploring northern Iceland, including the Diamond Circle, whale watching in Eyjafjörður, and Northern Lights trips during the right season.
Why This Hotel Matters
There are plenty of points hotels in and around Reykjavik, but once you start heading farther around Iceland, options become much more limited. That’s why this hotel was interesting when Hilton first announced it. It gives Hilton Honors members a potentially useful base in Akureyri, instead of forcing travelers to rely entirely on independent hotels or cash bookings.
It’s also Hilton’s first hotel outside the Reykjavik area in Iceland, which makes it noteworthy even if it’s not a massive luxury resort. For travelers doing more than a quick Reykjavik-and-Golden-Circle trip, having a bookable Hilton option in North Iceland is a useful development.
What About Points?
While the hotel is now bookable, the award pricing is not especially exciting. For July 2026, Hilton’s calendar is showing standard room rewards at 100,000 Hilton Honors points per night. Cash rates for the same month appear to range from about 42,400 ISK to 56,000 ISK per night, before any currency conversion or tax differences.
That means you’re looking at roughly $350 to $450 per night, depending on the date. At 100,000 points per night, that’s not a particularly strong Hilton Honors redemption. Of course, cash rates could change as the opening gets closer, but at launch, this looks more interesting as a new Hilton option in North Iceland than as a great points value.
Final Thought
Hilton’s first hotel in North Iceland is finally going to open. After originally being announced with a summer 2025 opening, Skald Hotel Akureyri Curio Collection by Hilton now has a live Hilton page and is accepting reservations beginning in late June 2026.
That makes this a useful update, even if the delay was significant. Akureyri is an important base for travelers exploring northern Iceland, and having a Hilton option there gives Hilton Honors members another way to use points or earn stay credit outside the Reykjavik area.
The one catch is the award pricing. At 100,000 Hilton Honors points per night, this doesn’t look like an especially strong redemption based on the early cash rates. But as a new points hotel in a part of Iceland where chain options are limited, it’s worth keeping an eye on.
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