Nothing could prepare me for just how magical it is to stay in a Panorama Glass Lodge in Iceland. I have had this accomodation on my travel bucket list for years and I finally snagged a booking.
The Panorama Glass Lodge is normally booked out months, heck even a year in advance. It has been featured on so many travel blogs, magazines, shows; to say it is iconic is an understatement.
What is it like to stay in a glass lodge, is it worth the hype, and the price tag? I’m going to tell you exactly what to expect when you book a stay at the Panorama Glass Lodge – tips for booking and everything I wish I had known before my stay.
Room Tour
Let’s first take a quick tour. I stayed in the Odin lodge, which is one of the newest lodges on the property.
Bedroom
The bed is completely surrounded by windows, giving you the perfect view.
Kitchenette
Impressed with how functional this kitchette is, all you need to do is add your own groceries.
Bathroom
Beautiful bathroom with everything that you need including a rainfall shower.
Dining
Intimate dining for two.
Hot tub
Don’t be a goober like me and forget your bathing suit! This hot tub would be incredible to watch the aurora from.
Net hammock
The Odin lodge has this neat net hammock that would be perfect for lounging in good weather.
Sauna
Two lodges share a sauna and there is a schedule on what times are dedicated to each lodge. They swap back and forth every hour.
Views
The views from the lodge are incredible.
Tips for Booking a Glass Lodge
Because these lodges are so popular there are basically two options to get a night here, plan really far in advance or wait for someone to cancel at the last minute. I was lucky enough to get a last minute reservation after a night opened up that aligned with my travel dates.
If you aren’t able to plan super far in advance, I recommend bookmarking this calendar page of the website which shows all four cabins and their availability. Refresh this page a couple times a day and if you see an opening, grab it! You should also be following Panorama Glass Lodge on Instagram. Turn on their story alerts because they frequently post when nights open up on their stories.
While this property is gorgeous no matter the time of year, the best time to book is when you will be able to take advantage of possibly seeing the Aurora Borealis. In my opinion, Alva and Odin have the best views because you can see the mountain and the river directly in front of the lodges.
I was very happy with just staying one night, but that ultimately meant I only had one night to see the aurora – which I was very lucky and did get to experience. If you do decide to stay more than one night, there is a discount for booking multiple nights.
Things I Wish I Knew
The nearest grocery store is about 25 minutes away and you will want to stop there on your way in. I made the mistake of skipping this step (there was a snow storm and I was just concentrating on getting to the lodge). There are a few basic provisions in the lodge but it’s really not enough for a proper meal.
Get the robe rental! When you book your stay there will be an option at checkout to add on a robe rental. I wish I had done this, it would have made going to the sauna and hot tub much easier.
On that note, don’t forget to bring your bathing suit. Need some other ideas of what to pack? Check out my Fall Iceland Trip Packing List.
There are blinds for the sides of the lodge if you want some extra privacy, but you don’t really need them because of how spread out the lodges are.
Pack an eye mask if you are sensitive to light or can’t sleep when the sun is up. Because the glass lodge is, well, glass you are going to be up with the sun, and an eye mask will help you sleep in a bit longer. This is super important if you are booking a stay in summer when the sun may not even set!
You might not actually get to sleep much! I barely slept when I stayed here and that’s because the aurora was so beautiful and when the sky wasn’t dancing, I was patiently checking my aurora app and staring at the sky waiting for it to start up again. And you don’t want to miss the aurora, make sure you set up the alarm that is included on the lodge’s digital tablet to wake you up if activity is happening.
The road to the lodges is gravel. This is something that you need to keep in mind for your rental vehicle or if there is snow. Check out this post all about renting a car in Iceland. The Panorama Glass Lodge does offer refunds if the road to the lodges is closed or if the weather is too dangerous to travel in.
Worth the Hype? Worth the Cost?
Yes! I loved my stay here. The lodge is beautiful, well designed, and a great escape in Iceland. The cherry on top of this stay was being able to see the aurora. I highly recommend you grab a night, or two, at the Panorama Glass Lodge.
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