The Shore

Hotels
7.9 (346 reviews)
Shore Street , Kirkwall , gb

Children allowed
Pets allowed

Facilities

Non-smoking rooms
Family rooms
Pets allowed
Luggage storage
Facilities for disabled guests
Non-smoking throughout
Wheelchair accessible
Emergency cord in bathroom
Staff adhere to local safety protocols
Guest rooms disinfected between stays
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Clean and fresh rooms
Friendly and helpful staff
Great location
Cons:
Noise from adjacent rooms
Views were limited or unpleasant
High cost for what was offered

Categories

Cleanliness
7.63
Room was very clean and looked fresh and new, but some noise from upstairs and the view was limited.
Service
8.6
Staff were extremely friendly and helpful, allowing early access to lounge and handling luggage.
Location
8.64
Great central location near town and local amenities.
Room Quality
7.59
Room well appointed but some issues with noise and views; some rooms in a less inviting area.
Amenities
7.92
Decent amenities with good breakfast options available at a nearby hotel.
Value for Money
7.08
Room pricing seemed high relative to quality of experience, especially regarding noise and view issues.
Food and Beverage
7.63
Breakfast not included unless booked directly; some positive mentions of coffee.
Overall Experience
8.1
Overall enjoyable stay despite some minor issues.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-08 17:45

Property Description

Charming Hotel in Kirkwall with Family Rooms

Convenient Amenities: The Shore offers comfortable family rooms with flat-screen TVs, seating areas, and private bathrooms equipped with free toiletries and a hairdryer.

Modern Convenience: Enjoy free WiFi throughout the property, ensuring you stay connected during your visit to Kirkwall.

Ideal Location: Located just 1.9 km from Highland Park Distillery and 4 km from Kirkwall Airport, The Shore provides easy access to key attractions and transportation hubs.

Book your stay at The Shore now for a relaxing and convenient experience in Kirkwall!

Important information:

When booking more than 5 rooms, different policies and additional supplements may apply. For more information, please contact the property directly.Please inform of your expected arrival time in advance. You can use the Special Requests box when booking, or contact the property directly using the contact details in your confirmation.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM
Airport code: KOI

Property Policies

  • Pets

    Pets are allowed on request. Charges may be applicable.

  • Internet

    WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.

  • Parking

    No parking available.

  • Children and extra bed policy

    Children of any age are allowed.
    Children up to and including 2 years old stay for free when using an existing bed.
    You haven't added any cots.
    You haven't added any extra beds.

Location

Guest Reviews

7.9
Based on 346 reviews
Cleanliness: 7.63
Service: 8.6
Location: 8.64
Room Quality: 7.59
Amenities: 7.92
Value for Money: 7.08
Food and Beverage: 7.63
Overall Experience: 8.1
F
Fenja solo_traveller de
5
Okay für eine Nacht.
Pros:

Die Lage!

Cons:

Das zweite Zimmer war nur durch unser Zimmer begehbar. Sehr dunkel und alt eingerichtet. Enger Treppenaufgang, kein Aufzug.

2026-06-12 via Nuitee
J
John couple gb
4
Well best booked a caravan
Pros:

Shocking room show older than the place’ cold hot eletric, Rad nightmare doesn’t work like shower doesn’t.
drain & cheeky say cant check into 1500 cause completing preventive maintenance. Dream folk dusting covers

Cons:

Above

2026-05-30 via Nuitee
G
Graham couple gb
5
Disappointing accommodation
Pros:

Excellent location
Staff in Kirkwall hotel very friendly and restaurant quite good

Cons:

Unprepossessing entrance , grubby difficult stairs to first floor.
Very uncomfortable mattress

2026-05-29 via Nuitee
P
Peter couple gb
7
Convenient hotel with rather small adequate rooms bit no special factor.
Pros:

Good location, quiet, good wifi, good shower

Cons:

Room was rather small, 2nd floor but no lift. A small fridge would have been welcome.

2026-05-28 via Nuitee
D
David couple us
8
Pros:

Conveniently located with parking nearby.

