Studio, Private Bathroom
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Reviews of Butterfly Guesthouse

2.5 out of 5
Butterfly Guesthouse
8a Ránargata, Reykjavik

Reviews

9.6

Exceptional

Rating 10 - Excellent. 46 out of 58 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 9 out of 58 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 3 out of 58 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 58 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 58 reviews" "

10/10

Cleanliness

9.6/10

Staff & service

9.0/10

Amenities

9.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

9.6/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Ping

Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

8/10 Good

iain

Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Scott

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Very convenient location to harbor and downtown, yet fairly quiet. Very clean, very helpful. Nicely renovated historic home.
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Jon on Jul 19, 2023
Thank you very much!

10/10 Excellent

pekka

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Nice location
Very nice spot to stay close to all centre city attractions and harbor.
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Jon on Jul 19, 2023
Thank you!

10/10 Excellent

Louisa

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
The host is very friendly who allowed us to store luggage before the check-in time and helped me to reserve a taxi. Thanks
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Jon on Jul 5, 2023
Thank you Louisa!You and your friends are always welcome back!

10/10 Excellent

Danielle

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Had the greatest stay at Butterfly Guest House!! The location is amazing and the unit had everything we could need. We even forgot our plug adapter so we couldn't charge our phones and the manager went out and purchased one for the unit so we, and future guests, could use it!
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Jon on Jul 5, 2023
Thank you Danielle!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2022

10/10 Excellent

Michelle, Saint Charles

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I was not expecting so a large room! There were only 2 of us, but this would have easily slept 5. There was also a nice kitchenette. Jon worked with us to hold the room since our flight was extremely delayed. He made it easy for us to access our room after hours. The property was extremely quiet. I would love the opportunity to come back for another stay.
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2022
Response from Jon on Aug 9, 2022
Dear Michelle! Thank you for excellent feedback! And yes, you stayed in the biggest room we have. Looking forward to welcoming you back!

8/10 Good

Patricia, Toronto

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
We had the apartment unit with kitchen and balcony on the top floor (3rd). It was a bit crowded but functional. Our host, Jon, made us feel at home. He had basics including a fresh L off milk in the fridge for us to use. Communication with the host was very easy. There is parking on the street. It costs about less than 1.5 CAD per hour during 9 to 18. When we did not need to load/unload, we parked 1 block over for free 24h. It is 10 minutes to walk to the interesting waterfront restaurants and attractions and also to the downtown pedestrian street. The unit faced the backyard and w found it quiet. When it rained, we could hear the raindrops as we had skylight in our bedroom. The skylight and other windows had Venetian blinds so they were good to sleep in despite the never dark sky in July. Overall, we were very pleased with our stay.
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2022
Response from Jon on Jul 29, 2022
Thank you very much Patricia! You and your family are always welcome back! But I do not understand how you were able to use 10 minutes to walk to the waterfront. 3 minutes is much more normal.

10/10 Excellent

Kelly

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Jon was wonderful and made my stay very welcoming. I would stay there again when in Reykjavik- it was very convenient and affordable.
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2022
Response from Jon on Jul 29, 2022
Thank you very much Kelly! You are always welcome back.

10/10 Excellent

Dan

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great place to stay. Had all the amenities needed.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022
Response from Jon on Jun 25, 2022
Thank you Dan! Nice to hear!

10/10 Excellent

Scott

Travelled with family and small children
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The owner Jon was very friendly and accommodating. It was nice to have a kitchen in the room, and the separate bedroom was convenient for our family. We enjoyed having a balcony as well to look out over the city. My son wishes there was a TV in the room but other than that, it was a very quaint and wonderful property.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022
Response from Jon on Jun 22, 2022
Thank you Scott and family! Sorry, we do not have any TV in the house. Usually young people use their phones for everything. Hope to welcome you again another year! Best wishes

10/10 Excellent

David

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
All was good except parking is a little confusing especially when first arriving since there were no open spots nearby. After driving around a bit, a spot opened up but it wasn't clear how to find parking.
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2022
Response from Jon on Jun 15, 2022
Thank you David! Yes, it is a little confusing with parking in the street. But there are signs telling when it is free and when it is not. Thank you for staying with us!

