Ayre Hotel & Ayre Apartments

Staff & Islay most helpful :)

walking across from room to hotel for meals

I loved staying at this property. It was in a great location to walk and right across from the Harbour. The Reception staff were what made it. So lovely and helpful. All the staff were great and made the stay so good

Nothing

Location was perfect

Price far to expensive then on arrival i was informed breakfast was extra!!!

Belle grande chambre, grand lit confortable, propre. Bon restaurant. Places de parking à l'avant et à l'arrière de l'hôtel.

Léger cafouillage avec le bar, car lorsque vous souhaitez boire un verre à 18h30, il n'y a personne pour vous servir, on vous envoie au 2ème bar (!) accessible par le restaurant déjà plus que bondé. Rien compris, Le prix de la nuit me semble quand même exorbitant.

Spacious, quiet and comfortable apartment in the heart of Kirkwall. The lift, ample parking, recliner armchairs, delicious dinner and view over the lake were much appreciated.

Provide a Nespresso machine or cafetière for making coffee

The location was OK.

The bed! My bed was like trying to climb a 45 degree mountain. I complained to the staff twice and finally on the 3rd occasion l spoke to a different staff member and they came and fixed the bed. The base had collapsed.

The breakfast was very good coffee was great The bed was very nice clean and comfy

Good location, easy free parking at the hotel. Nice view of harbor from our room. Has an elevator...though on the top floor, there were 2 small sets of steps to negotiate with luggage, to reach our room. Staff was friendly and helpful, but hotel seemed short-staffed. Front desk was periodically without personnel, and everyone seemed to be doing 2-3 jobs at once.

The bathroom! Extremely small, and shower was over a high-sided tub, difficult and hazardous to get in and out of (no grab bars). Water pressure in the shower was not good.

Beliggenhed

The hotel is well located in Kirkwall port.

The receptionist was very unfriendly and quite rude. She made the entire stay uncomfortable.

We could not stay for the first night due to a cancelled flight, but on request, the hotel kept our booking for the next night and included free breakfast. Hotel is nice with a great view of the sea, with markets in walking distance. Very easy to get to and from Airport - bus stop is just 2 mts. away.

Had obviously been given a facelift. Some ongoing outside, but inside the hotel was lovely.

Nothing

Fin beliggenhet.

Personalet virket stresset.

Convenient and well run

N/A

Central location, close to everything. Outside of hotel looks shabby and unkept, dont let this put you off. Clean and tidy inside. Rooms good size and clean. Bar lovely with large variety. Parking at hotel. Staff friendly and helpful. would definitely recommend

Shabby appearance outside. could do with a paint

Clean and comfortable very friendly staff

NICE SPACE WITH ADDED LIVINGROOM/KITCHEN

Really enjoyed the restaurant meal.

Very nice room in convenient location. My only suggestion is the bed has springs which can be felt - an overlay is really required.

Most guests seem to be on a tour - but for the other independent travellers it would be great if hotel staff helped with sightseeing info. We discovered that for 2pounds there is a council bus which takes you right around the island. We only discovered this by chance, and bus stop is 50 mtr from hotel.

Great location for visiting the area. Restaurants & pubs within walking distance.

Room was a bit small - we were packed for a month's vacation. Should have stayed 1-2 more days.

Location

Nothing

Well-located. Friendly welcoming staff. Rooms were clean and tidy. Buffet breakfast was OK.

The hot breakfast items didn't look at all appetizing (the previous hotel was similar) but there were plenty of other alternatives for breakfast.

The apartment was lovely spacious and easy to get to the town and shops..very comfortable

Told at the reception was not able to stay as booking I did was ment to be on a floor with out lift..I was about to have booking cancelled..thankfully a manager put me in an apartment ..

Nearly everything

The wall frame holding up the shower seat requires replacing. Self service breakfast tongs for the hot food were too hot too hold had to use a tissue to hold them as there were sitting with the hot food in the metal container.

The room was comfortable.

Location close to centre of Kirkwall. Evening meal good.

