The Stromness Hotel

We arrived during folk festival so village had a nice vibe. A Scottish highland band, with pipers, was playing outside hotel so we received a rousing welcome !! Really quaint fishing village and friendly people wherever we went. Overall the hotel was very good. We had 2 great meals on site and breakfast was really good too. Young staff who were friendly and hard working.

Did not stay here but was here for breakfast, which I can honestly say was one of the best I have ever had, The service was friendly and excellent, attentive but not in your face, very knowledgeable, and as my wife only drinks decaf tea, they tried their best to acquire it but couldn't at short notice and was very apologetic for that. The food itself was excellent and there was something for everyone as we were a large group with different tastes and requirements I really can't rate it high enough and look forward to returning for dinner to try more of their menu. The price too was very good. Well done keep up the first class standard.

Vesper is by far the best part of the hotel. She was so so kind and very helpful every time we saw her and she seemed to be here from dawn to dusk. The other staff are kind as well. The hotel itself doesn't seem to be well taken care of, but i think that's a management issue rather than the staff.

I had a 2 night stay at The Stromness Hotel and was seriously charmed by the place. I think you have to have a certain mindset to appreciate it - it's obviously very old, has undergone work and will doubtless need to be poked and prodded into behaving for years to come. Location was excellent, very short walk to the bus and ferry travel centre. Mattress and bed were very comfortable. Previous reviews mentioned smells but there were none that I noticed on the top floor (or while ascending the many stairs to get there). You will need to be stair friendly but I did overhear an older couple who got moved to a lower floor upon request. Cooked breakfast was just fine, I snagged the best seat in the house by the big harbour window both mornings which was a treat. I had dinner there one night as well (restaurant was closed the other, I suspect chef availability can be an issue) and I was pleasantly surprised by a very hefty sized salmon, hearty veg and a tasty sticky pudding for dessert. Staff were all incredibly friendly and charmingly "ah yes i'll add it to the list" accepting upon my reporting of the door lock to my room having issues. Will the shower be freezing cold or scalding hot without warning? Yes, but the water pressure is excellent, so do a dance out of the way until it returns to the right temperature. I wish the owners the best of luck in continuing to cajole the place into some kind of modernity, and if you're an easy going sort of person who can enjoy some quirks, I think you'd be tickled by the place like I was. If I was a local I'd certainly pop by for dinner whenever I could. But alas back to the other side of the globe I am returning.

A really lovely place. First of all, the rooms we stayed in were super clean and the housekeeping staff (I think their names were Rosemary and Shannon) were very friendly and knowledgeable on things to do around the islands. Christine and her team are amazing- everyone here goes out of their way to make sure you are happy and comfortable. I loved the vibe of the entire place and will definitely be back! The breakfast was buffet style and had a good choice of yummy foods. I’d say the only slight downside of our entire stay was that lunch was not catered for- which was inconvenient but did not impact us too much. Thank you Christine and team for such a lovely experience in Stromness :)

The hotel is lovely! Some of the original signs are posted and it was a nice touch. There were printed signs, making sure the viewer knew that the original signs were not valid for the current owners probably because enough stupid people complained when they couldn’t get a drink at a clearly stated temperance hotel. I loved all of the old wooden features that were maintained in the hotel. I’m glad it wasn’t modernized. I had a lovely room overlooking the harbor. In spite of being located right at a busy intersection in the harbor, it was a very quiet night. The bed was so comfortable and everything was spotlessly clean! Breakfast was fabulous, although a little confusing. At first, I didn’t see the buffet set up at the far side of the room. I asked the waiter if I should place an order at the bar or sit down. He told me to sit down which I didn’t do until I explored the buffet and picked up some food thinking that was all I was going to get. Then he came over to take my order. Breakfast was delicious! It was a wonderful stay, and I highly recommend the Stromness hotel!

Very accomodating staff for our late arrival. Spacious room with great view. Clean and hot shower Charming old world hotel. Breakfast was good Geoff and Millie Australia

This is a fine old hotel, it is right in the middle of town. It is on the waterfront and the main dock is just in front. The rooms are a nice size and there is some nice views of the waterfront. Reception is on the second floor, but they have an elevator you can use. They have free parking at the rear of the hotel, it can be a bit hard to find so ask at reception. From the parking area there is a rear entrance right into the hotel. The hotel restaurant was shut down when I was there. But there is a good little café right across the street, but it’s not open on Sundays. On Sundays, there’s a small food takeout place just a block away on the water. The Ferry Inn a block away has a great pub restaurant, it can get busy so book online for a dinner reservation. Most places are closed on Sundays, even the one gas station in town. There is a small supermarket at the start of the town where you can get most of your needs.