Merkister Hotel

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at this hotel. The staff were friendly and helpful and given it was off season they gave me a room upgrade, which was a lovely surprise. The room was spacious and the bed soooo comfortable. I had a view of the loch and the sunset was beautiful over the water. The on-site restaurant was excellent (I suggest you book, the food is excellent and it gets busy) and breakfast generous. The hotel is central to all the sights on Orkney and also quiet and secluded. I highly recommend this hotel.

Excellent rural location on the banks of Loch Harray. with accompanying wildlife. Very helpful, friendly staff. Clean & comfortable.Great menu. Would certainly recommend and return to this hotel.

Nice views. Helpful staff. Good food. Clean and comfortable facilities.

Exceptional location, less than half an hour from everywhere in Orkney. The room we stayed in had a great view of the Loch. The hotel is very well-maintained, and the on-site restaurant is excellent, utilizing local ingredients, including fresh fish from the Loch. The staff is very friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend this property.

Everything! Beautiful, spacious, and very comfortable suite with idyllic views. The restaurant was superb. We’ve never had such attentive dinner service. Food was amazing.

We loved everything.

The location was amazing and the food was very good. The staff were really friendly and helpful.

The food was too salty

All staff were amazing and a big shout out to Debbie for introducing us to her 6 Labrador pups as we were leaving. The location was as tranquil as it can possibly be. We were lucky to see fab sunset !!

Staff are super friendly. I was upgraded to the Suite 1 on arrival (no extra charge) and it was delightful. I found I could park my pushbike just outside my door in the spacious and secure vestibule.The large en-suite room, with TV and other amenities, suited my needs. It is modern, quiet and with spectacular views! Bed was super comfy; shower instantly warm and powerful. Staff even provided me with clothes pegs so I could hang my cycling gear outside.

Good choice of breakfast and nicely presented.Food, including the evening meal, was very good overall.I had a room with a lovely outlook across the loch.Good, quiet, country location.I liked the way the public rooms were decorated.Pleasant staff.

My bathroom felt rather cramped, but it was nice and clean, which is much more important.

Great food, but portions are too large, a bit of a waste of food.Location is fantastic for access to sites and views.

Room could be a bit bigger. Need more accessible wall plugs.

Wonderful location with great staff.

Some rooms overlook bins; food not great; decor very 1980s.

The breakfast experience was faultless.The evening dining was absolutely superb, I stayed four nights and the specials in particular changed each day.The views are breathtaking.Also it was well situated as a starting point for sight-seeing around the island.

If I had to nitpick then the rooms storage space and horizontal surfaces were limited especially in the bathroom, but workable.

I appreciated the extras … like a staff member suggesting they prepare a box lunch for us b/c we were leaving early to catch the 6 am ferry. The lunch was generous and sustained us until dinner!

The staff were lovely and the food was good.

We booked a small double room. The room was fine but the ensuite toilet and shower were tiny, so much so that you struggled to dry after your shower with the door shut!!!

good choice of local produce well cooked

two keys to lock room doors bit old fashioned

Food, staff always smiling and happy.

Soap holder in shower, shampoo. Sheet not white clean. Close door when wanted to see stars.

While the price was a little high for what we received, the location, staff, and facilities met the need at the time.

Price was a little high.

Wonderful staff, food, location for our purposes. The staff could not have been more friendly or accommodating to every request. Breakfasts and dinners were very good—especially dinner—and plentiful at both meals.

It is an old hotel that could use a bit of attention to detail. Toilet sometimes difficult to flush, wear on shower stall.

The location was beautiful, so peaceful. The staff were wonderful, attentive, and courteous.

Would have liked some kind of storage or table top in the bathroom on which to place my toiletries. Everything else was excellent!

Fabulous location. Excellent staff, very attentive. Beautiful clean room. Food was excellent and being Scottish I loved that they offered “tatties” rather than potatoes. Parking is good and there is a beautiful Loch in the doorstep. I would recommend.