Guest Reviews
Shared Moments From Our Guests
The story of Butler House is best told by those who have stayed with us. From peaceful mornings overlooking the walled garden to warm welcomes in our Georgian surroundings beside Kilkenny Castle, our guests’ experiences reflect what makes Butler House such a special place to stay in Kilkenny City. We invite you to read what our guests have shared about their time with us.
It Was a Pleasure!
We had a great stay here over the Easter holidays....The location is really central and the bed was really comfy. The cooked breakfast was also excellent. Highly recommended if you are visiting Kilkenny.
J. April 2026
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Country House Experience in the Heart of the City!
A beautiful hotel in the heart of the city. The grounds and proximity to the castle also provide a lovely outlook. A quiet, comfortable room and superb breakfast. Lovely to have breakfast cooked to order. The staff really made the experience feel special. Every member of the team was friendly and welcoming, and made us feel looked after. Would highly recommend. Thanks for such a relaxing stay!
Katharine M, Dublin, April 2026
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Birthday Afternoon Tea!
We recently celebrated my sister's birthday in Butler House with a beautiful afternoon tea in the gorgeous Lady Eleanor's room. The food and service was excellent. The ladies attending to the table were so friendly and helpful. The birthday lady and guests were treated fantastically from start to finish. Very helpful in every way before and on the day. We will be back. Many thanks Butler House and staff.
Patricia T, Waterford, March 2026
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Treat of a Place to Stay!
Staying at the Butler House was an absolute treat. The room was great. The reception staff were particularly friendly. Breakfast was fabulous: love the brown bread and marmalade. Location is very central, and perfect if you are a park runner. Gardens are well manicured and peaceful.
Yvette C, March 2026
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Great Introduction to Ireland!
I traveled with my two teen daughters and my sister. This was our first night in Ireland. Butler House was our splurge, and it was so worth it. The hotel is just gorgeous. We had an amazing room for four with a spectacular view of the garden. We walked all over Kilkenny and the next morning had a lovely Irish breakfast in the Lady Eleanor dining room.
Every single person we talked to at the hotel was warm and welcoming. They really took time to visit with us and answer our questions.
We ate at two restaurants in town and found that every single local person we met was willing to spend time chatting, like 10 to 15 minutes, not just a hello!
I will recommend Butler House and Kilkenny to every visitor coming to Ireland. It's less than 2 hours from Dublin and makes for a great first stop.
Laurie, Eden, North Carolina, Mar 2026
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Professional Service at its Best
A beautiful, traditional hotel in all of the best ways. Highly professional and friendly staff who knew and remembered our names, traditional rooms with updated amenities, and a great location. We had the opportunity to have a Long Table dinner at the hotel, which was an incredible variety of food and drink. An overall wonderful experience
Kelly O, March 2026
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Loved Our Stay Here!
We booked the “Miss Sarah” suite at the Butler House, and it was perfect for our three-day stay in Kilkenny for me, my husband and our daughter. The suite was spacious, comfortable, and had everything we could need. It was especially wonderful to view the castle from the huge windows in the suite upon waking in the morning! Breakfast was very good each day. The staff was very kind and accommodating. We very much enjoyed our stay here and would love to stay again! Be sure and ask for “Taxi Boi Tony” to get you to places too far to walk. He was always at the ready and shared his vast knowledge of the area as well as travel abroad. In retrospect, it was the people of Kilkenny and Dublin who truly made our trip. Everyone was so polite and put us at ease (in light of the current state of our world).
Travellintepots, Trenton, Tennessee, March 2026
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Home from Home!
Another great stay, staff all amazing. Great breakfast 😋 looking forward to our next stay at the end of August. Looking forward to seeing you all again.
Margaret B, March 2026
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A Perfect Family Day Out!
We had a family event at Butler House, and they could not have done more to make the experience better. Everyone, but particularly Nicola, was so welcoming and helpful. They made the whole thing run smoothly and were so friendly and accommodating. A beautiful day that was made all the better for the venue.
Eimear M, March 2026
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I’ll Be Back, A Luxurious Stay!
I loved this hotel. Great location, great staff, great check-in, super friendly and helpful staff. Room 80 was lovely, on the 2nd floor (there’s a lift). The room was so spacious, we were 2 adults and one child. Huge bathroom with bath and shower, and with great privacy. Beds were so comfy. The room was lovely and warm, and the shutters kept the noise out. Plenty of hot water. Nespresso machine, kettle and water provided. So convenient for everything in the city. Beautiful gardens which would make you feel like you’re in the country, so tranquil in the middle of the buzzing city. The castle was only around a 200m walk through the gardens. I adored the breakfast, it was so special, a real treat. We had the healthy juice x 2 and the homemade yoghurt with compote and lemon curd. Service was wonderful. Then the pastries came followed by cooked breakfast, 2 Butlers breakfast and waffles with bacon, maple syrup and fruit for the 12 year old. Sitting looking out at the Holly tree and the birds,
I would definitely return, possibly alone, to read a book by the fire and chill out. Car park space was a big bonus too.
Edel Jo, Mullingar, February 2026
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Romantic Getaway to Kilkenny!
Lovely overnight in an amazing hotel - full of character and atmosphere but modern in every way - customer care was outstanding from the cocktails to the breakfast (which I got fully gluten free!!). Its central location and parking spot on site made it very accessible and close to everything - the lovely views of Kilkenny Castle capped it off.
