Name: The Shore
Address: Shore Street, Kirkwall, KW15 1LG, Kirkwall, Kirkwall, Kirkwall, KW15 1LG, United Kingdom
Rating: 8

Smoke-free property

Heating

All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)

No elevators

Reception desk

General

Non-smoking rooms

Room service

Family room

Hairdryer

Shower/Bathtub

Shower

Bathrobe

Linens

Toiletries

Rooms

Accessibility features

Wheelchair Accessible

Accessibility

Laundry

Luggage storage

Services and amenities

Breakfast

Restaurant

Breakfast/lunch to go

Bottled water

Kettle

Meals

Free Wi-Fi

Internet

Fishing

Recreation

Beach/pool towels

Pool and beach

Fax and copy machine

Business

Darts

Cycling

Sports

Family/Kid Friendly

Kids

Pets Not Allowed

Pets

Personal protection equipment for staff

Extra decontamination measures

Personal protection equipment for guests

Contactless check-in and/or check-out

Individually packaged food

Additional measures against COVID-19

Health and Safety Measures

Location

At the hotel

Room amenities

Orkney Wireless Museum

Highland Park Distillery

Kirkwall Airport

Eday Airport

Stronsay Airport

Sanday

Westray Airport

Papa Westray Airport

North Ronaldsay Airport

Wick Airport

The Shore

Kirkwall

This has to be the worst ‘hotel’ I have ever stayed in and as a frequent traveller for work that’s quite a statement. Firstly, I booked a twin room and have been put into a ‘budget single’. The smell of stale cigarettes and body odour hit me the moment I entered the room. The window does not open so not only can I get some air I’m pretty screwed if there is a fire. The bedding feels damp and cold. Unfortunately the hotel is fully booked and looking online there are no rooms anywhere so it appears I’m stuck here. Don’t be fooled into thinking you are staying in the lovely Kirkwall hotel who ‘manages’ this abandoned building. Thankfully I’m only here for 1 night!

Smelly, dirty and just unsafe!

A "closed" hotel operated by the neighbours Kirkwall Hotel. Nice and 99% clean room. A strange location into an alley, but it worked. Good and friendly service in the reception, bar and restaurant. (Which again is the neighbour Hotel.)

Great staff


I had read some poor reviews from previous years but obviously improvements have been made. Public areas clean and freshly painted with new carpets.  Bedrooms clean and well equipped.  Good breakfast in the Kirkwall Hotel.

pleasant stay in good location

Whilst the Kirkwall hotel is lovely, make sure you don’t get side lined into  their annex, The Shore. I was on an expensive railway tour, my first holiday for several years. We arrived late in the evening, and several of the party got shunted off to this place. 
The worst hotel room I have ever stayed in. Damp, dirty with bars across the window, presumably to prevent one looking out onto a dismal alley! After complaining to the main hotel reception staff I did get transferred to a lovely room in the main hotel, many of my fellow travellers were not so fortunate.  I, for one, will not use the railway touring company again and pleased that there will be little chance of me visiting Kirkwall again !

Good to read recent reviews of this hotel.

This a centrally located and reasonable hotel.  Getting to the room at 23:30 was a challenge up and down stairs.  The room was clean and well appointed.

The restaurant was located about a block away in the Kirkwall hotel.  Here the food was good and breakfast was good and coffee hot.

It is central to town so that made up for the minor issues we found.

Late night check in - and a hike to the room - but all ok.

Location really good but the booking website did not explain that “the Shore hotel” had closed during COVID lockdown and property was being managed by nearby Kirkwall Hotel. No good food and lively bar as described!
Linen , towels (obviously came from large hotel next door) and room very comfortable ,  but corridors and stairs smelled damp and slightly “fursty”, no staff in building and concerningly our first floor room, rear facing overlooked an empty yard and blank wall. The windows did not lock, there were ladders lying in the yard which was open to the Main Street via an alley
Would have booked elsewhere had we known

Not as expected from booking website

It’s criminal this hotel is allowed to operate.  First the phone number published is not being answered.  If it wasn’t for a local we would not know this hotel was taken over by Kirkwall hotel and to contact Kirkwall hotel.  However it is abandoned and neglected.  No staff.  The room we are in is a dungeon.  Dark and damp.  Feels and looks like the place where victim of abduction is taken and kept into. This a major security concern. Paper thin walls and ceiling.  £160 a night is absurd.  Not worth £50.  Thankfully it was our last night in Orkney in this hotel. Otherwise it would have destroyed our 4 day holiday in Orkney.  This hotel is very poorly representing Orkney.  Save yourself and stay elsewhere.

Avoid this dungeons at all cost!

Shore Hotel building was previously a separate hotel and now part of Kirkwall Hotel which is situated a very short distance away.  On main front near harbour with easy access to centre of town. Staff were all pleasant. Shore definitely needs an upgrade. Rooms are clean but variable in quality. Room 1 was at lower level and right next to a fire exit that was not always secured. Lookout was onto untidy waste ground where bins and unused garden furniture lying around. Windows dirty. Damp and musty feel. Booming music from nearby disco until 1a.m. On the Saturday night. Definitely not worth the £150 p/n price paid.

Good location, pleasant staff but not worth price.

The Shore Hotel is actually part of the Kirkwall Hotel next door. There is no lounge, bar or dining room. If you have booked breakfast, you need to go along to the Kirkwall hotel.

The room we had was at the top of the hotel in what was a converted attic space  as the ceilings were combed and the windows were skylights.

An effort had been made to freshen the room, however the patched wallpaper and poor paint quality let it down. The door lock was faulty and on complaining the very helpful receptionist managed to get it to work on  a temp basic and arranged for a joiner to come out the following day.

The following day after ensuring the lock was secure we went off to tour Kirkwall. ON onu return many hours later we discolvered the door was insecure. The cleaner had been in and failed to secure it.

Off to reception and we were then given a room in the main Kirkwall hotel. it was like night and day when comparing the rooms. Twice the floor space  and about 2 stars above the level of the Shore.

Staff were great in assisting getting us into the other room, service in the dining room was also great.  Made the rest of our stay enjoyable.

Got better eventually

The Shore Hotel is an "interesting" place. It is an unstaffed hotel so you need to collect the keys and have breakfast in the Kirkwall hotel (I recommend Full Orkney). 
The hotel room itself was clean, with a very good selection of biscuits, teas and coffees, the bathroom is a good size, the bed was very comfy, and had good wifi.
What was strange is that I had a landline phone in my home that for some reason seems to have been a phone for the Kirkwall's reception as a full time I had guests staying in the other hotel ringing my room asking about wifi passwords and menus which was an experience I've never had before in a hotel.
The

The Shore

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