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The Ayre Hotel

3.0 star property
Hotel in Kirkwall with restaurant and bar/lounge

Photo gallery for The Ayre Hotel

Exterior
Bar (on property)
Soundproofing, free WiFi, bed sheets, wheelchair access
One Bedroom Apartment | Living room
Lobby

Reviews

8.6 out of 10
Excellent

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Bar
  • Room service
  • Pet-friendly
  • Parking included
The current price is AU$257
includes taxes & fees
1 Oct - 2 Oct

Explore the area

View map
Ayre Road, Kirkwall, Scotland, KW15 1QX
  • St. Magnus Cathedral
    ‪6 min walk‬
  • Earl's Palace
    ‪7 min walk‬
  • Highland Park Distillery
    ‪3 min drive‬
  • Kirkwall (KOI)
    ‪7 min drive‬

Room options

View all photos for Apartment, 2 Bedrooms

Apartment, 2 Bedrooms | Living area

Apartment, 2 Bedrooms

Highlights

Soundproofed
Heating
Fridge
TV
2 bedrooms
Private bathroom
Microwave
Coffee/tea maker
  • 2 bedrooms
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Double Bed and 2 Twin Beds

View all photos for Standard Double Room, 1 Double Bed

Soundproofing, free WiFi, bed sheets, wheelchair access

Standard Double Room, 1 Double Bed

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful
(10 reviews)

Highlights

Soundproofed
Heating
TV
19 bedrooms
Private bathroom
Coffee/tea maker
Electric kettle
Daily housekeeping
  • 19 bedrooms
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Panoramic Double Room, 1 Double Bed, Sea View

Soundproofing, free WiFi, bed sheets, wheelchair access

Panoramic Double Room, 1 Double Bed, Sea View

9.4 out of 10
Exceptional
(3 reviews)

Highlights

Soundproofed
Heating
TV
10 bedrooms
Private bathroom
Coffee/tea maker
Electric kettle
Daily housekeeping
  • 10 bedrooms
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Panoramic Double or Twin Room, Sea View

Panoramic Double or Twin Room, Sea View | View from room

Panoramic Double or Twin Room, Sea View

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)

Highlights

Soundproofed
Heating
TV
10 bedrooms
Private bathroom
Coffee/tea maker
Electric kettle
Daily housekeeping
  • 10 bedrooms
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Budget Double Room

Budget Double Room

Budget Double Room

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(6 reviews)

Highlights

Soundproofed
Heating
TV
Private bathroom
Coffee/tea maker
Electric kettle
Daily housekeeping
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for One Bedroom Apartment

One Bedroom Apartment

One Bedroom Apartment

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(4 reviews)

Highlights

Soundproofed
Heating
Fridge
TV
Private bathroom
Microwave
Coffee/tea maker
Electric kettle
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Standard Double or Twin Room

Soundproofing, free WiFi, bed sheets, wheelchair access

Standard Double or Twin Room

8.0 out of 10
Very good
(1 review)

Highlights

Soundproofed
Heating
TV
13 bedrooms
Private bathroom
Coffee/tea maker
Electric kettle
Daily housekeeping
  • 13 bedrooms
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Family Room

Family Room

Family Room

10.0 out of 10
Exceptional
(1 review)

Highlights

Soundproofed
Heating
TV
Private bathroom
Coffee/tea maker
Electric kettle
Daily housekeeping
Desk
  • Sleeps 4
  • 1 Double Bed and 1 Twin Bed

About the area

Kirkwall

The Ayre Hotel places you steps from Orkney Wireless Museum and within a 10-minute stroll of St. Magnus Cathedral. Highlights at this hotel include a restaurant, free self-parking and a bar/lounge. .This pet-friendly hotel offers free WiFi in public areas, luggage storage and a television in a common area. Additionally, you'll find coffee/tea in a common area and laundry facilities. Each morning buffet breakfast is served between 6:30 AM and 9:30 AM. .Sights within a 10-minute walk of this 3-property class Kirkwall hotel include Orkney Museum and Earl's Palace.

What's nearby

  • Orkney Museum - 6 min walk - 0.5 km
  • St. Magnus Cathedral - 6 min walk - 0.5 km
  • Earl's Palace - 7 min walk - 0.7 km
  • Bishop's Palace - 9 min walk - 0.8 km
  • Highland Park Distillery - 3 min drive - 2.6 km

Getting around

  • Kirkwall (KOI) - 6 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Ayre Restaurant - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪The Storehouse - ‬5 min walk
  • ‪Skipper's - ‬3 min walk
  • ‪Archive Coffee - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪Auld Motor Hoose - ‬3 min walk

About this property

The Ayre Hotel

Hotel in Kirkwall with restaurant and bar/lounge
There's a restaurant on site. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge. WiFi is free in public spaces. The Ayre Hotel also features coffee/tea in common area, laundry facilities, and a television in common area. Free self parking is available.

