The Kirkwall Hotel

It was a very happy week at the KIrkwall, an hotel in old Victorian premises with all the advantages and disadvantages that brings. My room overlooked the harbour. It wasn't the room, or the good food, which which made the difference. It was the staff. Sometimes in hotels, particularly top of the range 5 star, the relationship with reception, the maitre d'hotel or the chambermaid can be formal and cooI. Fiona the Reception Manager, Sheena, the restaurant manager even the chef were warm, thoughtful, appropriately attentive and spoke to us as though we were family. I noticed Orcadians (Orkney) people generally were warm, friendly and caring. Give yourself a real treat- visit the Orkneys

Stopped here for 2 nights on a 13 day around Scotland with a private guide. Got a very nice room with a pull out bed for my daughter and queen for myself. The view was of the harbor and fantastic. Bathroom is updated and *huge*. Some minor nit Shower could fit 8 people with 2 full sets of plumbing, but they put the shampoo, etc on the floor..... A tiny shelf would be nice. In the room they provide a big bottle of water, how about a couple of glasses??? We stayed 2 nights so it wasn't just an oversight. No USB, but we had our own converters. Elevator is from the 40's with dual manual doors, but it does work, VERY CENTRAL Location with supermarkets open till 10pm on weekdays 5 minutes away.

I went to the bar/restaurant with my girlfriend on a Saturday night in June. The restaurant was fairly busy, but we were given a table quickly despite not having a reservation. The waiting staff were friendly and efficient, but we had quite a few different staff members serve us through the evening which may help explain why some things were missed. My main was roasted balsamic glazed cauliflower steak with roasted potatoes, tendersteam broccoli & chilli jam. The cauliflower was tough with a wee bit of balsamic vinegar poured on it, and the rest tasted like boiled vegetables on a plate. For £15.95, it felt like I'd been ripped off. I still felt hungry after my main, but decided not to have desert as they were all £10+ and I didn't want to feel disappointed again by the food. My girlfriend overheard the specials being mentioned at another table and went for the langoustines main. We had not had the specials board brought to us, so were not aware of the prices. On looking back, we should have asked for it. She thoroughly enjoyed her plate of langoustines. But we got quite a shock when the bill arrived and the langoustines were over £43! I would not be likely to go back because of the prices and the poor vegetarian main, but we did enjoy the wine and the bar/restaurant environment.

Great position in Kirkwall Lovely staff Quirky wee hotel Dogs very welcome

Tiny room with no view apart from another wall.😭 Room was claustrophobic!! I much preferred staying in Youth Hostel on Island!

Beautiful historic hotel. Lovely hard wood flooring; big windows amazing washroom!

Breakfast could have been much better for the price.

You are right across of the harbor within easy walking distance of the pedestrian street. My room was very clean and tidy. No air conditioning. You needed to open the window for cooling, but I believe you can request for a fan. The breakfast was good; typical Scottish- everyone's favorite haggis and blood pudding. Plus, you have your usual eggs, bacon, sausages, etc. I did not like the elevator as it did not move after we pushed the button. I used the stairs. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The lounge on the second floor gave you a peaceful and grand view of the harbor.

The Kirkwall Hotel is in a lovely and accessible area right on the harbour and next to the main high street. The bedroom and bathroom were very clean and comfortable and the border biscuite and cafetiere are a nice touch. The overhead shower is luxurious as is the sea kelp shower soaps. The building has a nostalgic feel with historic pictures and information on the town.

The breakfast was a little lacking considering the price. There were very little gluten free options. However, the staff were kind enough to give us a discount for this reason, thank you, we appreciate it and will be back!

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.