Excellent hotel/bed & breakfast. On the castle grounds, our room overlooked the beautiful garden and the Kilkenny castle itself--what a view! They also gave us a free room upgrade since the hotel was not booked, something which I greatly appreciate and admire, a showing of great service. Fabulous bathroom--the best I've ever had in a hotel stay. I think the tile floor was even heated! Luxurious, decadent stay at a very reasonable price. Only issue was that in the morning we could hear whomever was staying above us walking around in heels or something; but, whether or not you experience that probably depends on the people staying above you. Such noise is to be expected, however, given the age of the building (which, aside from that noise, does not feel old at all! beautifully updated and modern, comfortable rooms). I'd suggest asking for a top floor room to avoid any noise problem. Other than that, it was fabulous! I highly recommend staying at the Butler House. Just wonderful.

We stayed here during our honeymoon, and we had an overall lovely experience. At first, we were a bit weary as we came into the main floor which is primarily meeting rooms and offices. But, when we got to our room, everything changed. Our room was very expansive, lovely, and we had an incredible view of the gardens and the Castle. The bathroom was also nice. The room was very clean, and the staff were so nice and helpful. This is not a traditional hotel or B&B, rather a piece of history that has been restored as a guesthouse, so you should set your expectations as such. The house is so gorgeous with ivy on the face, and the gardens are truly worth seeing. I spent much time taking pictures of these. The breakfast was also wonderful; however, apart from the house. It was a unique experience, and we would definitely stay here again.

Butler House is a high-class B&B rather than a hotel. It has no bar or restaurant for example. The decor in the rooms is minimalist and clean and comfy. Common areas such as stairs and the entrance lobby make the best of the historic fittings of building, but the subtle colours (white, cream, beige) often give them a cold atmosphere. If you book Butler House knowing what to expect then this all makes sense. You get a well appointed comfortable room in a fantastic location with a wonderful view in the heart of Kilkenny. Bars, restaurants, heritage, shopping are all around you, but not in house. If you expect 5-star luxury you may be disappointed.
I stayed at Butler House three times recently, each time for a single overnight stay. Always a warm welcome, always a nice room (well, it was the same one each time) and a superb breakfast in the Kilkenny Design Centre: freshly baked bread, a properly cooked 'full Irish breakfast' and smashing friendly service. I slept well, ate well and felt truly at home.
But, there are some wierd aspects. The unshaded lightbulb in the ceiling of my otherwise excellent room; the minimal attitude to toiletries (one small cake of soap, thin-towels) and the lack of co-ordination between original fittings and the more recently added fittings in corridors. The bedroom door was straight out of government issue stocks from the 1970s. Others have commented on the lack of a reception desk. I agree. When I rang the bell for entry I saw a curtain twitch and after some time the door opened and I was brought into the manager's office to check in. All very friendly though if a bit Dickensian.
The garden and the view from the room at dawn were both wonderful, so too the reliefs on the stairs. I have very pleasant memories of Butler House, in particular the peace and quiet and the bird song coming from the gardens at sunrise.

we have just returned from a weekend stay here. It was wonderful and we will stay here again in August. Our room was a standard room on the street side so, yes, there was street noise but, despite living in an area where we have NO noise at night, this did not bother us - we had been warned of this when i had booked the room. I was somewhat apprehensive about the trip having read some of the previous reviewers however, following the weekend, i realise that some things mean more to some people than it means to others. So, the security issue raised in a previous review, as far as I am concerned, is an absolute non-issue. Kilkenny is a safe city. Our room was large and comfortable clean and decorated in soothing relaxing colours of oatmeal carpet, cream walls, beech furniture. The bathroom was lovely. There was a great selection for breakfast - ok the bacon not great, but, hey, lots of other stuff to choose from! Would absolutely recommend this place. Look forward to going back.