Butler House

I only strolled around the Gardens, and sadly I couldn't spend as much time there as I otherwise would've liked, but now I know it's a guest house too I know where I'd like to stay if I return to Kilkenny! The gardens are absolutely beautiful and free to wander around - so much lush greenery, designed specifically for pollinators. The central pond, covered in lilypads, is a beautiful feature. There are a range of interesting shops in the old stables showcasing Ireland's craftsmen, and a small museum with local art. Butler House also offer afternoon teas and other goodies, and there are many spots (both picnic tables and traditional benches) to sit and just take in nature. While I didn't eat there, a couple of folks from my coach tour did and said the food was superb. If you've been to the Castle and are visiting in the springtime, nip over the road and take some time away from the hustle and bustle.

We booked a family suite, and the kids were thoroughly impressed :) The gardens are lovely and our youngest had a good time looking for the various fairy doors that were there at the time. Super easy walk to the castle and downtown Kilkenny. The room was great, and breakfast was even greater, sorry we were only able to spend one night!

Overall a nice hotel in a good location but I was glad to be there for one night only. Pros: - Central location walking distance to all major touristic attractions, restaurants. In the middle of all the buzz :) - Very good size bedroom, separate bath + shower, very comfy beds and pillows. - Free car park - Nice little Easter egg hunt in the garden for our daughter who got a goodie bag upon completion - Lovely gardens - Nice lady at reception Cons: - Bedroom located in the basement with windows giving to a wall. With the reception above our heads it was impossible to have a very much needed nap with the sound of the very loud footsteps.. Same thing in the early morning... At this price tag, that was just not good enough... - We got a spring offer from the hotel's website which included a welcome coffee with a sweet treat (on top of the coffee making in the bedroom). This was never offered to us so we had to go and ask for it. The young receptionist didn't seem to know what we were talking about even when showing her the email confirmation but a nice waitress took it upon herself to serve us a nice cup of coffee in the bar area.. It was very much needed after we weren't able to have our nap due to the noise! - Breakfast: You have to book a time the day before.. We were offered 8 or 8.15am.. Rather early for when one is on holiday but as our daughter is usually an early riser we said it was fine.. She however decided to sleep in that morning and so I went down to ask if we could go a little later.. The lady didnt seem that happy about it so we reluctantly woke her up and went down around 8.30. The restaurant was literally EMPTY.. We were there for a while and only another table showed up... I REALLY wished we could have slept more... The breakfast was generous and good.

Perfect location with historic roots...the Butler House connects to Kilkenny Castle, the shops in the old stables and the gardens. But again, it is the staff that makes it so special. From the moment we arrived and were given a personal tour of the hotel, we knew we had made the right choice in booking here. At the end of each day, we enjoyed our wine in the hotel lounge and ieach morning, we enjoyed a hearty Irish breakfast. We stayed here at the start of our Irish travels and it was the benchmark against which we compared other hotels...We highly recommend a stay here!

From the moment we were greeted at reception we knew that this hotel was something special. The reception staff welcomed us to the hotel and made us feel at ease straight away. Any question we asked about the location of cathedrals and restaurants were all answered with ease. Their knowledge and love of Kilkenny was evident. Our room was updated without loosing the old world charm. Bedroom lovely and cosy and a huge deep bath. Biscuits, tea and nespresso machine in the room. After spending a busy day and night out on the town, we were looking forward to returning to the hotel. The bed was so comfortable with extra soft pillows. We slept like babies. The hotel was so quiet at nighttime. We had a room that overlooked the gardens. We woke up to the sound of birds chirping, a rare thing in a city hotel. After a lovely refreshing shower, and the softest plush towels, we headed down to breakfast. Where again we were greeted by the good natured breakfast staff. My husband ordered a gorgeous full Irish breakfast, I opted for the French toast option which was delicious. there was a huge breakfast menu to choose from. We sat and ate looking out at the gardens and Kilkenny castle in the distance. We had a lovely chat with the lady who served us as my husband enquired as to the possibility of a ghost in the hotel due to its age. Nothing was too much for the staff of this hotel. More importantly they seem to love their jobs and working in this hotel. You can see that they take great pride in the hotel. We really didn't want to leave. It was the best stay we've had in Ireland and believe me, we have had many weekends away. I would highly recommend this hotel for any occasion. Can't wait to return when the flowers and gardens are in full bloom. The weather was cold and damp but we left this hotel with a fantastic warm feeling which was simply down to a fantastic hotel, but more importantly fantastic staff ,which is quiet a rare thing unfortunately these days. We were fully rested and refreshed after our stay. Can't wait to return.

Outstanding staff and very comfortable surroundings. Excellent location. Will be back. A relaxing break despite the weather. The city is on the doorstep, as is the castle and design centre. The castle and parkpark are worth visiting. ...

Fabulous boutique hotel incredible historical building with spacious comfortable rooms. Staff was very friendly and helpful had nice bar and restaurant for breakfast. Perfectly situated to explore Kilkenny and its many shops and world class restaurants

Not the luxury you would expect from a 4 star hotel Room was ver spacious with a beautiful view over the garden. Staff very friendly and helpful. Unfortunately we had several issues with this superior room. Bathroom floor covered in water from a leak in sink. No stopper in sink. Water in shower went from tepid to luke warm. Unable to have a hot shower. Loud noises in pipes from heating. Lack of extras. Slippers / bathrobes/ shower cap.

Wonderful experience from the very minute you arrive at reception to be greeted by a very pleasant and professional young lady. Bedroom was beautiful and spectacular views of Kilkenny castle and magnificent hotel gardens. Brilliant nights sleep had as totally peaceful and very comfortable bed. Breakfast was excellent and looked after by one extremely friendly young man that was a joy to have looking after all our needs. Totally enjoyed breakfast and just gave a wonderful start to the day. Look forward to my 2nd visit and hopefully many more in the future.