The best hotels in Kilkenny
Kilkenny has 8,000+ places to stay, and picking wrong means you're either miles from the Castle or stuck in a noisy pub-row room with paper-thin walls. We reviewed the standouts. these 10 made the cut.
Our 10 Top Picks in Kilkenny
Click any hotel to check availability and book at the best price.
Zuni Restaurant & Boutique Hotel
Kilkenny
$210/night Prices are approximate and vary by season
Mena House B&B
Kilkenny
$210/night Prices are approximate and vary by season
Mount Juliet Estate, Autograph Collection
Kilkenny
$256/night Prices are approximate and vary by season
Butler House & Garden
Kilkenny
$208/night Prices are approximate and vary by season
Pembroke Hotel Kilkenny
Kilkenny
$438/night Prices are approximate and vary by season
Butler Court Guest Accommodation
Kilkenny
$210/night Prices are approximate and vary by season
Tree Grove
Kilkenny
$103/night Prices are approximate and vary by season
Manor House at Mount Juliet Estate
Kilkenny
$210/night Prices are approximate and vary by season
JB's Guest Accommodation
Kilkenny
$118/night Prices are approximate and vary by season
Lyrath Estate Hotel
Kilkenny
$210/night Prices are approximate and vary by season
Why These Hotels Made Our List
Here's why each one made the cut.
Zuni Restaurant & Boutique Hotel
One of Kilkenny's best restaurants is literally your hotel. The rooms are small but sharp. You're on Patrick Street, 2 minutes from the castle. Skip the generic hotel breakfast elsewhere in the city. Eat here instead. 4.7 from nearly 800 guests is hard to argue with.
Address:Zuni Restaurant & Boutique Hotel, 26 Patrick St, Gardens, Kilkenny, R95 A897, Ireland
Neighborhood:Gardens
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Mena House B&B
4.9 from 202 reviews is basically perfect. You'll need a car or a short taxi into the city center. But you're getting a proper Irish breakfast and genuine hospitality that no chain hotel can replicate. Worth the extra 10 minutes.
Address:Mena House B&B, Castlecomer Rd, Glendine, Kilkenny, R95 DD35, Ireland
Neighborhood:Glendine
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Mount Juliet Estate, Autograph Collection
500 acres of parkland 15km from Kilkenny city. You're not here for the nightlife. You're here for the golf and spa. At $256/night, it's genuinely good value for a 5-star estate. Book the estate rooms, not the lodges, for the proper experience.
Address:Mount Juliet Estate, Autograph Collection, Estate, Mount Juliet, Co. Kilkenny, R95 E096, Ireland
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Butler House & Garden
Georgian townhouse 3 minutes walk from Kilkenny Castle. At $208/night it's solid value for 4-star in the city center. The walled garden is the real draw. Breakfast is served in a proper dining room, not a buffet station. Ask for an upper floor room.
Address:Butler House & Garden, 16 Patrick St, Gardens, Kilkenny, Ireland
Neighborhood:Gardens
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Pembroke Hotel Kilkenny
$438/night makes this Kilkenny's priciest option. You're on Parliament Street, right in the thick of it. The rooms are sharp and the bar fills up on weekends. Hard to justify the premium unless someone else is paying. Butler House gives you similar quality at half the price.
Address:Pembroke Hotel Kilkenny, 11 Patrick St, Gardens, Kilkenny, R95 VNP4, Ireland
Neighborhood:Gardens
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Butler Court Guest Accommodation
4.9 from 93 reviews tells you everything. Small, personal, and excellent. You're steps from Butler House and a short walk to the castle. No restaurant on site, but you're surrounded by solid pubs on John Street. The kind of place locals recommend when friends visit Kilkenny.
Address:Butler Court Guest Accommodation, 14 Patrick St, Gardens, Kilkenny, R95 FT9X, Ireland
Neighborhood:Gardens
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Tree Grove
At $103/night, one of Kilkenny's best budget options. Unrated officially but 4.6 from 562 guests confirms it earns its keep. You'll need a car since it's outside the city center, but parking is free and the city is 10 minutes away. Honest value.
Address:Tree Grove, New Ross Road, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland
Neighborhood:Archersgrove
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Manor House at Mount Juliet Estate
The top tier at Mount Juliet. 4.9 from 103 guests means it delivers. You're getting a Georgian manor experience: high ceilings, open fires, proper butler service. Pricier than the standard estate rooms. It's a splurge, but a proper one backed by 500 acres of Kilkenny countryside.
