The Stromness Hotel by Paymán Club

Firstly I would like to say that the gentleman on reception was very nice and helpful. I really appreciate the effort they went to for Halloween. Ripped carpets and a bouquet of mould, manky light switches and a dripping fire hose showed real attention to detail, The hotel was somewhere between Faulty Towers and the residence of the Adams Family. lit and last renovated when Roy Castle was still playing the trumpet. The hotel is warm out and in need of much love. The T total bar is probably the most foolish decision the new owners have made as half a bottle of whiskey would have made it more tolerable. Sadly there was no food after breakfast but this is understandable out of season. If you’re into the haunted house vibe it’s right up your street.

Photos don't reflect the truth or the smell of damp...staff are nice... Get there is some refurb going on...adding cheap stuff onto old dusty stuff...a full time handy man would help the staff...carpark at back difficult to find...also this is an alcohol free place..which they don't advertise.. Good location...ferry inn good food..... Needs the windows washed...serious upgrade and ventilated

Needed somewhere to stay in Stromness before catching the boat south in the morning to go to a funeral. Booked this, and as soon as the confirmation email came through, I realised that I must have been distracted as I'd booked for the Wednesday night instead of the Monday. Picked up the phone and called the hotel only to be told that I had to go via ***********. Had a look there and it said I could change the date of my reservation -- but then it told me there were no rooms available for Monday. Started a new search and found there were rooms for Monday. Booked one and paid for it. Then sent a message to the hotel via *********** requesting a refund for the first incorrect booking as I had now made a new booking -- and the hotel emailed back and said no. Checked in just now and explained all this to the woman on the desk thinking that now that I actually had a human being in front of me surely we could sort all this out sensibly. No such luck. And when I said that this level of unhelpfulness was not very Orcadian of her, her reply was, "This isn't Orkney." What? Last time I checked, Stromness very much was. And the two other places I have stayed in Stromness have both been extremely welcoming and friendly and helpful. Don't stay here. I made an honest mistake -- we all do from time to time -- but to be met with this level of surliness when I tried to sort it out -- this is the sort of thing I came to Orkney to get away from. These people don't deserve your money.

Do not book this hotel, the photos on-line are NOT of the dark old room I paid £154 pn for! Twin bedded room on the third floor ... WiFi hardly worked up there. It has NOT been updated ... It had one narrow old single-glazed dirty casement window I struggled to open & close, cheap curtains on a pla on a sticky plastic track, old heating, old 19 inch TV with no menu, no subtitles, no BBC Sounds. It should cost £36 per night not £136! When I cancelled 4 nights I was charged an extra £18 per night! So paid £154 pn for 5 nights. Even the plumbing is dodgy, had to keep checking the loo, ugh. Staff were good, lovely chef, helpful restaurant main man & breakfast was great but owners are not bothered (not present!) and manager can't deal with complaints. Owners have NOT refurbished this hotel! Total rip-off.

I feel like the negative reviews are overly harsh. My mother and I spent four nights here in a quadruple room. Originally, four of us planned the trip together, but two couldn’t make it last minute. The room itself is plenty big for four, but the bathroom would have been a squeeze for four women sharing (and even just the two of us!)! With four of us, the room would have been about £50/night in the high season. That’s incredibly affordable, in my opinion. We did not have dinner at the hotel, so can’t comment on that. The pluses: Rosemary is amazing. She was incredibly helpful, as were Marian and Chris who helped with breakfast and Sophie who helped with the lift. Hospitality was excellent. Location, location, location! This hotel is in a perfect location. It is a few minute’s walk from the ferry terminal and main bus station in Stromness. It is at the beginning of the narrow high street for easy access to shopping. And it has a small parking area (which had plenty of spots our whole trip). Breakfast was good. We had breakfast twice. We had a full Scottish breakfast as well as cereals, pastries, and juices. The pearls: Yes, this grand old Victorian hotel has seen better days. She is a bit threadbare. But that can be fixed. Our room was one of the more recently renovated ones, but it’s taking a bit of a beating. Good, but small shower. Payment system. The booking site said half would be taken out in advance shortly before arrival and half would be payable at the hotel. Less than a week after booking five months in advance, the full amount was charged; thank heavens my account had the funds! Two days before our arrival, I was charged an inexplicable £50. Rosemary did not know why that happened. I’m trusting that was in error and will be refunded. Brewed coffee would have been nice, but the tea selection totally made up for it for me. The beds weren’t the most comfortable, but the pillows were great. The lift was acting up when we arrived, so we hauled our bags upstairs. We should have just driven around the back and parked, because that led directly to our room with no stairs. Lesson learned for departure! We did not have any room cleaning or opportunity to opt in or out. While we were fine with not having service, we are accustomed to having a choice. This may have been due to the short staffing we saw here and, frankly, at every hotel on our holiday this trip. All in all, we had a fine stay. We know the hotel is under new ownership and we hope that our review is constructive in bringing this grand old hotel back to her glory.

