Brown's Hostel

What a wonderful little place! I am a fairly young, first-time solo traveler, and I couldn't have had a better experience. I have never stayed in a hostel before, but Sylvia's little space gave me a great first impression. For the room I was given, the price was extremely reasonable - although getting cash was a struggle (there was no card reader), since I am not from the UK and ATM fees can be quite expensive. It was much nicer and quieter than my study abroad accommodation and a fraction of the price HAHA. Stromness is such a beautiful and creative town, and the hostel really made a great home-base for exploring Orkney. Thank you so much for having me! I sincerely hope I can return! <3

What an absolute find. Lots of gratitude to Mrs Browne for being a wonderful and generous host, and creating a place that has the feeling of being home, which you can rarely find in a mainstream hotel if at all. Its also a great location right near the port of Stromness. I really enjoyed my stay here in this special place on this special island...Thank you

Sylvia is a very welcoming and helpful host - we had a great stay in Brown's Hostel! The accommodation itself is simple and well looked after, and has all the amenities that are listed. The location is very central and there are good parking spots just a short walk away. Everything was very clean.

Great wee place in the heart of downtown (!) Stromness.||As a family of four (two older teenagers) we had a family room in the house bit rather than the hostel bit. It suited us perfectly with all we needed for feeding and watering ourselves and enough space in the alley for bikes.||Stromness was an easy cycle from Kirkwall (via the old Finstown Road and the Ring of Brodgar / Maeshowe). We had an easy day trip from Stromness to Skara Brae and the sea cliffs at Yesnaby.||Pedalled back to Kirkwall via the ferry to Hoy from Stromness then the Lyness to Houton ferry - all doable at an easy pace.

Sylvia was lovely and booking was very easy. The rooms were nice and the place had a nice vibe. Good amenities and very nice location. The pathway outside is very slippery

Stayed here many times in Sylvia Browns family business . They are Lovely helpful local folks . Hostel has everything you could need and its lovely to meet other travellers in the well equipped kitchen . It is on the harbour in the town centre. Parking is nearby and easy in quiet season - bit more searching at busy times. Coop and lots of shops all 5 -10 mins walk . The hostel is in Stromness centre and 10/15 mins walk from ferry terminal travel centre and local pubs etc. definitely recommended :-)

Stayed back in October but forgot to leave a review! What a treat this place is. The owner was really lovely and welcoming, made me feel right at home and excited to visit Orkney. The rooms are bright and comfortable, well looked after, and the common area was a warm space to chill out after a long day cycling. Right on Stromness' main street, the town makes a surprisingly great base to explore the Mainland, Hoy, and beyond. Less than 5 minutes walk to the ferry port for Thurso.

Had an enjoyable 3 night stay at Browns Hostel with some friends. The beds and bedrooms were very clean and comfortable and had sinks. Toilet / shower shared between several rooms. Our rooms were accessed via external staircase, so needed to go outside to access downstairs large dining kitchen. This was reasonably well equipped and also had 3 comfy swivel desk chairs - note there is no separate lounge / sitting room. Few things a bit tired looking, needing maintenance - such as kitchen sink tap and there needs to be a system to label food in communal fridge as previous guests had left items which hadn't been cleared out. |Owner Sylvia was very friendly and we chatted to other guests in the kitchen during the stay. Free tea and coffee provided. Great convenient central location just opposite the Argos Bakery / Shop and looking along the atmospheric main street.