The Stromness Hotel

About The Stromness Hotel

The Stromness Hotel is the large stone building that dominates the pierhead, and for many visitors it is the first thing they see when the NorthLink ferry berths. Built in the Victorian era and spread over four storeys, it has 42 en-suite rooms, a good number of which look out over the harbour towards Scapa Flow and the hills of Hoy.

Rooms vary considerably given the age and scale of the building, from compact singles to spacious harbour-view doubles, and the hotel offers a direct booking discount. Rates commonly start near £100 to £120 for a double, which is reasonable for the position. The hotel has a long history, having served as headquarters for military operations during the Second World War, and the public rooms retain a sense of that scale.

The practical case for staying here is strong. Step off the ferry and you are at the door; step out of the door and you are on Stromness's flagstone main street with its lanes, piers, galleries and the Pier Arts Centre. Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness are all within twenty minutes by car, and the passenger ferry to Hoy leaves from the same harbour, making this the obvious base for a walking trip to the Old Man.