Albert Hotel

The room was much better than I expected from a deluxe booking. It was huge, had a king bed, and was one of the few rooms with a lovely balcony overlooking Kirkwall Harbour. The Albert Hotel is modern and clean, with a made-to-order breakfast included in the breakfast room. There's also a restaurant and pub next door. It's right in central Kirkwell, close to the Cathedral, so getting around on foot is easy.

The new rooms are lovely, modern, and comfortable, and the staff are very nice. The Orkney breakfast tasted good, but the breakfast setup let it down, so I took off a star. The coffee machine was broken on both days, and the coffee they served was very weak. The breakfast room is cramped; when the hotel is full, using the dining room would make more sense. At this price I'd expect fresh pastries, and without them the experience felt like a budget hotel. My room was tight on space and badly ventilated, with a strong smoked-fish smell. The kitchen also seemed to get orders wrong regularly. Food came out at random, leaving some people waiting while others at their table had already finished. With some reorganisation and more effort on the baked goods, breakfast could match the rest of the hotel.

The place was clean and welcoming, with friendly staff and a nice central location. There’s a restaurant and bar on site, but both close at 8 pm, so if you arrive late, make sure you have food sorted.

I loved my short stay in Orkney and would happily stay at the hotel again. I was there for my best mate's wedding, with the reception at the hotel, and stayed here as well. The rooms were clean, tidy, and modern, and the staff were so friendly, nothing was too much trouble. Dinner in the restaurant was amazing, with huge portions for reasonable prices. Breakfast the next morning was top notch too.