The Kirkwall Hotel

We had a great overnight stay in the Kirkwall Hotel. We stayed in 204 overlooking the harbour, which was a beautifully decorated room. The location was perfect for the ferry, which we had disembarked at 11pm following a rough crossing from Shetland. Despite the late hour, we got a warm welcome at reception and our room was all ready with an extra bed made up for our son. We were particularly delighted by the real coffee and cafetière in the room - a lovely and much appreciated touch! All the staff were friendly and welcoming. Unfortunately we had to depart quite quickly this morning for the ferry to Scrabster, but we had time for breakfast which wasn’t a huge selection but had everything we needed. We would definitely stay again if we needed accommodation in Kirkwall.

The hotel is perfectly located next to the harbour and close to the town centre but the hotel itself has no parking. There are parking bays close by but these are available generally for all road users so you might be unlucky. Not so good for someone who is disabled. It is fitted and furnished in a classic period style. This was attractive but meant that there were some limiting features for those with a physical disability. It has a period lift so the two doors have to be opened and closed manually. If someone has exited the lift without closing the doors, the up/down control button will not work. Sometimes the lift was not flush with the floor which meant there was a step to negotiate. No problem for me but difficult for my disabled wife. Breakfasts were the most disappointing feature - no fresh fruit. Not even a banana. Premier Inns provide fruit and a better selection of food so I would say that breakfast at a PI is much superior to this hotel. Our room was spacious and very comfortable and had beautiful views of the harbour. The bathroom was huge too but there wasn’t much space available for setting toiletries etc on. Although the shower tray was large, it was slippy despite a small mat being provided. Again, no where to set toiletries on so for someone who is disabled this was an issue. Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our stay but for the price charged it was not value for money, given the disappointing breakfasts. The staff were friendly, helpful and attentive and I would recommend this hotel to other travellers.

Good Location in front of the port, the restaurant food is good and there is a local pub next to the hotel. The rooms are spacious enough with the view on the port. The service is good and overall the hotel is clean and tidy. Perfect for a short stay in Kirkwall

Two night stay at The Kirkwall Hotel in September 2024. Lovely, comfortable room with sea view overlooking the harbour. Large, comfortable bed with amazing bedding. We slept so well! It looked like the bathroom had recently been refurbished and everything looked to be of very high quality. Great shower! Did not dine here in the evening but breakfast was very good. Partner can recommend having kipper here. Its self service but all of very good quality and checked regularly. Did not have too much interaction with the staff but the ones we did were very friendly and professional. I think the location and history of this hotel makes it so good. Its within easy walking distance of shops, bars, cafes and St Magnus Cathedral. Would like to mention the lift. It's great! Must be the original from when the hotel was built. Like stepping back in time. Thank you for a great stay.

We stayed at this hotel as part of a tour group for four nights. We arrived on the ferry from Aberdeen, which meant a very late check-in. We were allocated a small but nice room with a very comfortable bed overlooking the harbour. The compact shower room was very well appointed. There is also a nice lounge area on the third floor. One feature of interest was the very old style small lift to the upper floors, which required external and internal doors to be shut manually. If not left fully shut on exit, the lift would not be available for future use. Breakfast in the restaurant also provided plenty of choice including catering for dietary requirements. We did experience a housekeeping issue related to the standard of bed making, which was reported, but overall our stay was very good. We would stay again if needing accommodation in Kirkwall.

Not a bad hotel and their sea view suites are quite acceptable. Missing some basic services such as laundry and a very antique elevator which is terribly slow and difficult to operate. Reasonable restaurant which a decent breakfast order but of lower standing than other restaurants in Kirkwall such as the one in the Ayres Hotel very close and many others. The worst really is that it seems to be a hotel specializing in cheap big group tours with loud music in the evening going too late with which nobody can sleep.