10/10 Excellent

Angela

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We LOVED our stay at the Butterfly Guesthouse! Jon is a wonderful host and our upstairs apartment was cozy, clean and comfortable. The location is perfect: 5 minute walks to the harbor, the 'old city' and Bus Stop #1, (super convenient for tour and shuttle bus pick-ups). Our apartment was sunny with a private bathroom and kitchenette- perfect for the 3 of us. Coffee, tea and milk were kindly stocked and fresh towels and trash removal were provided twice during the week. Food is fresh and delicious in Iceland but expensive, so we appreciated being able to cook a few meals; that said, local restaurant options were varied and excellent and every meal was fantastic. We did not use the radiators in August, but hot water was plentiful and comes from geothermal sources, (renewable energy hooray!) The hot water everywhere smells a bit like sulfur coming out of the faucet but leaves NO smell on skin, hair or clothing. (Just don't use for cooking or consumption). Cold water is sourced differently and is safe to drink in Iceland. We needed no cabs or public transportation in the city and our furthest walk to the BSI bus station for departure Covid tests was 20 minutes through a beautiful park, (testing is quick, efficient, hygienic and professional- prebook appointments online). Again -Jon is an A host who met us on arrival. We loved our trip and look forward to returning to the Butterfly Guesthouse!
Stayed 6 nights in Aug 2021
Response from Jon on Aug 25, 2021
Thank you very much Angela! Hope to welcome you and your family again one day! Best wishes Jon

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
My partner and I loved staying at this property! We stayed in the apartment suite where we had a balcony, kitchen, and most importantly, a coffee maker. It was recently remodeled and it was very clean. Jon took extra care to make sure our stay was comfortable and pleasant. Would definitely stay there again!
Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2021
Response from Jon on Aug 2, 2021
Thank you very much and hope to welcome you again another year!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The location of this guest house is the best in town! It’s very close to both the city center and the old harbor. The host Jon is very helpful and very kind! He helped me to rebook a trip when it was canceled due to lack of participants. He also drove me to take the Covid-19 test so I can fly back to the USA. He even helped me print out the test result, since I didn’t have access to a printer. He is the best host I have ever had!
Stayed 10 nights in Jul 2021
Response from Jon on Jul 21, 2021
Thank you very much! It is very nice to receive such a review! Hope to welcome you another time!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 2 nights in Jul 2021
Response from Jon on Jul 21, 2021
Thank you!

10/10 Excellent

Dermot

Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2019

10/10 Excellent

David

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We came to Reykjavik so I could run the marathon. The location was superb, the guesthouse was spotless and the owner was terrific. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
Stayed 5 nights in Aug 2019
Response from The Butterfly family on Aug 27, 2019
Thank you very much David and wife! Hope to welcome you again joining the marathon and the cultural night of the town! best wishes

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The apartment we stayed in was cute and quaint. The owner was very helpful and attentive. This place felt like home.
Stayed 8 nights in Jul 2019
Response from The Butterfly family on Aug 13, 2019
Thank you very much for reviewing us!

10/10 Excellent

Dharanipal

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great location and accomodation
Excellent host, very thoughtful in providing whats needed for our short stay; great location to check out most active central areas of the city. Very clean and well maintained
Stayed 2 nights in Jun 2019
Response from The Butterfly family on Jul 8, 2019
Thank you very much Dharanipal and family! Great to wake up to such a review. We are all smiling!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
The Butterfly Guesthouse was a great place to stay, well located for walking as well as bus routes. It was clean, well kept, and quiet; the owner was available and responsive to guest's needs. I really enjoyed my stay and highly recommend it.
Stayed 5 nights in Jun 2019
Response from The Butterfly family on Jul 2, 2019
Thank you very much Anonymous! You are always welcome back....!!

10/10 Excellent

Leslie

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent place to stay!
This guest house was great! While the bathroom is small, it was great having one in our room. The location is perfect. Free parking is available 1/2 a block away, and the city center is an easy walk in the other direction. The kitchen is spacious with everything you need to cook or eat a light breakfast with the cereal and coffee/tea available.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2019
Response from The Butterfly family on Jun 26, 2019
Thank you very much Leslie! You and your family is always welcome back!

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very central location. Small room but very comfortable. Stairs, which for some can be a problem, but host is very happy to assist. Lovely continental breakfast provided. Host, Jon, extremely obliging.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2019
Response from The Butterfly family on Jun 4, 2019
Thank you very much Anonymous! The room sizes were fixed 90 years ago - and sorry to say - we will not destroy the house by changing that. Built as a normal two families house - there are of course not elevator - that is common for all normal houses in Reykjavik. best wishes

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Amenities
Small room and even smaller en-suite bathroom. Minimal options for breakfast and even had to wash our dishes.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2019
Response from The Butterfly family on May 18, 2019
Dear Anonymous! You were staying at a guesthouse - not a hotel. There is a big difference in Iceland. A guesthouse is a normal family house that has been changed into accommodation. That means that the rooms have original sizes and bathrooms have been added afterwords. We provide basic food in the kitchen - this is free to use if the guests like to use it - not only in the morning. It is nothing that we charge for. So it is a bit odd to complain about it. best wishes

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Stayed 5 nights in Mar 2019
Response from The Butterfly family on Apr 6, 2019
Dear Anonymous! Thank you very much for staying with us. Hope to see you again next time. best wishes

8/10 Good

Daniel

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019
Response from The Butterfly family on Apr 2, 2019
Thank you Daniel and welcome back any time!