Small double bed. Limited breakfast buffet- little or no fresh fruit. Noisy at night as next to a hostel where the residents smoke outside at all hours

Niente

Servizi assolutamente insufficienti e letti molto scomodi

Very clean warm and the bed was amazing so comfortable and the pillows had plenty of bounce in them room warm maybe a bit crammed but it was a family room with a double and single bed in it so can’t be helped

Welcoming staff no creaking floors in corridors

Location, cleanliness and amenities

Nothing

Perfect location for access to town centre, and staff were all excellent

There was some refurbishing taking place, causing some noise, however this was confined to daytime

Adequate

Limited selection for veggies

Great location close to the town centre, food was really good for breakfast and the evening meal.

The service at dinner was quite disorganised with different people serving instead of one server looking after certain tables, we asked 4 different people for the bill on both nights, others who had just sat down were served before those who had been waiting for 20 minutes.

It’s location was good as we arrived late from the ferry from Shetlands

All the doors in the apartment kept on closing on us

Stayed in apartment, excellent condition, great facilities, and clean. Breakfast good, dinner excellent, loved the renovations done since last stay. Great improvements.

Nothing to not like, slight improvement in apartment would be to put some hooks in the hallway for jackets.

Thanks generally for the good service - we arrived late by Ferry - all works properly. We are completely satisfied - thank you so much Catrin and Frank from Germany.

Very friendly staff - good breakfast - clean rooms and generally good support - the weather was rainy this need to be improved next time 🙄

Central location in Kirkwall nothing not to like

Nothing not to like

We love this hotel. Nothing is too much bother for the cheery, polite staff. The whole hotel is spotless and up to date. Food is delicious. We stayed for 4 nights as part of a Glenton bus tour. This hotel is rated 3 star but we would give it 5 stars all the way!

Lovely hotel clean rooms and comfy beds. Had half board. Breakfast was ok evening meals where chaotic even with a pre order they don't have any staff and outside residents they where run off Their feet and gaps in service staff are lovely. Loved the bar cheap beer for. Hotel sad to leave could have stayed a week

Super spacious apartment in a great location within walking distance to the center with its restaurants, bars, shops and sights. Very appreciative of the elevator. Have to say the body wash was rather luxurious.

Bathroom was a little dated. In particular, needed to flush the toilets multiple times to get the job done.

location, comfortable room

shower

this was our second visit so we knew what expect ,the staff were very helpful and pleasant ,dinning very good,rooms very comfortable all in all great stay

all good, even parking no trouble

We booked a one-bed flat which had a good sized living room with four comfy chairs, plus a small table and kitchen chairs, and a small kitchen with fridge which was good for storing beer, coffee and cheese. We didn't cook. The shower in the bathroom is spacious, not over a bath, although the bathroom itself is a bit mean - the toilet and handbasin are the wrong way round. The shower is a fixed overhead one, so difficult to keep hair dry as no shower caps provided. (Smacked of a man making a poor decision about shower heads). Also, considering the flat is accessible, there are no hand holds in the shower. The bedroom is a decent size - same as a hotel room, with good side lights for reading in bed. The shutter over the window is white, so in the summer the room is brightly lit nearly all night. I had an eye mask in my bag which is essential here. Staff are all very helpful and pleasant. The flat and hotel were clean and tidy and quiet except the front door of the flats slammed shut so if you were near that it would be a problem. The dinner we had was fine, very decent food but nothing special. Same as breakfast. Location excellent, especially if you get a sea view. We paid a premium price as everything was fully booked, and everything on the islands is more expensive than mainland, as expected. Luckily the weather was great and there was lots to see and do. If it wasn't so expensive I would have given 4 stars.

Staff so friendly. Room lovely with a smashing sea view.

Booking.com charged me over £1739 for a weeks stay, bed only. No breakfast. This was £300 more than if I had booked direct with Ayre Hotel. I thought Booking.com was supposed to be good value but it appears not.