This 3-star Kirkwall hotel is smoke free.

  • 51 guestrooms or units
  • Breakfast available (surcharge)
  • Coffee in lobby
  • Self-service laundry
  • Front desk (limited hours)
  • Storage area for luggage
  • Television in lobby
  • Lift
  • No smoking on site
  • Bar or lounge
  • Dining venue
The Ayre Hotel offers 51 accommodations with coffee/tea makers. This Kirkwall hotel provides complimentary wireless Internet access. Bathrooms include baths or showers. Housekeeping is provided on a daily basis.

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4.5 out of 5, Wonderful, 251 reviews
The price is AU$326
includes taxes & fees
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Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transport

  • Free self parking on site

Food and drink

  • Daily buffet breakfast available 6:30 AM to 9:30 AM for a fee: GBP 15 for adults and GBP 15 for children
  • A bar/lounge
  • A restaurant
  • Coffee and tea in common areas

Things to do

  • TV in common areas

Family friendly

  • Laundry facilities
  • Soundproofed rooms

Conveniences

  • Laundry facilities
  • Limited-hour front desk
  • Luggage storage

Guest services

  • Housekeeping (daily)

Accessibility

  • If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please contact the property using the information on the reservation confirmation received after booking.
  • Lift
  • Wheelchair accessibility
  • Wheelchair accessible (may have limitations)

More

  • Smoke-free property

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Bedsheets provided

Bathroom

  • Bathtub or shower
  • Private bathroom
  • Towels provided

Entertainment

  • TV

Food and drink

  • Coffee/tea maker
  • Electric kettle
  • Room service

More

  • Heating
  • Phone
  • Soundproofed rooms

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; check-in end time: midnight
Contactless check-in and check-out are available
Minimum check-in age - 18

Check-out

Check-out before 10:00 AM
Contactless check-out

Special check-in instructions

The front desk is open daily from 7:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Front desk staffed during limited hours
This property doesn't offer after-hours check-in

Access methods

Front desk (limited hours)

Pets

  • Pets: GBP 25.00 per pet, per stay
  • Only dogs are allowed
    • Service animals are exempt from fees.

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.

Payment types

Important information

Optional extras

The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.

  • Fee for buffet breakfast: from approximately GBP 15 for adults and from GBP 15 for children
  • Pet fee: GBP 25.00 per pet, per stay
  • Service animals are exempt from fees

This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards; cash is not accepted
Cashless transactions are available
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A cash deposit, credit card or debit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property is managed by a professional host. The provision of housing is linked to their trade, business or profession. This property accepts Visa, Mastercard and American Express. Cash is not accepted. Cashless payment methods are available for all transactions.

We should mention

  • Registered guests are the only ones allowed to be in guestrooms.

National rating

This establishment has received its official star rating from VisitScotland, the National Tourist Board for Scotland.

Property is also known as

Ayre Hotel Kirkwall
Ayre Kirkwall
Ayre Hotel
The Ayre Hotel Hotel
The Ayre Hotel Kirkwall
The Ayre Hotel Hotel Kirkwall

Frequently asked questions

What is the cancellation policy at The Ayre Hotel?

The Ayre Hotel offers free cancellation on select room rates. Check out the cancellation policy for more info.

How much does it cost to stay at The Ayre Hotel?

As of 3 Sept 2025, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at The Ayre Hotel on 1 Oct 2025 start from AU$256.71, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.

Is parking available at The Ayre Hotel?

Yep, The Ayre Hotel has a free self car park.

Are there any beaches close to The Ayre Hotel?

The closest beach to The Ayre Hotel is Scapa Beach (2.6 km).

Does The Ayre Hotel serve breakfast?

Sure does, buffet brekkie is served daily from 6:30 AM to 9:30 AM.

Is there a free airport shuttle available at The Ayre Hotel?

No, The Ayre Hotel does not offer an airport shuttle service.

Is there a bar or restaurant at The Ayre Hotel?

Yep, they've got a lounge bar and an onsite restaurant.

What time are check-in & check-out at The Ayre Hotel?

Check-in begins at 2:00 PM. Check-out time is 10:00 AM.

