Woes Pile Up At Hótel Adam

The hotel that made headlines earlier this week has been operating in violation of labour law, amongst other abuses.

As reported, the hotel was advising its guests to not drink the tap water, but rather to buy bottled water. The hotel offered its own brand of bottled water, for which it charged 400ISK for two litres.

As was pointed out, Iceland actually ranks second in the world in the Environmental Performance Index, receiving a perfect score of 100 in terms of water quality itself. There is therefore no need to buy bottled water anywhere in Iceland, unless staying at a place without potable running water.

RÚV now reports that health officials who inspected the water found that it was indeed perfectly drinkable. However, the problems with Hótel Adam do not end there.

Police recently paid a visit and sealed off some 11 rooms because, while the hotel was renting out 20 rooms, it only had a permit to rent out nine. In addition, the sole fire exit in the establishment was blocked by a couch, which has since been moved by fire fighters.

On top of all this, Vísir reports that workers at the hotel are very likely being paid sub-minimum wage. Sadly, union officials who visited the establishment also found that at least one of the hotel’s employees is working off the books. This practice can result in daily fines of 100,000 ISK for the owner, but the employee may have to pay back taxes.

The owner of the hotel, who is currently abroad, has still not responded to repeated requests from the media for comment.