The Kirkwall Hotel

We only came in for dinner. It was very busy. Difficult to say how many were residents but if you are not staying here I suggest you would need to book ahead. Had a very nice dinner with a wine (good choice of wines). Restaurant prices. Couldn't eat here every night.

Lovely comfortable room, great food, friendly staff. Nice location overlooking the harbour and handy for the bus terminal. I would definitely stay here again.

The hotel is traditional and has a classic beauty but is tired and needs updating. It’s probably the best hotel around, and all the tour companies use it….it appeared very busy with tours. That’s good and glad they have the business. I booked 2 single rooms for 6 nights ( travelling with a friend), and when we arrived we were taken over the road next door to their ‘annex’ hotel. The Shore. It is foul, awful, terrible and smells of damp. I had no idea that this hotel even existed. No one had told me and it was so disappointing that I made up my mind we weren’t going to stay there. It want what I thought I had booked and I hadn’t been told. Lovely Fiona, on reception, totally understood and managed to get us into rooms in the main hotel for 5 out of our 6 nights. Our 1 night in the Shore was awful. However, the other 5 nights in the actual Kirkwall Hotel was lovely. The staff are amazing….and friendly….Fiona, Heidi, David, Cameron, Alan, Stuart, Silviu……all wonderful. They must dread guested having to stay in the Shore. Tour operators obviously know to routine. So…..if you book a room at the Kirkwall hotel, check, check and check again that you are not being put in the Shore. Breakfasts are good and dinners are nice. The bar was lovely. Would go back there…..but not to the Shore.

This is a hotel that has been updated with expensive throw pillows and nice tile in the bathrooms . The decorating is lovely but the attention to small details is missing for instance, the blind in our bedroom was lopsided. There was a coffee stain on the stool in the room and there were other areas of painting that were neglected. I’ve attached some photos to this review whilst the dinner was excellent, the breakfast was very poor. I would highly recommend skipping breakfast and getting it somewhere else. The yogurts provided were cheap supermarket variety with sweet fruit thickend yoghurt and watery zero fat plain in little tubs. The fruit salad was mostly chopped apple. They were also out of eggs even though we arrives at 8.45am. When I asked about eggs, the waiter said they take care of it, but nobody ever alerted me so I never had any eggs. The cereals are nothing special. I asked for hot milk to accompany my coffee and was brought a tiny weenie jug of warm semi fat milk. Personally, I prefer whole milk and there was none available, yet they make a big deal of having fresh milk from a special dairy. I don’t think I would stay here again. It seems overpriced quite frankly for what you get and there are lots of items that are worn.

Amazing hotel right in the heart of Kirkwall on Orkney Island. This heritage Hotel has been upgraded in beautiful Scottish decor. So many details to list. Food was excellent. Staff so friendly. Their is a nice bar near lobby, a locals bar (great prices) and a large sitting area on first floor. Most rooms overlook the harbour. Beds are so comfy. Freshly ground coffee, teas and oat cakes. I highly recommend. We look forward to our next visit.

Lovely hotel great location but every single member of staff are beyond friendly and helpful could not ask for more, would definitely come back because of the brilliant and lovely employees in every area. Shout out to Adam in the restaurant but everyone went above and beyond to make this a special stay.