We stayed here for 3 nights as part of a coach trip. Having read the reviews, many of us were wary of what was ahead of us. I was pleasantly surprised. Our room was large and very clean. It overlooked the harbour. The bathroom was a decent size and also very clean. Good thick towels which was appreciated. It had an electric shower. The hall on our floor obviously had a new carpet. The lift is tiny but there was never a problem with it. We only had one dinner in the hotel and it was good. We chose to eat out for the other 2 dinners as we wanted wine with our meal and, since the time we booked with our tour company, the hotel no longer serves alcohol. Breakfast was fine. It was a basic buffet style breakfast. Iain, one of the managers, was excellent. He was very helpful and always had a smile for everyone. The hotel owners are needing to give the place a major renovation. There is nothing appealing about the entrance or ground floor. The location is excellent, only minutes from the ferry terminal. All in all, it was nowhere as bad as I expected.

Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here... Before I start, I'd like to state that the three lads running the hotel are blameless. Ian and the other two, were courteous hosts considering the problems they face. My complaint is solely with the owner who thinks the standard of accomodation offered here can be considered anyway acceptable. It can't, and for the prices charged, the director of Payman Club should hang his head in shame. Over my 45 year career I can honestly say that this is the WORST HOTEL I have ever stayed in. The ground floor has been gutted of any furniture or decoration, and has the charm of a crack house. Climbing the stairs to the first floor doesn't exactly instill hope, damp wallpaper, faded carpets, no decoration on the wall save for a clumsily printed notice warning against insulting behaviour. That and a £50 pound deposit required for damages is worrying, but not as shocking as the quality of my double room overlooking the harbour. This would be considered the best room. It was certainly large, but again gutted of all furniture and decoration, save for an 'Argos catalogue - style' dressing table near the door, a similar style wardrobe, and three chairs by the bay window, one with its stuffing showing. Did I mention the keys? My key fob was held together by .... wait for it...sellotape, a shattered piece of plastic smothered in the stuff, and with a phone number scribbled in biro on an old piece of exercise book stuck to the back. Overlooking the cobwebs on the ceiling, and the one or two bluebottle husks by the bay window, the beds were comfy but with bargain-basement covers and sheets, and a slight 'scattering' of sunlight faded pictures on the wall made no attempt at converting the overly large room into anything-like  inviting. The en-suite shower room was...noisy - a clunky fan kicking in immeadiately on switching on the light, sounding like chains on a pulley. This seemed to be the case for the other rooms either side, considering the noise from their bathrooms too. Oh, and just a heads up to the owner...water and cheap metal screws dont go together, hence the condition known as rust. I wouldnt cough in the room neither, or make any other loud noises, I swear there's an echo. The breakfast in the 'gutted' dining room was ok, but dont attempt to make toast, the old machine doesnt work unless you turn settings up to charcoal. But here's the straw that broke the camel's back - the owner has banned the sale of drink, citing the evils of the amber nectar, and that it kills. Well, I have news for him too, so does depression and despair. Let this be a warning to the unwary - this is not a quality establishment and smacks of someone aquiring the place at a knockdown price and with zero attempt at investment. Avoid at all costs.

This place is a total nightmare. We booked for four nights but left after just one. We did not feel safe due to numerous basic safety issues with fire doors wedged open and combustible materials in the corridors blocking fire exits. The staff seemed totally unconcerned when made aware of our concerns.

I have stayed at this hotel many times under previous management and while faded in grandeur it has always been warm, friendly, welcoming and good value. Not sure what the new management is doing but they are destroying the place. I arrived to find my booking had been cancelled without any notice and that there were no rooms available at the hotel. There was no assistance or apology provided by the company and no support to the staff on site who were helpless to resolve the situation. For a booking that totalled £398 for two nights the complete lack of care and attention was unforgivable. The staff on site were incredible and managed to get me a room elsewhere - not easy in a small town in such a busy season. Also, I was not the only person to have this experience - a woman who arrived shortly after me received the same news. Booking cancelled with no notification and absolutely no interest or apology. Shocking and unacceptable. To be honest- my move to the Ferry Inn worked out in my favour - less expensive, much better accommodation and super good customer care. I strongly advise nobody even consider this as an option. Such a shame as Stromness is one of the best places ever to be and this hotel could be such a great asset to the town. As it stands - avoid this and go to one of the other great options - and enjoy the best that Orkney has to offer.