Cons:

No lift.

2026-05-27 via Nuitee
K
Karen solo_traveller gb
8
Small but good quality single room, good location.
Pros:

Handy central harbour location and good to be able to get a single room considering how high hotel prices are. Good facilities eg ironing board, great to have real coffee and cafetière in room. Good shower.

Cons:

The entry hall to the Shore feels neglected and there’s no signage to door leading to rooms. Also bad stains on landing carpets.

2026-05-27 via Nuitee
G
Graeme solo_traveller gb
10
Really nice
Pros:

Lovely place to stay

Cons:

N/a

2026-05-24 via Nuitee
T
Thomas couple us
9
2026-05-19 via Nuitee
R
RANDY extended_group ca
8
2026-05-14 via Nuitee
M
Magnus extended_group se
6
Bra frukost och bra läge
Pros:

Frukosten var bra

Cons:

Det luktade mögel i delar av huset

2026-05-11 via Nuitee
K
Kir Moar solo_traveller nz
7
Pros:

Great location

Cons:

No facilities eg restaurant on-site. Short walk to sister hotel.

2026-05-09 via Nuitee
C
charles solo_traveller us
8
Delightful Orkney town made accessible by the hotel and facilities.
Pros:

A very convenient location near the ferry terminal (about 1.5 miles) and not too far from the airport. For arriving on the ferry at a late hour, the public bus transport to the hotel was great.
The bedding is high quality something I really appreciated as so many hotels are not.

Cons:

The room is very small, and they need more shelf space for things like the teapot and other. The sink tended to clog.

2026-05-03 via Nuitee
C
charles solo_traveller us
8
Great
Pros:

Friendly

Cons:

Bathroom needs hooks, anti skid in shower

2026-04-26 via Nuitee
S
Susan solo_traveller gb
9
Very comfortable 2 night stay in Kirkwall
Pros:

Thought I was getting a single bed for my 2 night accommodation, got a double bed - yay! Room was very clean and comfortable. All items that I needed were provided, there was even an iron and ironing board available. The Shore is in a great location for ease of access to the town centre.

Cons:

The room had 2 windows, but I closed the blinds down to avoid the view of the bins - not really a dislike as it was easily solved and during daylight hours I was out and about in town!

2026-04-21 via Nuitee
I
i solo_traveller au
4
Cons:

The shore is now part of the kirkwall hotel and so seems to have been forgotten about. Its a bit odd - I was bombarded with emails from them promising an "Extraordinary stay" and fantastic service yet they didnt seem to want to know me when I checked in - presumably as I was staying at the shore hotel. Reception staff (at the Kirkwall hotel) were mixed - some were quite unhelpful & bordering on rude while others particularly later in my stay were much more pleasant. There were also quite a few maintenance issues with the room. The bathroom tapped dripped & the toilet roll holder was broken. From my perspective the whole arrangement of running the shore hotel from the kirkwall hotel doesn't seem to be working out well for guests.

2026-04-11 via Nuitee
D
Dorotea solo_traveller hr
6
2026-04-09 via Nuitee
C
caroline solo_traveller gb
7
2026-04-08 via Nuitee
M
mitsui83 solo_traveller it
10
Very good hotel
Pros:

The position, the room is very clean, staff ready and gentle. If you will go on Orkney, it's nice to go here.

Cons:

Never. There is only a family on the room above my room so noisy, but it's not an hotel problem.

So, for the hotel, everything was nice.

2026-04-08 via Nuitee
S
Steve solo_traveller gb
10
Very good.
Pros:

Location, warm, clean and comfortable.

Cons:

No view from room.

2026-03-26 via Nuitee
D
David solo_traveller gb
3
Felt like my bed was in a commercial laundry.
Pros:

Locality to Kirkwall town although I arrived late at night.

Cons:

Room was above a laundry. Dryers running at 5.30. Very noisy. Window blinds don’t fit in windows very well. Bathroom extractor fan incredibly noisy.

2026-03-20 via Nuitee