A nice hotel and conveniently location nearby many of the historical sites. It's also in town which makes it nice to stroll and enjoy the area and the port. But, it's not a great walk in the rain (LOL). There's a bar and restaurant. The staff were great and we were able to enjoy a pre-dinner drink and had a very nice meal. The only issue we had was the room was a bit warm, there's not AC, so opening the window was the only alternative. But this invites flies and gnats to enter the room which we decided was worse than the warmth.

The bath and shower were decent. The food in the restaurant at night was good. Location is handy. Beds were comfy.

Rooms were quite hot. Slight sewage smell at reception. Service at breakfast and at the bar was slow. Would have like a selection of cocktails at the bar. Paying for breakfast was a bit of a hassle. WiFi not great. I don’t think it was great value for money.

The property had a bar and restaurant with nice staff and great service.

Room was a bit warm and opening the window was an invitation for flies and gnats.

Quiet

I went down at 7.30 I hoped to avoid the crowds Breakfast not good. Such a squash never found any fruit and the queue for toast I gave up.

Vi hadde leiligheter og handlet inn til frokost selv. Helt greit utstyrt kjøkken. Middagen vi prøvde var veldig god. Veldig sentralt hotell. Kort vei til bussterminalen og kort vei til butikker og opp til hovedgaten i Kirkwall. Det var veldig greit å komme seg rundt med buss, til en billig penge. 2 pund for de fleste strekker. Også en sightseeingrunde på over 3 timer for samme pris. Da var det litt lengre stopp i Stromness og Ring of Brodgar.

Siden leiligheten har plass til fire personer, kunne det kanskje vært 4 stoler rundt kjøkkenbordet. Men vi klarte oss.

Situation on the sea front. 5 min walk to the Travel Centre (bus station) and much the same to the ferries. Good breakfast. Very helpful and friendly staff.

Nothing really

Location fantastic, sea view great and not too noisy. Staff, especially those who serviced the bedroom were wonderful and helpful. Access to room was easy with lift so great for those that have mobility issues.

Price of drink, small bottle Peroni £4.50 Didn't use restaurant as vegetarian option really limited and again price for mac and cheese with just garlic bread really expensive given the cost of the ingredients and when compared with other non vegetarian meals.

Bien placé

Le Wifi très faible

Very poor Cost well above the norm for one night. The room resembled a cell. The bathroom door kept jamming against the toilet bowl. They have updated parts of the hotel which are great but some of the rooms are pitiful. We stayed here previously and were given a NICE room. NOT this time. We will not return

We didn't stay at this hotel, but we came for drinks, lunch and dinner. The staff, the atmosphere, the food, the quick service and everything was great. Thanks, hope to be back at some point.

The staff was very helpful. The apartment was comfortable and functional. We especially appreciated having a kitchen to make our own breakfast. The on site restaurant was fantastic.

Stayed one night whilst on a tour. Arrived just after 11pm. Good location near the harbour and the town centre. Room comfortable and quiet. Breakfast was good. Staff replenished the food regularly.

The staff were so friendly and lovely. Thank you!

Our stay here was really comfortable. The rooms were clean and the beds comfortable. The breakfast was fine. The check in at 11pm was simple and easy.

Nothing

Beliggenheten

Pris på overnatting

Location to town was great, easy walking distance. In house restaurant was very nice and compared well with local prices. Great size bathroom.

Room was extremely hot and we wouldn't open windows. Bedding was one very warm duvet with no top sheet so we could adjust the bedding warmth.

Filthy bathroom/mold Paid extra for ocean view. Two trucks parked direct in front of room.

The location was excellent, in easy walking distance to attractions and restaurants in Kirkwall. There was also plenty of parking. The restaurant was very good with plenty of options. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The room was comfortable and very clean.

No refrigerator in the room.

Spacious room. Location close too city centre. Covenient parking. Good breakfast.

Duty manager, acting as Reception and running bar, was excellent. Decent breakfast. Very good size room and bed, (very comfortable). Decent, good size, bathroom.

