Queens Hotel Lerwick

I came here before mobile phones, before Amazon, before internet. I fell in love with this hotel and Shetland. Jutting out into a cold sea with waves crashing on the walls it was the most exciting place in the world. We turned on the hairdryers and trouser press to keep warm..we had porridge with double cream for breakfast followed by a whisky Mac or two to keep us warm we danced and sang .. I was 27 years old and fell in love with all of it. Shetland is a magical place, the hotel is what it is, see the beauty of it if you go, authenticity is hard to find. I’m 60 now and still looking for the wonderful unspoilt places.

This is a beautiful old building in a great location and with very friendly staff. However it was a bad experience. The hotel is falling to bits with very outdated rooms with broken lights and window in my room, yellowing and threadbare bed linen and towels, and all pervasive damp smell. The place feels unsafe as there is hardly ever anyone on reception and my room door was left open after "cleaning". Anyone could have walked in off the street. There is no catering and no water provided anywhere. It generally feels like the owners don't care about guest experience. They just want the very overpriced fees. When you can find staff though they are lovely if overworked due to understaffing. Not recommended.

Let's get the negatives out of the way first: yes, it's an old building in need of refurbishment, there's no restaurant and yes, there's a shortage of staff so check-in is a bit complicated. That said, the hotel is in a terrific location, right on the harbour with amazing views across the sound to Bressay. If you have a room with a view, you can watch ships come and go, see the Bressay ferry plying backwards and forwards and marvel at the view as it changes with light and weather. The Queen's is an old building but very comfortable and full of character. There is plenty of hot water and a properly-sized bath, just the ticket after a walk in a stiff, Shetland breeze. The decor is dated but the room was clean and had everything I needed: tea/coffee; tv; hairdryer etc. The bed was very comfortable and the room was made up everyday. The owners are true hoteliers who do their absolute best to make sure your stay is as good as it can be. Have they bitten off a bit more than they can chew? Maybe. Two very complicated (from a buildings perspective) hotels to run as well as a bar in town during a period where there seems to be an extreme shortage of staff. Yet they are never anything but professional, kind and smiling. Nothing is too much trouble for Lisa who has more puff than the Duracell bunny - she never stops! All of the staff we met were equally committed to providing guests with the best possible service. We stayed during Shetland Wool Week and were happy with our stay and the price we paid.