10/10 Excellent

Jeannie M K

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great, friendly, comfortable & centrally located
A great place to stay, central to all amenities and places to visit. The host, Jon was friendly and in fact, right from the start ,all the Butterfly hosts were very communicative and informative. The room we had was clean and the beds comfortable. We enjoyed the informal kitchen place for breakfast etc and the communal fridge was very well stocked with butter, milk and other goodies. I highly recommend this wonderful guesthouse .
Stayed 3 nights in Mar 2019
Response from The Butterfly family on Mar 28, 2019
Thank you very much Jeannie M K! We are drinking our morning coffee and smiling from ear to ear. It is wonderful to read such reviews in the morning. Hope to welcome you again!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This is a basic guesthouse, nothing fancy. We loved it. We had apartment 8 which is on the top floor (up two floors of stairs). It is built into the roof and is very comfy and cosy. The bed was very comfortable, but like most of Iceland, it was two twins pushed together. It was tucked under the eaves in its own room with a skylight--which had a good working shade. There was a good sized main room with kitchen table, stove and other kitchen stuff. They had supplied us with cereal and milk. Downstairs there is a help yourself pantry with cheese and bread as well as cereal and biscuits. Tea kettle and coffee maker in our room. the bathroom was separate and had a drying rack which was perfect for us because we were soaked from a walk on a glacier in the POURING rain. Everything dried quickly. the bathroom is also under the eaves. We were perfectly happy at 5"4" and 5"6" but I would not recommend the room for tall people unless you don't mind bending down at times. Great location just up from the downtown square but about a 15 min walk to the main shopping street. Would definitely stay again!!
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019
Response from The Butterfly family on Mar 6, 2019
Dear guests! Thank you for reviewing us. Very positive review but there are two - three misunderstandings in this review - the beds are hooked together - not pushed together - it makes a big difference. Then the area downstairs is for the rooms in the house - not the apartments. Then - the apartment is just fine for tall people also - there have been guests much taller than you without any problems so it is a bit difficult to understand these concerns . You are always welcome back! Best wishes

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location, nice and clean room and easy check in and check out
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2019
Response from The Butterfly family on Mar 6, 2019
Dear guests! Thank you for the positive review. You are always welcome back! Best wishes

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent location, quiet, but right in the centre of town. Nice self contained studio flat with catering facilities and free continental breakfast materials. Nice to meet you Jon and thanks for having us:-)
Stayed 5 nights in Dec 2018
Response from The Butterfly family on Jan 9, 2019
Thank you Anonymous! We are smiling here! Welcome back any time!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Really warm welcome from Jon and the location was excellent.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2018
Response from Jon on Dec 25, 2018
Thank you very much!

6/10 Okay

Robert

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
Breakfast was a joke!
We met the owner, John, after we had checked ourselves in. Never saw him again and we were there 2 nights. There was a communal kitchen. The B&B ad said breakfast was included but there was only cereal , bread, and some cheese on the refrigerator door. The supplies were not replenished and there were 6 of us on the second floor. The biscuits in the cookie jar were stale. The place is old, but the price was right and it was close to walking to bus stop #1 and to restaurants etc. No TV in room. Bed was very uncomfortable. We would have enjoyed a bit moreTLC. We had some questions but our phones did not work , so we could not call the owner.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2018
Response from Jon on Dec 29, 2018
Dear Robert and wife! We do not serve any breakfast - that is clear. On the other hand we always provide some food free of charge - and that is available all day. It is up to the guests if they use it or not. This is a guesthouse - not a hotel. So please do not expect a TV in the room - then you should choose a hotel. Beds - very odd to hear they are uncomfortable. Usually guests tells us the opposite. Sorry I do not know what TLC is. You could always send us an e-mail if you had questions - we always respond quickly. Thank you for staying with us!

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
I rented an efficiency apartment with two other friends for 4 days. There's plenty of space with the pull-out couch and two single beds. The butterfly Guesthouse was very accommodating to our flight time. We flew in at 5 a.m. and the Guesthouse allowed us to check in at 8 a.m. when we arrived at Reykjavik. This allowed us to sleep before we started our day and I very much appreciated that. I felt that we had a lot of privacy at our space that we rented. The Wi-Fi was great. The whole Guesthouse is adorable and clean. I would highly recommend this for anyone.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2018
Response from The Butterfly family on Dec 11, 2018
Thank you very much Anonymous! We are all a big smile here! Best wishes

10/10 Excellent

Alisha, Lititz

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Friendly and charming! Hands down the cleanest and most organized guest house I’ve ever had the pleasure of staying. Jon was delightful and helpful. We felt right at home! Perfect location. Looking forward to visiting again!
Stayed 5 nights in Nov 2018
Response from The Butterfly family on Nov 21, 2018
Thank you Alisha and daughter! We are all smiling here. It was a pleasure to have you in the house. Hope to see you soon again.