The Ayre Hotel Reviews

Reviews

8.6

Excellent

Rating 10 - Excellent. 102 out of 197 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 64 out of 197 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 20 out of 197 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 8 out of 197 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 197 reviews

9.2/10

Cleanliness

9.0/10

Staff & service

8.0/10

Amenities

8.6/10

Property conditions & facilities

8.6/10

Eco-friendliness

Reviews

8/10 Good

Mark

Travelled with partner
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Great location, walkable to the town centre and restaurants. Mattress was like sleeping on a box spring. Pillows were terrible. Good breakfast. Nice bar/lounge area.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Colin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025

8/10 Good

Alison

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service

Expensive but good location

Room was nice with clean bedding and overall hotel was very nice . Doors were noisy as no soft closers . Dining at dinner was very slow and inconsistent and took an hour for us to get our dinner served and it was lukewarm on service . Maybe kitchen is understaffed as dining staff seemed to be plentiful but not particularly organised. We had to ask twice for one of the party’s ice cream dessert and the rest of our group were finished theirs before it arrived. When we arrived receptionist seemed initially to not find our booking! No view for the extortionate price . Maybe we would have got a better view if we had been staying longer
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

David

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
The property was very accommodating to our visit to Orkney.
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Karen

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Location on the harbor was great, although a little noisy at night with traffic.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Donald

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Well placed to enjoy Kirkwall!

The Ayr Hotel is well placed in Kirkwall, close to the main ferry terminal, the bus station, and the main shopping street. We stayed in a detached block across the street with 12 apartments. Ours had a comfortable bedroom, good bathroom and a large sitting room with comfortable sofas. The kitchenette had a fridge, a hob and a microwave. . The restaurant was in the main building. Food was always quickly served and delicious.
Stayed 5 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Richard

Very accommodating!
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Joan, Victoria

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
We chose this hotel because it was convenient for us when arriving from Shetland on the Northlink ferry that arrives at 11:30 pm. The shuttle service from the ferry terminal stops right in front of the hotel. The room was spacious with a well-appointed bathroom and a full breakfast was available in the morning.
Stayed 1 night in May 2025

8/10 Good

Adam

Stayed 1 night in May 2025

6/10 Okay

Janice

Travelled with partner
Liked: Staff & service
Disliked: Property conditions & facilities
Bathroom was cheap and dated. Elevator did not work during our entire stay and my other half has difficulty with stairs. Lovely lounge bar bit no one serving so we had to go to the sports bar which was noisy with TVs etc. staff were really nice and the restaurant seemed popular although we didn’t eat there.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Haidee

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Only problem is that the toilet in our room was poor at flushing. That was a bit unfortunate. The lounge area, the staff, the food was absolutely great. Such lovely people.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2025

10/10 Excellent

Isabella

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

A perfect gateway to explore Orkneys

It was an amazing experience! Room super clean, staff delightful and super kind, excellent food, innovatove cocktails... Simply splendid I would highly recommend it!
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2025

8/10 Good

Laura, Renfrew

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Good: Location Quiet location Bed Bar man on Saturday night was friend Aporeciated the bath Bad: Not enough milks Was not offered to add on breakfast and i really wanted a breakfast as i was playing in a tournament. On the wall outside hotel it only mentioned lunch and dinner. Because the receptionist didnt mention it i assumed they just didnt do breakfasts. When checking out i could smell breakfast items so this was disappointing as id have preferred that to porridge in my room
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great experience

One-night stay before heading to northern isles. Great experience. Staff were friendly. Ample parking. Room was comfortable and clean. Breakfast was nice. Returned for dinner on way south.
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

John

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent, friendly staff. Comfortable, relaxing hotel with good restaurant and bar all at reasonable prices. Front of building facing the harbour could do with a coat of paint but that doesn’t take anything away from the comfortable interior. Would happily stay again.
Stayed 4 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Brian

Travelled with group
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Perfect stay

Great welcome, lovely clean room overlooking the harbour, beautiful food at dinner and breakfast and helpful and friendly staff
Stayed 1 night in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Richard

Travelled with family
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent Hotel well positioned in Kirkwall.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Richard

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

8/10 Good

James

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Short Visit!

The Hotel was in a perfect position for touring the Island and we enjoyed our short visit. It was clean and breakfast on both mornings was very good. We ate in the restaurant on 1 night and the food was very nice….especially the Seafood Salad! We were disappointed in the bar service…..the member of staff refused to serve us in the lounge and insisted that we go to the public bar. Mt husband has mobility issues so this wasn’t ideal especially as she then told us we could take our drinks back into the lounge after ordering. Surely she could have taken our order and brought it to us instead of having to trail through the restaurant. Lessons in Customer Service required for this staff members however all other staff were very.pleasant as was our stay!
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

8/10 Good

Garry

Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2025

8/10 Good

Kevin

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Mar 2025

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Jennifer Anne

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Well worth a stay

We had a wonderful stay at The Ayre Hotel, the staff were very friendly and helpful, the food was excellent with a comprehensive menu, something to suit all tastes. Breakfast was free and there was a really good choice of cereals, pastries and all the usual Bacon Eggs etc. The building was nice and room very comfortable. We were overlooking the harbour and it was nice to see all the ferries coming and going. I would highly recommend a stay here, we will be back :D
Stayed 5 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Roderick

Business traveller
Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2025