West End Hotel

The location made it easy to wander around the centre, and the private car park was a great touch. Breakfast was excellent, and the stay was excellent value. The lady at breakfast was polite, attentive and efficient. The owner / manager was around often during the day, very polite and helpful, and had lots of local knowledge. My room was in a very old building, with a quirky slope toward the door and all the furniture sitting at an angle 😁.

The West End Guest House felt homey as soon as we arrived, tucked just off the main shopping and restaurant streets in a cozy spot. From an American perspective, the rooms are small and don’t have things like a fridge or microwave, and the beds are stiff, though that seems standard here. It took us a little while to get used to it. The staff were friendly and helpful, and breakfast was a fun Scottish style continental spread. We accidentally left our last night unbooked during a busy tourist period. Andrew quickly found us another place and even offered to take our luggage. That’s great service. The West End Guest House and all of Orkney felt magical, and it was an amazing introduction to Scotland.

The food was excellent, and we’d definitely return. We had a lovely birthday meal in a clean, bright room with neutral decor and fresh flowers on the table. Staff were friendly, welcoming and efficient. The full menu had lots of choice and fair prices, though we found the early evening menu good value but a bit limited. A bottle of tap water on the table was a nice touch, since we’re teetotal and don’t drink much in the way of soft drinks. There’s an extensive drinks menu too. Book ahead, it got very busy.

The location is great, just off the main street, and breakfast was very good. The lady serving was really friendly. Check in was self service, with nobody at reception. The rooms are small and a little tired, and the bathroom needs updating, but it was okay for one night. Shame there’s no bar or lounge to sit in.