10/10 Excellent

James

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Perfect for the price
This will never get the number of stars common sense dictates as it has a communal bathroom and it is not a new build. It was great, the host was super helpful and had loads of assistance with trips. Little things like there being free food with the use of the kitchen helped loads. For the price it is perfect in a very expensive place. Thoroughly recommended.
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2018
Response from The Butterfly family on Nov 12, 2018
Thank you very much James! We are all smiling here! Best wishes

10/10 Excellent

Happyholidayer, England

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
This was a really lovely place to stay. Great location and friendly hosts. We had everything we needed.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2018
Response from The Butterfly family on Oct 25, 2018
Dear Happyholidayer! We are a big smile! Thank you for staying with us!

10/10 Excellent

Donna

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2018
Response from The Butterfly family on Oct 18, 2018
We are smiling here! Thank you!

10/10 Excellent

Linda, Vernon BC

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We liked the host! Also the simple organization of food cupboards and refrigerator. The guesthouse was quiet, the beds comfortable, and the library full of good books. What more could you ask? We would stay there again in a heartbeat.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2018
Response from The Butterfly family on Oct 4, 2018
We are all smiling - thank you very much for staying with us and hope to welcome you again in the future.

6/10 Okay

Bongo, Indiana

Liked: Cleanliness
Very good location near old port, only 2 blocks away. Walls were very thin. Very clean. A tiny private bathroom. Owners not particularly welcoming or appreciative of your business. Breakfast was bread-butter, a cheese, cereal coffee/tea/milk. for breakfast. No fruit. Wash your own dishes.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2018

10/10 Excellent

Dana

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
perfect affordable spot
Perfect affordable spot- clean, great location, very helpful host. would definitely stay again. tip: double check to see if you have a shared bathroom, if this is important to you. for us it worked out fine- we didn't even have to wait to use the bathroom and our fellow guests were clean, but we were surprised, which was evidently my fault.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2018
Response from The Butterfly family on Sep 27, 2018
Dear Dana! Thank you very much for reviewing us. It seems that you have misunderstood a bit when you booked - but it turned out well - we are not a hotel. Our guesthouse / Bed and breakfast is an excellent old normal house that we have updated to host accommodation. We have rooms with small private bathrooms but also rooms where two rooms share a nice bathroom in the hall. Then we have good kitchen facilities and a nice living room for our guests. So if you like to see an old and real nice house in Reykjavik instead of staying at a "standard hotel" then this is an excellent choice. Hope to see you again!

10/10 Excellent

Hank, Dorset, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
First 4 days of trip
Butterfly Guest was about the best price we could find to give us a comfortable self contained apartment with breakfast cereals supplied. It's not modern, but everything works and feels homely. Host is very welcoming. Could sleep 5 in top floor apartment if three don't mind sharing and being in living space.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2018
Response from The Butterfly family on Sep 19, 2018
Dear Hank! Thank you for staying with us and your review. The door lock in the front door is a standard Nordic (Swedish) door lock. It is every where in the Nordic countries. It is a 90 years old house and we try to keep as much as the original atmosphere as possible. We will not ruin the house by making it "modern". And we use colours - you will not find anything grey or black. Hope to see you again !

10/10 Excellent

Henrik

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Karina

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 4 nights in Jul 2023
Response from Jon on Jul 19, 2023
Tusen takk!

8/10 Good

Tom Erik Gyula

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Fint og sentrumsnært
Vi leide studioleiligheten. Veldig hyggelig vertskap, som også snakker norsk. Rent og fint med gangavstand til sentrum. Enkel standard, men har det du trenger.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023
Response from Jon on Jul 5, 2023
Takk Tom Erik!

10/10 Excellent

Adriaan Friso

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
We had a great stay. Owner is very helpful
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2021
Response from Jon on Sep 1, 2021
Thank you very much for staying with us Adriaan Friso! Hope to welcome you again one day!

10/10 Excellent

Damien

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Well located place
We had the family room at last level and it was perfect for a short stay in Reykjavik to visit this town. You are near the town center, street is quiet, the small kitchen is useful. And it's very easy to park your car : it's free at the end of the street, and if you decide to park in front of the hotel, it's cheap compared to Paris price !
Stayed 3 nights in Jul 2021
Response from Jon on Jul 23, 2021
Thank you very much Damien! Hope to welcome you and your family another time!

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2019
Response from The Butterfly family on Aug 13, 2019
Thank you very much for reviewing us!

8/10 Good

Elin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2019
Response from The Butterfly family on May 2, 2019
Thank you very much Elin!

10/10 Excellent

Morten

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2019
Response from The Butterfly family on Mar 19, 2019
Thank you very much Morten! It is very important for us to get such reviews. Hope to see you next time! best wishes