The Orkney Hotel

A bit overpriced, rooms are a bit dated. Peeling wallpaper on ceiling in room. Breakfast was good otherwise.

Attended for dinner and a couple of drinks. Manger/barmen with the chain around his neck needs some hospitality training/ attitude change. One guy was his first shift, and yes first pint not fantastic as it wouldnt be in a new place, but the next one was a lot better and he is a cracking guy and a keen leaner. Bar manager guy however should've had a new start observe for an hour or so at least rather than being let loose from the off, surely the basics of teaching someone/managing someone. He also badmouthed said new start to people at the bar, when said new start popped away for whatever reason, which is just unprofessional. Also it is always a reflection on the person who is the boss and trainer rather than the new employee. We said the manager that the first pint was flat, which it very clearly was, and asked for a new one. We were however assured by the manager that it was just the glasses and that he wa working his way throuhh the bad ones, even though he saw that new start hadn't quite started the pint correctly and that it needed a couple of seconds of running before going in the glass. Manager instead of starting fresh just finished off the first pint, especially after it had been poured and then clearly evidenced that it was flat, just pour a new one which another publican had a good pint of si it was possible. Manager however just poured it into a new glass. Which again failed. Husband had to swirl the pint a few times before any sip taken to make it in any way palatable. Second pint received was far better as the new start had got the knack by then. However I would've expected his manager to just do a fresh pint for the first one, rather than just swap the glass when it was so clearly a flat pint. It wouldn't have exactly cost the business much and did leave us doubting their service an quality thereof. At end of night I went to bar to pay and as I got close to bar the bill was just already presented to me without my asking for it first. I get it that that was obviouslywhat I was up for but no eye contact qas made by said manager or acknowledgement and it was just slapped down in front of me and said manager stepped away. Just basic manners at end of day. Obviously didn't tip which he didn't even seem to want to try and gain, as the bill value had already presented in card machine a few seconds after the bill I hadn't asked for was presented to me. Not that after the manager's service we were going to tip anyway. We did however want to tip the new start who is a sound guy and a quick teach which is what you want in hospitality but didn't have the spar echange to pass to him directly rather than via car which would likely go to the business. Hopefully he can put up with his boss going forward. Food was tasty enough. Just service from the manager ruined the experience.

Nice clean comfortable room but really needs some form of bedside light. The room was either lit up like Wembley or pitch black. Breakfast was delicious but very sparse, continental offerings were very limited and if not down first basically non existent. We had one meal in the Cask bar. Food good but really need to replenish the sauce sashes more regular. We asked for ketchup and vinegar as there was none on the container. Two sachets of ketchup appeared but to this day we’re still waiting for vinegar!! We got the impression a lot on this visit that staff didn’t really care. ( I exclude the room cleaning staff from this, they were excellent)