The Orkney Hotel

Checked in, and was hugely underwhelmed. Within a few minutes the fire alarm was going off - but apparently it was okay, because that floor had nobody staying there… It was freezing, dated, moldy and dirty. All for the princely sum of £160. The only redeeming features were the breakfast and the lady serving the breakfast.

Nice clean comfortable room but really needs some form of bedside light. The room was either lit up like Wembley or pitch black. Breakfast was delicious but very sparse, continental offerings were very limited and if not down first basically non existent. We had one meal in the Cask bar. Food good but really need to replenish the sauce sashes more regular. We asked for ketchup and vinegar as there was none on the container. Two sachets of ketchup appeared but to this day we’re still waiting for vinegar!! We got the impression a lot on this visit that staff didn’t really care. ( I exclude the room cleaning staff from this, they were excellent)

Had a week holidaying in Kirkwall and touring Orkney. Used The Cask Bar attached to the hotel as our local during our stay. Superb, friendly, knowledgeable and professional service from Josh and Sophie behind the bar made this our go to venue for the week . The bar boasts an incredible range of whiskies and gins as well as local ales. A great atmosphere and we met lots of friendly locals and hotel guests with plenty of chat and laughs.

Comfortable hotel with pleasant period furnishings. However, the restaurant and manager seemed overwhelmed. Restaurant staff on first day were running about in different directions. Losing and mixing up orders. Our breakfast order took 40 minutes before it was admitted that the order was lost. 2 of us did not get their breakfast as our tour was leaving. I received half of my breakfast which I could not finish as our tour was leaving. The manager of the day tried graciously to make up for the situation with a room upgrade. Which I refused as I was leaving early the next morning.

Very nice hotel. It was comfortable, very quaint & lovely service. Myself, my daughter & my granddaughter spent 2 nights there on a Rabbie's Tour Scotland. We had breakfast, dinner & drinks in the restaurant. The meals & service were excellent.

Experience a 17th Century hotel where fresh local produce meets friendly Orcadian hospitality, says the advert...or so you may think. Being kicked out...literally...after the 2nd of a 5 night stay was great. No reason was given, just the Basil Fawlty wannabee barman gleefully informing me, quite loudly and to all other guests, that "tonight was my last night, you're going tomorrow". No reason was given, and despite my requests none were ever forthcoming. It added to the terrible 'atmosphere' of this dump. I have honestly used public conveniences with more charm. The dated and smelly rooms are without any redeeming features at all. The barman/manager is utterly convinced of his charm and ability, whilst displaying neither. I had to leave before breakfast, so asked for a takeaway bag. It had a frozen muffin, an apple and a snack bar. Properly bad. You may ask why I was staying here if I am so negative, well I had no choice. I was working and had to go where I was booked in to. I left and went to stay at a pub in St Margaret's Hope...and the difference could not have been starker. Clean, non-aromatic rooms with mattresses not looking as if they had been used in a cull. Pleasant staff and great food, in fact everything the Orkney hotel is missing. I have now declined (as have all my colleagues) to stay at the Orkney hotel again...at least whilst there are still bus shelters in Orkney... An oft used quote about a poor experience, service or hotel is that 'It was so bad it was good' In this instance, it was so bad it was terrible. Avoid at all costs.