Niall Crofto, Roscrea, February 2026
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Perfect Break for You and Your Loved One!
Kilkenny is a fab city and Butler House is right in the centre of this place. Butler House is in the perfect location right at the Castle, you can walk everywhere from here. The House itself is perfect, the Suite we had was amazing, overlooking gardens to die for. The food was to die for, especially the Breakfast, all served to your table, what a treat. Freda at the front of house is lovely, a font of knowledge and very friendly.
Maggie K, Dublin, Feb 2026
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Beautiful Hotel and Welcoming Staff!
Beautiful accommodation and great experience from start to finish. We were greeted by Connor at reception who kicked our experience off to a great start. He explained everything very well, patient and showed us around. He helped another gentleman looking for a room to find another hotel as they were completely booked for the night which I felt was beyond the asking of his job. It showed his own kindness and the high standard of training that they get there. Breakfast and bar staff were smiley and grateful which added to our experience. When we checked out there was a lady with short blonde hair (I didn’t catch her name!) but she too was generous and ended our experience on a lovely note. We stayed in the botanical room which was gorgeous! The entrance to the garden was a beautiful addition. The bed was comfortable and the bathroom was a fine size. The breakfast the next morning was very tasty, served with a smile and the room had a gentle relaxing atmosphere. The value for money was very good in my opinion, especially for New Years Eve.
SBF, Vancouver, Canada, January 2026
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What an Outstanding Place to Stay!
We were greeted with smiles and lovely Irish humour by the wonderful Freda at the front desk - brilliant start to a brilliant stay in the heart of Kilkenny. Our family of 5 stayed in two rooms - both rooms were full of character, beautifully decorated, rigorously clean with quality furnishings, toiletries and linens - the explanations of the historical figures and surrounds in the guest books added a lovely touch. Breakfast was served in a lovely sitting room, as beautifully appointed as the rooms. Location is right in the middle of the town centre, next to Kilkenny castle (Butler House is actually a dower house of the castle!). My photos as well as those I’ve seen online don’t do the place justice - just be wowed when you see and experience the place for yourself!
Chris Soh, December 2025
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An Amazing Experience!
From the moment we arrived at Butler House we were made feel so welcome and our room The Lady Grace was outstanding. The food and service were excellent and we met Tommy who looks after the garden and grounds and he was a fountain of knowledge with true character and kindness. We cannot recommend Butler House enough and really look forward to our summer visit. Wendy was amazing and couldn’t have been more helpful. Thank you to all the staff for a wonderful weekend 🎉
Patricia B, Dec 2025
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Lovely Welcoming Staff!
Perfect location and lovely hotel with so much history! The staff was just lovely and everyone made us feel so welcome! The beds were super comfortable and the view of the castle from our room was spectacular. The breakfast was also delicious and so much variety - all served by lovely staff. If we come back to Kilkenny, we will definitely stay at Butler House again!
Susan, Toronto, Canada, Nov 2025
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Butler House Should Be on Your Itinerary!
We stayed at Butler House and absolutely loved the experience. The location is perfect for exploring the castle and the town Centre. The room was perfect for 3 adults. The room was spacious and the beds were very comfortable. The staff is lovely. We talked to the ladies at the front desk, receiving arrival information and also tour ideas. They were incredibly accommodating. I would stay here again. We were here in November with cloudy skies. The garden was meticulously cared for, but I imagine the summer months are really spectacular.
Virginia A, Nov 2025
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Old Style Charm, Service and Style Delivered Perfectly!
This is a charming boutique hotel in Kilkenny that provides accommodation and service that harks back to 'the good old days'. Having the hotel backing onto the gardens was lovely and from our room we were fortunate enough to be able to access the gardens directly. The room was spacious and most importantly the bed was comfortable after a long day of travel. The service in general around this property is at the higher end of the scale and is provided effortlessly. Breakfast in the dining room was brilliant with high-quality foods and individually cooked mains. I would absolutely stay here again and definitely put it on my favourite places list!
Melbourne, Australia, Nov 2025
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Beautiful, and Perfect Location!
Such a lovely place! We so much enjoyed our stay. And we were so pleasantly surprised at how close all of the attractions are. We walked everywhere to see everything with no issues. The convenience of Butler House, and the beauty of the house and gardens made this two-night stay perfect! We'd definitely stay again!
Sharon, Tallahassee, Florida, Nov 2025
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A Wonderful Family Celebration at Butler House!
We had a lovely experience at Butler House in Kilkenny for a recent family celebration. From the moment we started planning, the staff were very helpful and accommodating. We had private use of the restaurant for our celebration… The setting was perfect with great service. Breakfast here is fantastic. A special mention must go to how welcoming everyone was to our dog. The dog-friendly room is an excellent service.
Andrea, Ireland, Nov 2025
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Fantastic One Night Stay!
Absolutely fabulous experience staying in The Butler House. Staff were very friendly, professional and helpful. My wife and I agreed that the breakfast was the nicest we had ever had. Our stay included a voucher for Kilkenny Castle, which is well worth a visit. Well done to The Butler House
Martin, Dublin, Nov 2025
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Plan your stay at Butler House and experience it for yourself!
