Cozy Haven travel guide
Everything guests need for a comfortable stay at Skálavík, including access, geothermal heat, hot water, the induction stove, parking, quiet hours, and checkout.
Welcome to Skálavík, our little home by the sea. Icelandic homes work a little differently from homes in many other parts of the world, so we’ve put together a few helpful notes to make your stay comfortable and easy.
If something doesn’t seem right, please let us know right away. Most issues are much easier to solve when we know about them, and we want the opportunity to make things right while you still have the opportunity to enjoy them.
Please use the ground-level entrance beneath the exterior stairs. The smart lock is built into the handle of this door.
Your personal access code is provided in your check-in message and activates at your confirmed check-in time. It will not work before then unless an early check-in has been confirmed.
To unlock the door:
Please do not force the handle while the lock is operating.
The upstairs deck entrance is not the guest check-in entrance.
If your code does not work after your confirmed check-in time, send us a message through your booking platform and we’ll help.
The Wi-Fi network name and password are included with your arrival information. If you have trouble connecting, please message us. We’re happy to help rather than have you spend your vacation troubleshooting.
The Raven House uses geothermal underfloor heating. The system warms the floors and the house gradually rather than blowing hot air.
Please make only small adjustments. It can take 12–24 hours for a temperature change to be fully noticeable, so repeated adjustments will not make the house respond faster.
Watch the short heating adjustment video before changing the controls.
If the temperature is very uncomfortable, please let us know. The temperature spring in the heating system may need to be adjusted, and we can arrange help.
Iceland's hot water is naturally heated underground by geothermal energy. Because of its mineral and sulfur content, you may notice a distinctive sulfur or “rotten egg” smell, particularly when you first turn on the hot water.
This is normal in Iceland and does not mean there is anything wrong with the plumbing.
Be careful with the hot water. Geothermal water can become extremely hot. Start showers and faucets at a moderate temperature and adjust gradually, especially with children.
For drinking and cooking, use the cold tap and let it run cold before filling your glass, bottle, kettle, or cooking pot.
Icelandic homes often rely on windows for bathroom ventilation.
After showering, please crack the bathroom window for approximately 30 minutes to allow moisture to escape and help prevent condensation.
Afterward, please close it securely, particularly in windy weather.
The kitchen has an induction cooktop, which works differently from a traditional electric stove.
Induction heats the cookware itself rather than the surface underneath it, so it heats very quickly.
Place an induction-compatible pan on the cooking zone before selecting the heat level. If the cooktop does not detect compatible cookware, it may appear as though the burner isn’t working.
Start at a lower setting than you might normally use. Induction responds almost immediately and can boil water or overheat an empty pan surprisingly quickly.
Please do not place utensils, foil, or other metal objects on the cooktop while it is operating.
We love being surrounded by nature, but we prefer that nature stays outside.
Please do not leave first-floor windows open unattended, particularly overnight or when you leave the house. An open ground-floor window can become an invitation for curious neighborhood animals to come inside.
Windows may be opened while you're home. Just remember to close and secure them when you are finished.
There is space for two vehicles in the driveway at the front of the house.
Please keep vehicles in the designated parking area and avoid blocking neighboring properties or access.
The Raven House is in a peaceful residential seaside community.
Quiet hours are 10:00 PM–8:00 AM.
Please keep outdoor conversations, music, and other noise low during these hours so our neighbors can enjoy the same peaceful environment.
Please place household trash in the outdoor trash bin.
Please do not put glass bottles, plastic bottles, or aluminum cans in the outdoor recycling bins. Leave them on the kitchen countertop. Our cleaners will take care of them.
For police, fire, ambulance, or another emergency in Iceland, call 112.
If something isn't working, the temperature is uncomfortable, you aren't sure how to operate something, or you notice anything that needs attention, please message us right away through your booking platform.
Please don't wait until checkout or your review to tell us about a problem.
We genuinely want the opportunity to help. Many things can be resolved quickly, and if something requires maintenance, we would much rather know about it while you're here so we can make your stay more comfortable.
Before checkout, we appreciate it if you:
We hope you enjoy your time at The Raven House and this beautiful little corner of Iceland.
Warmly,
Gudrun
Cozy Haven Stays