The Royal Hotel

Hotels
8.3 (118 reviews)
55-57 Victoria Street , Stromness , gb

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Facilities

Non-smoking rooms
Restaurant
Family rooms
Darts
Non-smoking throughout
Staff adhere to local safety protocols
Guest rooms disinfected between stays
Cleaning standards that are effective against Coronavirus
Hand sanitizer in guest room and key areas
Cashless payment available
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Friendly staff
Good breakfast
Cons:
Tired decor
High room rates

Categories

Cleanliness
8.03
Several reviews praised cleanliness but noted some decor looking tired.
Service
9
Multiple mentions of friendly and helpful staff.
Location
9.04
Convenient location close to local attractions.
Room Quality
7.49
Mixed comments about room quality; some rooms were hot and small.
Amenities
8.02
Breakfast options were well-received but some could be improved.
Value for Money
7.48
Concerns over high room rates relative to quality.
Food and Beverage
9.03
Breakfast received high praise with a variety of choices.
Overall Experience
8.3
Overall experience was positive despite some issues.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2025-12-09 03:04

Property Description

Central Location
The Royal Hotel, situated in Stromness, offers proximity to historic sites like Standing Stones of Stenness and Maeshowe, making it an ideal choice for travelers interested in exploring Orkney's rich heritage.

Comfortable Accommodation
Guests can enjoy a comfortable stay in non-smoking rooms equipped with modern amenities such as free WiFi, flat-screen TVs, and private bathrooms. The family rooms provide ample space for a relaxing retreat.

Entertainment and Recreation
Unwind at the hotel's restaurant and bar, or engage in a friendly game of darts. With attractions like Skara Brae nearby, there are plenty of opportunities for adventure and discovery during your stay at The Royal Hotel.

Book now for an unforgettable experience at The Royal Hotel in Stromness, where history and modern comfort meet seamlessly.

Important information:

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.
Guests are required to show a photo ID and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.

Check-in and check-out hours:

Location

Guest Reviews

8.3
Based on 118 reviews
Cleanliness: 8.03
Service: 9
Location: 9.04
Room Quality: 7.49
Amenities: 8.02
Value for Money: 7.48
Food and Beverage: 9.03
Overall Experience: 8.3
T
Tim • solo_traveller • gb
10
Brilliant
Pros:

It was a beautiful hotel. Super comfy room. Super friendly people. Super location. Best breakfast in a hotel ever. Real personal touch from the chef who not only cooked up a very tasty feast, he was also a fab impromtu local guide. Wish I'd stayed longer. V highly recomend. Thank you.

2026-02-12 • via Nuitee
P
Pat • couple • nz
9
All good except food not being available
Pros:

Room nice n clean and refreshed

Cons:

No meals available

2026-01-19 • via Nuitee
A
Alan • solo_traveller • gb
9
Very successful and ideal for my needs.
Pros:

Breakfast was excellent. Staff were very friendly and helpful.

2025-11-18 • via Nuitee
T
Teresa • couple • gb
10
2025-10-15 • via Nuitee
A
Andrew • solo_traveller • gb
8
2025-10-12 • via Nuitee
M
Michael • solo_traveller • gb
9
2025-09-28 • via Nuitee
J
Justine • couple • au
8
2025-09-19 • via Nuitee
G
Gill • couple • gb
10
2025-09-18 • via Nuitee
S
Sarah • extended_group • gb
8
Convenient, clean with friendly and helpful staff.
Pros:

I loved Stromness and the hotel location was perfect for accessing both ends of the high street and harbour. The hotel itself was clean and the staff friendly with a very good breakfast in the morning, including fresh kippers - cooked to perfection. I give this 4* out of 5* because of the value for money at this busy time of year.

Cons:

I think the hotel was great but some of the decor was looking a little tired, and our room was extremely hot (opened the window to sort that out). Appreciated everything else though.

2025-09-02 • via Nuitee
M
Maranda • family_with_children • au
9
Great spot to start a journey on Orkney.
Pros:

Location was awesome. Great historic hotel. The lady running the breakfast was a character and was hilarious. She really made it a lovely experience.

Cons:

Didn't enjoy hiking our luggage up to the third floor but not much we can do about that. Parking was challenging too.

2025-09-02 • via Nuitee
T
Taro • solo_traveller • jp
8
2025-09-02 • via Nuitee
R
Richard • couple • nl
3
Heel erg teleurstellend.
Pros:

Ontbijt was goed - en personeel bij het ontbijt heel vriendelijk

Cons:

Het hotel is vrijwel onbemand - we moesten bellen om contact op te nemen met het hotelmanagement. Onze slaapkamer lag direct boven de bar, dus slapen was niet mogelijk tot sluitingstijd. We werden voor onze tweede nacht naar een kleinere kamer verplaatst. De tweede kamer had geen warm water. Het duurste hotel waar we verbleven tijdens onze twee weken durende rondreis door Orkney en Shetland, en verreweg het slechtste.

2025-09-01 • via Nuitee
S
sharon nicole • solo_traveller • gb
10
Great value, Main Street location
Pros:

Great location, from the room I had I could see the water, fabulous breakfast! The staff could not have been nicer, genuinely friendly.

Cons:

Slightly noisy above the pub, and because it's quite warm I had my window open, so there was that.. Hardly anything really.

2025-08-31 • via Nuitee
M
Maria Carmen • couple • es
7
2025-08-17 • via Nuitee
S
Sarah • family_with_children • gb
9
2025-08-16 • via Nuitee
J
Jim • extended_group • gb
9
Lovely hotel above proper pub in quaint town
Pros:

Simple and unpretentious. Travelled as a group of 8 ages 15 thru 51. Rooms were clean and comfortable without any fuss, and the bar downstairs had a great atmosphere with friendly locals and good overall vibe. 2 min walk from bus station and ferry over to Hoy.
Staff were welcoming throughout. Breakfast was proper full Scottish (or kippers/porridge options) plus cereals/pastries/fruit etc.
Solid choice if you want honest, no-nonsense hospitality.

Cons:

We were staying at the sister hotel (Ferry Inn) following day after visiting Hoy and were able to leave bags in a room, but would have been good if they'd offered to transport them for us. (Ultimately that DID happen, but through the mgmt team at the Ferry).

2025-08-13 • via Nuitee
S
Sebastian • extended_group • de
8
2025-08-13 • via Nuitee
R
RUSSELL • couple • no
8
Probably the best of the few places to stay in Stromness.
Pros:

Room was a good size and comfortable enough, and the breakfast was good.

Cons:

For what it is the room rate was excessive, but there are few alternatives in Stromness. There was no such thing as “reception”, even though emails from the hotel suggested the contrary. The hotel did not open the doors until check-in time, and the owner was not service minded enough to allow access to leave our bags until then. Once checked in you didn’t see anyone from the hotel, only the bar staff who seemed to have no idea about the rooms and accomodation.

2025-08-12 • via Nuitee
P
Pyae • with friends • gb
9
A comfortable place in a quaint little alleyway
Pros:

Clean and modern bedroom. Excellent communication with reception in-person and over the phone.
Breakfast included was top-notch and cooked to order.

Cons:

Nothing really.

2025-07-31 • via Nuitee
S
Sylvia • solo traveller • gb
3
Not a good room to be rainy days in
Pros:

Breakfast nice. Brilliant live music in bar

Cons:

Room and bed were very small

2025-07-07 • via Nuitee