Be very careful with verbal statements and pricing of Deluxe Iceland
Be very careful with verbal statements about additional costs
One important lesson from our experience with Deluxe Iceland is: do not rely on verbal assurances about pricing; ask for the terms in writing before paying.
When our adult son decided to join part of our already-booked trip, we were told that his additional cost would essentially be the additional accommodation. After two disappointing accommodation experiences during the tour, our son compared the amount charged with the publicly advertised rates for the hotel rooms used during his stay and calculated that the amount was approximately 77% higher than those public rates.
His calculation prompted us to look more closely at another addition to the trip. Our original itinerary included three nights at the Reykjavik EDITION. We later added a fourth night at the same hotel. Deluxe Iceland charged us ISK 325,000 for that extra hotel night alone. The Blue Lagoon Retreat Spa, guide and transportation that we added were charged separately. Only after our son drew our attention to the apparently very high accommodation charges did we check the public rate for that added night. The ISK 325,000 charge was more than twice the publicly advertised rate we found for the same room category.
Because these differences were so substantial, we asked Deluxe Iceland for an itemized explanation of the accommodation charges. The company refused to provide supplier rates or a breakdown, explaining that it sells a complete tailor-made service rather than itemized services.
That may be their business model, but prospective clients should understand the consequence: a verbal statement that an addition will cost “only the accommodation” may not mean anything close to the hotel’s publicly advertised room price.
My advice is simple: before paying for any addition, ask Deluxe Iceland to state in writing exactly what the additional charge includes and how much is being charged for the hotel accommodation itself. I would even suggest asking, before accepting the tour proposal, whether Deluxe Iceland will provide an itemization of the major components of the tour and, if not, deciding whether you are comfortable purchasing a package whose underlying accommodation and activity costs will not be disclosed.