Best Baby-Friendly Hotels in Reykjavik for First-Time Parents
5 family-friendly hotels with baby-friendly in Reykjavik . Handpicked for families who want the best.
Reykjavik with a baby is genuinely easier than you'd think. The walkable city centre is small, the pavements are wide enough for a buggy, and almost every hotel has a lift, even in the older buildings around Laugavegur. What matters most when travelling with a baby is room layout (somewhere to put a sleeping infant while you eat dinner), kitchen access (formula, late-night warming, fussy-eater snacks) and a hotel that doesn't blink when you ask for two cots. We've picked five Reykjavik properties that handle the basics well, with the apartment-style options at the top for parents who'd rather cook than restaurant-juggle a 14-month-old.
Reykjavik runs at a different pace from continental capitals. Shops open at 10, restaurants get going from 5, and Sundays are properly quiet. For parents this is a gift: you can sleep until 8, take the baby to a cafe at 9, and not feel like you're missing the morning rush. Locals take babies everywhere, including to swim in 38°C geothermal pools from a few months old, which is a uniquely Icelandic education for a UK or US parent used to chlorinated leisure centres.
Why Reykjavik works with a baby on board
Apartment-style hotels make a real difference here. Reykjavik food is expensive (think £25 for a basic dinner main), so being able to cook a simple pasta in your room saves money and gets the baby fed at the right time. Most apartment-hotels include cots free of charge but you must request in writing at booking. Highchairs are less reliable, so packing a portable strap-on chair pays for itself in two meals.
Hotel layouts matter for nap routines. A studio with the bed visible from the door means tip-toeing past every time you need the bathroom; a one-bedroom apartment with a separate sleeping area is far more workable for naps that overlap with adult dinner. Most central Reykjavik hotels are old buildings, but lifts have been retrofitted into all the larger ones we've selected, and ground-floor rooms are usually available on request for parents with heavy buggies.
Parent's take
What changed our trip was the hot tub at our hotel. Our 11-month-old loved being held in lukewarm water for 10 minutes before bed, and it bought us an extra hour of evening sleep we wouldn't have got at home. Worth choosing a hotel with a hot tub or pool access, even small. Iceland is built for this.
Our Top 5 Picks
Hotels in Reykjavik with baby-friendly, sorted by guest rating.
Candlewood Suites Reykjavik by IHG
Reykjavík
Wonderful
65 reviews
Candlewood Suites is an extended-stay hotel a short walk from the BSI bus terminal, with full kitchens in every suite, a quiet residential setting, and parking included. Studios sleep two adults plus an infant comfortably, and one-bedroom suites have separate sleeping areas, which is the layout you actually want with a 9-month-old.
From
€1095/night
Why families love Candlewood Suites Reykjavik by IHG
We picked this one because of the kitchen and didn't regret it. The full hob plus dishwasher meant proper meals at home prices, and the supermarket Bonus is a 7-minute walk. Cot was in the room when we arrived, no fuss. Slight downside: it's about 20 minutes' walk from the main downtown sights, but the bus stops outside and goes door-to-door in 8 minutes. Lift, ground-floor option for buggies, plenty of parking. Quiet at night which is what you need when nap windows decide your day.
Reykjavik Residence Apartment Hotel
Reykjavík
Wonderful
3,050 reviews
Reykjavik Residence Apartment Hotel takes over three historic buildings on Laugavegur with one and two-bedroom apartments, full kitchens with washer-dryers, and central locations within five minutes of every cafe and pharmacy you'll need. Lift access throughout, free cribs, and 24-hour reception staffed by people who'll find you a thermometer at midnight.
From
€2128/night
Why families love Reykjavik Residence Apartment Hotel
This one was the winner for us because of the laundry. With a baby you go through three sets of clothes a day, and being able to run a wash mid-trip meant less luggage, less Tube-of-stress. The two-bedroom we had had a proper kitchen, separate dining table, and two bathrooms. Furnished a bit dated but spotlessly clean. Located on Laugavegur so a touch noisy on Friday-Saturday until midnight, but our windows were double-glazed and the baby slept through. Free cot, requested at booking, ready in room.
