The Shore

“Clean, modern and comfortable with friendly, helpful staff.”

I was travelling back from a week diving in Scapa Flow and had a night's stopover before flying the following day. After a week in a tiny cabin on a hard bunk on an old fishing boat (not complaining, though, the diving was excellent and the boat very stable even in quite rough conditons) it was a … more

I was travelling back from a week diving in Scapa Flow and had a night's stopover before flying the following day. After a week in a tiny cabin on a hard bunk on an old fishing boat (not complaining, though, the diving was excellent and the boat very stable even in quite rough conditons) it was a joy to have a lovely comfortable double bed to sleep in and a roomy shower room all to myself! I arrived about 10:30 at the Kirkwall Hotel (which runs The Shore now) and was told (as I expected) that my room wasn't yet ready, but I was told, by the very helpful lady on reception whose name I forget, but was on duty in the morning of 11th October, so thank you) it would be ready earlier than the 15:00 check in time I expected. I was directed to the hotel's lovely first floor lounge and sat there for a few hours, enjoying a cup of tea and updating my dive logs, warm and out of the drizzle. My room was actually ready about 12 and the helpful lady took me and showed me my room in The Shore. It was a single, but big enough for a couple. The view was of nothing but internal walls of the hotel, but the room itself was clean, modern and bright, far nicer than the rather drab exterior suggested (the photos here are pretty representative). I wandered around Kirkwall for a few hours, ate an excellent meal at an indian restaurant and then returned to enjoy an excellent night's sleep. As I'd booked through Booking.com I didn't get breakfast included, sadly, so after a shower I wondered into town again and had a large Breakfast Waffle (piled high with egg, bacon and beans) in The Daily Scoop ice cream shop, which was plenty to keep me going for the journey home. The Shore is a very comfortable place to stay in Kirkwall and the staff at the Kirkwall Hotel all very helpful and friendly - If I'm ever back I will certainly stay in one or the other. The only word of caution I would offer is that there seemed to be no lift at The Shore and the stairs were quite windy, making it hard to carry a large bag up and down - I managed, but I'm still reasonably fit and had been lugging twin dive cylinders around all week, some might find it hard work. Otherwise, a great place to stay while in Kirkwall.

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Be aware - this hotel has been purchased by the Kirkwall Hotel next door, and they are in the process of renovating the entire property. Right now, only the rooms have been renovated, and ours was clean, well-outfitted, spacious, and very comfortable. The location is perfect; just across from the… more

Be aware - this hotel has been purchased by the Kirkwall Hotel next door, and they are in the process of renovating the entire property. Right now, only the rooms have been renovated, and ours was clean, well-outfitted, spacious, and very comfortable. The location is perfect; just across from the harbor and with an easy walk to town and restaurants. The check-in (next door at the Kirkwall Hotel) was easy, and the staff there went above and beyond to provide information and assistance! Breakfast was provided in the Kirkwall Hotel, and their restaurant and bar are pleasant, although the breakfast food offerings weren't as broad as at other locations we stayed. Staff in key positions, like the front desk, were knowledgeable, professional, and helpful; however, other staff members almost seemed like they hadn't yet been fully directed on work expectations and their job responsibilities. The front door to the Shore (which we were provided a key to enter through) led through a maze of stuffy, dated, moldy smelling halls before arriving at the renovated areas. Doors to storage, the old bar, and restaurant, were all left open providing views of junky, dirty spaces. And most concerning, the front and back doors were left propped open for housekeeping throughout the day, and one day, after dinner we came back to the room, and the outer back door was still propped open. It was convenient for us, certainly, but was for us also a security concern. I think this property has tremendous future potential, and there are many wonderful staff members in place. If you can overlook a few issues, this could be a worthwhile stay for you until then. We could overlook most issues and enjoyed our visit although could not say it was worth the cost we were charged given all the issues presented above.

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“Overpriced for a budget room. Good location but not worth it for the price. Stayed in Room 16, awful view.”

The hotel is unmaned with no reception and is completely separate from the Kirkwall Hotel. As a female solo traveller I felt isolated from the main hotel and mentioned to staff that it was a bit creepy at night as there was hardly any other guests there. Upon check out I was told that if I had aske… more

The hotel is unmaned with no reception and is completely separate from the Kirkwall Hotel. As a female solo traveller I felt isolated from the main hotel and mentioned to staff that it was a bit creepy at night as there was hardly any other guests there. Upon check out I was told that if I had asked for an upgrade, they could have accommodated me in the Kirkwall for the same price. I could have cried as I really disliked The Shore. I got a terrible deal with booking.com, £564 for 5 nights and no breakfast. Staff advised trying the hotel website for better deals in the future. Staff were lovely and I got a bit of a discount on breakfast. I do wish however that when I mentioned feeling uncomfortable staying there that they had discussed options with me.

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