Very, very, hot water; way too hot to be covered by the, only one, very small yellow warning sticker.

Great base station for a large party to explore Orkney. The staff were amazing and extremely helpful. The bartender Monik, is an amazing mixologist and produced some of the the more interesting cocktails I’ve had, while providing impromptu whisky tastings to help pick distillery tours, and recommending other site visits on the island!

One complaint would be better blackout curtains could be used in bedrooms.

In a convenient walkable area of Kirkwall. We stayed in the apartments behind the main Hotel. The rooms are spacious with full kitchens, living area and private rooms and bathrooms. We enjoyed that the hotel had a full restaurant which we enjoyed our first night. Be sure to grab a cocktail at the main bar with Monik. Each cocktail is thoughtfully created and delicious, we tried most all of them on the menu and were pleasantly surprised by each. We will miss having a hospitable mixologist to spend our evenings with. There is also a sports bar with pool table attached to the bar, it was open late for the World Cup game when we were there.

What can I not say? a warm welcome, room212 with a sea view, and food you want to come back for more. Staff who really look after you and knowledgeable if you need to explore. would rescindment a second if not more return visit.

We only needed a place to sleep overnight so this hotel was perfectly adequate. The room was comfortable although we did not appreciate being woken by the fire alarm at 05.45. The breakfast was adequate without being exciting.

A very nice, comfortable and well treated hotel with a very nice atmosphere.

Attitude of breakfast staff, cost of breakfast.

This is easily the best value accommodation on the island. The staff are friendly and nothing is too much trouble. Our rooms were nice and the sea view was worth the extra amount. Breakfast was extra but we agreed worth it. I would definitely recommend this hotel to others.

Nice room, good size and really clean. Housekeeping staff was amazing, very friendly and helpful. Bed was incredibly comfortable. Location of the hotel is fantastic, just a few minutes walk from downtown and the ferries to the other islands. We had a lovely view over the bay and could see all the cruise ships coming in. We had dinner at the restaurant one evening and the food is wonderful.

Finding the carpark and entrance to the hotel was a bit tricky. Our GPS sent us to the harbour side of the hotel, while the main carpark and entrance are at the back on Burnmouth road. Breakfast for vegetarians was a little underwhelming and pricey.

Good situation. Nice restaurant. Room met our needs well. Lovely to have a bath rather than shower.

Minor things - Taps in bathroom basin difficult to turn off completely. Bit “mean” just one pack of 2 biscuits between us! Bit warm but noisy at night if had window open.

Lovely hotel right in town. Nice staff. Charming decor. Cozy yet comfortable room. Good shower pressure. Comfortable lounge/bar. The two bedroom apartment was clean and comfortable but t not very equipped for kitchen use.

It was pricey even for the cheaper rooms. But I guess it’s high season on an island with not much options.

The position near town and seafront. Comfortable room and bed.

Grossly overpriced - almost £270 for bed and breakfast for a couple, for a very mediocre hotel room. Staffing - we waited over 19 minutes to be served at the bar, having made 2 visits to reception to ask to be served. Eventually we left and went to a nearby pub! Later, the bar tender refused to make an Aperol Spritz (even though there was a bottle of Aperol) because he wouldn’t open a new bottle of Prosecco! Very poor buffet breakfast - everything had been kept warm for ages and was very ‘tired’. Fried eggs were totally inedible and tasted like rubber!

Very comfortable facilities, breakfast was included; simple but also allowed for special orders and room comfortable and quiet.

Emplacement, parking, menu

Chambre correcte mais le standing ne correspond pas au prix. Le service est lent et pas très aimable. Petit déjeuner cher sans beaucoup de choix, plutôt basique En résumé rapport qualité prix minuscule

Hotel location, friendly helpful staff and rooms were warm and comfortable.

We were happy with everything.

Very friendly well run hotel. Lot of young local staff employed. Food comes quickly

Our experience was a great one. From the time we checked in till we left, the staff and facilities were of the highest standard. Breakfast was a great way to start the day. Lots of choice and attentive staff. The evening restaurant was another nice meal.

