Located near local hotspots, The Ayre Hotel offers a convenient retreat with laundry facilities, a bar, and a restaurant. Connect to in-room WiFi, enjoy coffee or tea in the lobby while watching TV or take advantage of luggage storage. Helpful staff have made lasting impressions on previous guests.
Enjoy your visit to Kirkwall with a stay at The Ayre Hotel. Guests looking for a bite to eat can check out the restaurant, and the bar/lounge is the perfect spot to grab a drink at the end of the day. Fellow travelers say great things about the helpful staff.
At a glance
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Hotel size
51 rooms
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Arriving/Leaving
Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: midnight
Contactless check-in available
Minimum check-in age: 18
Check-out time is 10:00 AM
Contactless check-out available
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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
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Required at check-in
Credit card, debit card, or cash deposit required for incidental charges
Government-issued photo ID may be required
Minimum check-in age is 18
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Pets
Pets allowed (dogs only)*
Service animals welcome
WIFI
Internet
Free WiFi in public areas
Free WiFi in rooms
LOCAL_PARKING
Parking
Free onsite self parking
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Other information
Smoke-free property
Property amenities
Food and drink
Buffet breakfast (surcharge) each morning 6:30 AM–9:30 AM
Restaurant
Bar/lounge
Coffee/tea in a common area
Room service
Services
Front desk (limited hours)
Laundry facilities
Luggage storage
Facilities
Television in common areas
Accessibility
Wheelchair accessible
Elevator
Room amenities
Be entertained
Television
Home comfort
Heating
Coffee/tea maker
Electric kettle
Sleep well
Soundproofed rooms
Bed sheets provided
Freshen up
Private bathroom
Bathtub or shower
Towels
Stay connected
Free WiFi
Phone
More
Daily housekeeping
Fees & policies
Optional extras
Buffet breakfast is offered for an extra charge of approximately GBP 15 for adults and GBP 15 for children
Pets
Service animals exempt from fees
Pets are allowed for an extra charge of GBP 25.00 per pet, per stay
Policies
Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms.
This property accepts credit cards. Cash is not accepted.
Credit cards accepted: Visa, Mastercard, American Express
Cashless transactions are available.
National rating
This establishment has received its official star rating from VisitScotland, the National Tourist Board for Scotland.
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
Does The Ayre Hotel offer free cancellation for a full refund?
Yes, The Ayre Hotel does have fully refundable room rates available to book on our site. If you’ve booked a fully refundable room rate, this can be cancelled up to a few days before check-in depending on the property's cancellation policy. Just make sure to check this property's cancellation policy for the exact terms and conditions.
Are pets allowed at The Ayre Hotel?
Yes, dogs are welcome. There's a charge of GBP 25.00 per pet, per stay. Service animals are exempt from fees.
Is parking offered on site at The Ayre Hotel?
Yes, there's free self parking.
What are the check-in and check-out times at The Ayre Hotel?
Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: midnight. Check-out time is 10:00 AM. Contactless check-in and check-out are available.
Are there restaurants at or near The Ayre Hotel?
Yes, there's an onsite restaurant.
What's the area around The Ayre Hotel like?
The Ayre Hotel is a short 6-minute walk from St. Magnus Cathedral and 9 minutes' walk from Earl's Palace.
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Reviews
The Ayre Hotel Reviews
8.6
Excellent
All reviews shown are from real guest experiences. Only travelers who have booked a stay with us can submit a review. We verify reviews according to our guidelines and publish all reviews, positive or negative.
9.2
Cleanliness
8.0
Amenities
8.8
Staff & service
8.6
Eco-friendliness
8.6
Property conditions & facilities
What guests liked
Breakfast was consistently described as excellent, with a good variety of choices and large portions. (10 reviews)
The restaurant served excellent meals with faultless and very friendly service. (4 reviews)
From real guest reviews summarized by AI.
Popular mentions
Service staff
Room
Food
Location
Restaurant
Bed
Breakfast
Port
Apartment
Shower
Reviews
10/10 Exceptional
Jul 31, 2025
Great place to stay
A great place to stay. Convenient for harbour and town centre. Delicious food. Friendly and helpful staff.
Catherine
Catherine, 2-night trip
8/10 Very good
Jul 15, 2025
Great location
This hotel is convenient for seeing the sights of Kirkwall. Rooms are charming and comfortable. Breakfast has a good variety of choices.
Robert
Robert, 3-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Jul 23, 2025
Lovely stay on the Harbourfront
Very central hotel overlooking the harbour a close walk to the main street and all the sights in town. The restaurant & bar area were great and rooms were quite comfortable. Staff were very friendly :) The only downside was the unusually hot summer weather made the rooms quite hot and stuffy.
Daniel
Daniel, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Jun 18, 2025
The Ayre is conveniently located and we we very pleased with the accommodations. The staff was friendly and helpful. It is a great place to stay when arriving on the late night ferry.
Tom
Tom, 2-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Jun 5, 2025
Only stayed one night, but it was dreamy!
Deborah
Deborah, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Jun 10, 2025
Excellent apartment accommodation
Caj
Caj, 2-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Apr 8, 2025
Perfect stay
Great welcome, lovely clean room overlooking the harbour, beautiful food at dinner and breakfast and helpful and friendly staff
Brian
Brian, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
May 31, 2025
The property was very accommodating to our visit to Orkney.
David
David, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Jun 14, 2025
Really pleasant atmosphere and people at hotel. Really the best stay experience that I ever had. Really good team of professionals catering up to your needs. Would definitely recommend them to friends and family for a stay when in Orkney.
Sarankumar
Sarankumar, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Apr 7, 2025
Excellent Hotel well positioned in Kirkwall.
Richard
Richard, 2-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Apr 28, 2025
Gepflegtes Hotel mit fairem Preis-/Leistungsverhältnis.
Frank
Frank, 2-night trip
8/10 Very good
Jun 13, 2025
Convenient for the late night ferry arrival. Budget double room clean and comfortable but over-priced. Dinner in the restaurant was excellent.
Michael
Michael, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
May 22, 2025
Very accommodating!
Richard
Richard, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
May 27, 2025
Location on the harbor was great, although a little noisy at night with traffic.
Karen
Karen, 3-night trip
8/10 Very good
Jan 6, 2025
Great place to stay
Good location super clean helpful staff
Iain
Iain, 3-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Apr 22, 2025
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!
Isabella
Isabella, 3-night trip
8/10 Very good
Jun 2, 2025
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.
Mark
Mark, 2-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Feb 7, 2025
The staff were very friendly, and the amenities were wonderful! Will definitely recommend to friends, and would definitely stay here again!
Mary
Mary, 1-night trip
6/10 Good
Jun 15, 2025
Nice view ! But service medium
Charlotte
Charlotte, 3-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Apr 9, 2025
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.
John
John, 4-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
May 19, 2025
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.
Joan
Joan, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Jun 24, 2024
Great location, friendly staff, good food
ruta
ruta, 1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Sep 8, 2024
Lovely hotel in a wonderful city
Ed
Ed, 10-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
Apr 15, 2025
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.
Verified traveler
1-night trip
10/10 Exceptional
May 3, 2025
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.