Black Pearl Apartment Hotel
Reykjavík
Wonderful
577 reviews
Black Pearl Apartment Hotel sits in a quieter pocket near the harbour with one and two-bedroom apartments, designer interiors that lean black-and-grey but actually work with kids, full kitchens, and a small wellness room with a sauna and hot tub. Check-in is via app or by phone; staff are reachable around the clock.
From
€1791/night
Why families love Black Pearl Apartment Hotel
More design-forward than the Residence and slightly pricier, but the apartments are bigger, the kitchens fully outfitted (including blender for purees) and the harbour location is calmer. Cot was free, ready on arrival. Hot tub is small and adults-only most of the time but they let us bring our toddler in supervised on a quiet evening which made his week. Lift, parking included if you book direct. The black-on-black design means everything sticky shows up immediately, but it wipes down clean.
Hotel Reykjavík Saga
Reykjavík
Wonderful
1,125 reviews
Hotel Reykjavik Saga sits on Posthusstraeti right beside the Parliament with family rooms that fit a double bed plus a cot or rollaway, a small spa with sauna and steam room, and a sit-down breakfast that includes baby-suitable porridge and fresh fruit. Lift, no parking, but you don't need a car for downtown Reykjavik.
From
€3588/night
Why families love Hotel Reykjavík Saga
Family rooms here are smaller than the apartment-hotels but the location is unbeatable: Hallgrimskirkja is 8 minutes uphill, the Old Harbour 10 minutes downhill. Cot was set up before we arrived, free of charge. Breakfast room had two highchairs available, a relief because this is the first hotel of the trip where the highchair stock was certain. Spa lets parents take turns: my partner and I split 30 minutes each, baby napped in the room with the door propped. No kitchen so we ate out, which is pricey, but the family-friendly cafes nearby (Sandholt, Reykjavik Roasters) tolerate buggies easily.
Wonderful
530 reviews
Canopy by Hilton occupies a striking modern building near the City Hall and pond. Family rooms are bigger than most central Reykjavik options, lift access throughout, and the Geri restaurant downstairs has a kids menu that's actually edible (mac and cheese, mini burgers, fruit bowl).
From
€3086/night
Why families love Canopy by Hilton Reykjavik City Centre
The Canopy is the most polished of our picks: brand-new everything, bath in the family bathroom (rare in Iceland, most have showers only), and a buggy parking spot in the lobby corner so you don't have to wrestle it into the lift. Cot delivered within 15 minutes of asking. Pond views are a real bonus for distracting a fussy toddler. Restaurant kids menu is small but properly cooked, around 12 to 14 euros a dish. No kitchen, no laundry, so factor in 2 to 3 dinners out per week vs the apartment options. Worth it for the comfort and central location.
💡Tips for visiting Reykjavik with a baby
- 1Request the cot in writing when you book, not over the phone. Reykjavik hotels stock fewer cots than continental equivalents, and emails to the booking desk get prioritised over verbal requests at check-in.
- 2Pack a portable highchair clip or doorway booster. Hotel highchairs in Iceland are often missing or in poor condition, and replacement options at Reykjavik baby shops cost twice the UK price.
- 3Ask about geothermal pool baby access at check-in. Most municipal pools (Laugardalslaug, Vesturbaejarlaug) welcome babies from 6 months in shallow warm sections; bring water-safe nappies as standard nappies leak immediately.
- 4Book a room with kitchen access if your baby is on solids. Reykjavik supermarket prepared baby food is limited and pricey; cooking simple veg purees in your room saves money and dietary hassle.
- 5Plan one indoor backup activity per day. Iceland weather changes fast, and pushing a buggy through horizontal sleet with a 9-month-old is nobody's idea of a holiday. Reykjavik Maritime Museum and Whales of Iceland both work for under-2s.
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