There were no downsides to my visit. I hope to stay there again in the future.

What can I say. It is in the centre of kirkwell and close to all the shops and Kirkwell cathedral. Parking for the hotel and the reception is at the back of the hotel (they don’t provide this info on their website). We stayed in the older outdated part of the hotel and our accommodation was very very sad. Toiletries are basic shower gel and hand wash, well used thin towels, no face washers, no room fridge or safe. Our chairs were disgustingly useless with no padding….had to use a cushion to use them. The bathroom has a sink with a hot tap and a cold tap so you only have two options….our sink had a crack in it..the toilet did not flush properly. We had a shower in the bathtub which was difficult to use because there were no handrails and the surface of the bath was slippery. We ate in the restaurant and had breakfast and dinner. The meals are ok, some of our food was not good. I complained about the unsharpened knives (could not cut an asparagus spear!!) but no one cared. Had garlic bread but it was basically breakfast bread with butter. The hotel appears to cater to multi bus tours, hence the service is not good. Would not recommend a stay at this place.

Great location, walking distance to restaurants and shops, ample parking for our rental car, awesome waterfront view, well maintained property and clean, comfortable room with large bathroom. Excellent staff, every person was pleasant, helpful and professional, top notch! There is an elevator. We would definitely stay again if ever in charming Kirkwall.

Breakfast was not included in the price and there didn’t seem to be an option other than the buffet, which was adequate. We did have two dinners in the restaurant, both delicious.

Clean, modern and warm

Good location

All was OK

Room was comfortable and clean . Breakfast was excellent. Location is very good. A lift is available if needed.

Super Lage, sehr nahe zur Fussgängerzone, freundliches Personal, sehr gutes Frühstück

Location, great restaurant

Fire doors in the halls were very noisy

Everything

Nothing

The rooms are clean and tidy with plenty of hot water. It was also pleasing to find a hotel that still has a bath where you can relax after a day in the cold. It is always best to book a table for evening meals as the hotel had a couple of coach parties in and you cannot guarantee a table at a good time. A fair range of food which covers most people so you should never go hungry. The staff were helpful and attentive and keen to help where possible.

Everything

Nothing

Breakfast and evening meals were fine, with them being well cooked. The room was functional and whilst nothing fancy met all my needs for a few days. Plenty of staff in the dining room so you received attention promptly.

Frequently there was no one on the reception so when there was the need to ask questions/seek assistant it took a little time. A little too manic and noisy at meal times when there were large coach parties eating, after a long day exploring I would like to relax and enjoy my meal in peace.

Very spacious apartment, light airy and spotless. Wonderful evening meal and breakfast. All staff very friendly. Excellent location in Kirkwall, near to harbour, shops and travel centre. Was sorry we weren't stay longer

N/a

Let me begin by saying I almost never provide reviews but felt it was necessary in this case. As a smoker who wants to protect the environment, I always pocket my cigarette butts to discard them in the room trashcan. A front desk attendant pulled me aside and accused me - didn’t ask me - ACCUSED ME - of smoking in my room and the cigarette butts were her evidence. I said I haven’t, and never would, smoke in my room and I pocket them to be thrown away when I get to my room. It was obvious she didn’t believe me and she insinuated as much, threatening a fine. I was offended, insulted and disrespected. I had a wonderful morning seeing the history of Orkney, but the fact that I was not asked in a courteous manner, and when I provided my reasoning and pulled out cigarette butts which were currently in my pocket, I was brushed off - is wholly unacceptable. Following this, I am trying not to let it ruin my time but i am ALWAYS courteous and respectful of rules like that and felt as if my character had been directly challenged. I could never suggest a place that provides an experience like that.

No internet in my room

Location was PERFECT! We walked a great deal and loved being so close to the docks. The staff members were very accommodating. The restaurant was excellent! It was affordable and comfortable. Win - Win!

The ‘view’ was rather limited 🤭 Honestly we enjoyed ourselves tremendously