Stay in Pristine Nature
A new hotel is being built in the protected Húsafellskógur wood, a natural birch wood in Borgarbyggð Saga Geopark. Therefore efforts are being made to interweave the new hotel and its activities into the surrounding nature. This area is very centrally located in the Borgarbyggð Saga Geopark.
Popular self sufficient activity centre and family estate
Húsafell is a favourite activity centre for holidaying Icelanders and a fantastic place for a couple of days of hiking and sightseeing. The new hotel will be a good addition to the services in the area and the guests will take advantage of the existing facilities and developments. All the Húsafell buildings have their own electric power plant, with hot and cold water supplies coming from nearby wells. There is also a swimming pool, which has a sauna, hot tubs and a slide. A golf course is laid out next to beautiful rivers and there’s an airport. The familes living in Húsafell running the activity centre, and building and managing the hotel are descendants of a well-known priest, who lived there in 17th century. He was famous for his poetry and white sorcery. It is said that he beat 81 ghosts sent to him from his enemies in the West Fjords. He was exceptionally strong. Close to the farm is a 180kg stone which he lifted and carried around a little sheep pen for his exercise.
Powerful glaciers and beautiful sights
“This area in West Iceland has lot of potential”, says Þórður Kristleifsson, manager of the hotel building. “It has a lot of different and interesting sights and activities to offer. The new hotel will be designed as an outdoor activity centre for the Borgarbyggð area. The land of Húsafell reaches up to the Eiríksjökull and Langjökull glaciers and stands in the middle of the Hallmundarhraun which was formed in an eruption in 930. The place is sheltered and often enjoys good, mild weather. The unusual Hraunfossar waterfall, with pristine, clear water flowing from the lava into the Hvítá river and the powerful Barnafossar falls are close by. There are interesting lava tubes in the lava which can be visited and many good walking paths in the area. Some are marked on a map in the service centre. A short distance away is the centre for glacier activity in Langjökull. 
Soon, an ice cave now under construction will open there. The artist Páll Guðmundsson lives and works on the premises. He has carved many faces on rocks in the gorge behind the farm and visitors are welcome to walk there and visit him and his gallery. In the hinterland is Arnarvatnsheiði, an area with abundant good fishing lakes and the remote Kaldidalur valley connecting Húsafell to Þingvellir National Park. 
Opening on the National Day 17th June, 2015
The centre of the hotel will be a two-storey building dug into the lava. There on the second floor will be a restaurant for 100 guests with a view over the area. On the ground floor will be facilities for the walkers and other involved with activities such as caving, angling and glacier tours. There will also be a room well suited for meetings and shows. The building will be connected to a square which opens to the swimming pool, the golf course and the service centre which will specialize in outdoor activities. On either side of the centre will be two buildings with 36 spacious rooms, including 6 suites, each with living room, grand bathroom, a shower, double sink and bath tub. There will also be good facilities for walkers, such as a place to dry clothes and shoes. The hot water, which is very healthy, is obtained from a hot spring in a beautiful gorge nearby. “Around twenty men will by working winter and summer to finish the building in time as we are determined to open the 17th of June 2015”, says Þórður Kristleifsson, who looks forwards to welcome guests from all over the world to this new and beautiful hotel on his family estate.