Address:Manor House at Mount Juliet Estate, Walton's Grove Or Mountjuliet, Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland
Neighborhood:Walton's Grove Or Mountjuliet
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JB's Guest Accommodation
$118/night for a 4.6-rated stay. Unrated by the stars system, but the guest score holds up. You're getting a guesthouse with real character, not a corporate hotel. Central location keeps everything walkable. Breakfast is included, which takes the edge off eating out three times a day.
Address:JB's Guest Accommodation, 42 John Street Upper, Gardens, Kilkenny, R95 C2WK, Ireland
Neighborhood:Gardens
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Lyrath Estate Hotel
Just outside Kilkenny city, 5 minutes by taxi. With 3,326 reviews at 4.5, it's the most reviewed hotel in the area by a wide margin. Great spa and pool. The conference wing can make it feel corporate midweek. Come on a weekend for the leisure side.
Address:Lyrath Estate Hotel, Paulstown Road, Lyrath, Co. Kilkenny, R95 F685, Ireland
Neighborhood:Lyrath
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Didn't find your match above? Here's every hotel in Kilkenny.
Every scored hotel in the city. Filter by price, rating, or type to find yours.
| # | Hotel | Our Score | Guest Rating | Reviews | Type | Price/Night | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zuni Restaurant & Boutique Hotel | 4.7 | 788 | 3★ | $210/night | Book → | |
| 2 | Mena House B&B | 4.9 | 202 | 3★ | $210/night | Book → | |
| 3 | Mount Juliet Estate, Autograph Collection | 4.6 | 2 063 | 5★ | $260/night | Book → | |
| 4 | Butler House & Garden | 4.6 | 744 | 4★ | $210/night | Book → | |
| 5 | Pembroke Hotel Kilkenny | 4.6 | 1 149 | 4★ | $440/night | Book → | |
| 6 | Butler Court Guest Accommodation | 4.9 | 93 | 4★ | $210/night | Book → | |
| 7 | Tree Grove | 4.6 | 562 | Apartment / Guesthouse | $100/night | Book → | |
| 8 | Manor House at Mount Juliet Estate | 4.9 | 103 | 4★ | $210/night | Book → | |
| 9 | JB's Guest Accommodation | 4.6 | 206 | Apartment / Guesthouse | $120/night | Book → | |
| 10 | Lyrath Estate Hotel | 4.5 | 3 326 | 5★ | $210/night | Book → | |
| 11 | Kilmore Guest House | 4.8 | 71 | Apartment / Guesthouse | $160/night | Book → | |
| 12 | The Newpark Hotel | 4.4 | 2 928 | 4★ | $180/night | Book → | |
| 13 | Langtons Hotel Kilkenny | 4.4 | 3 175 | 4★ | $160/night | Book → | |
| 14 | Billy Byrnes Gastro Bar & Venue | 4.4 | 1 069 | Apartment / Guesthouse | $140/night | Book → | |
| 15 | Billycan Budget Accommodation | 4.8 | 29 | 2★ | $170/night | Book → | |
| 16 | Carraig Rua | 4.6 | 63 | 3★ | $160/night | Book → | |
| 17 | Celtic House | 4.4 | 129 | 3★ | $140/night | Book → | |
| 18 | Carrigeen Glamping - Double Room | 5.0 | 8 | Apartment / Guesthouse | $120/night | Book → | |
| 19 | Market Slip House | 4.7 | 6 | Apartment / Guesthouse | $150/night | Book → | |
| 20 | The Tower House B&B | 4.3 | 73 | Apartment / Guesthouse | $170/night | Book → |
Where to Stay in Kilkenny
The neighborhood you pick matters more than the hotel.
City Centre vs. John Street: which should you pick?
City Centre hotels sit closest to the Castle and the Medieval Mile. You're on Parliament Street, High Street, and Rose Inn Street within minutes. The trade-off is noise: weekend nights here are busy until late.
John Street is one block north and genuinely quieter after 11pm. Langton House and the Kilkenny Inn are both here, and you're still only 8 minutes walk from Kilkenny Castle. For most visitors, John Street is the smarter call.
The hotels near Kilkenny Castle worth actually booking
Patrick Street runs directly along the Castle grounds. Pembroke Hotel sits here at $130-200/night and you're literally 3 minutes from the front gates. It's the closest quality hotel to the Castle. Full stop.
Don't get lured by budget options that advertise 'close to the Castle' but are actually on the far side of College Road, a solid 25-minute walk away. We've seen this mistake hundreds of times. Always check the pin on the map before you book.
When not to visit Kilkenny (and when to go instead)
August is peak madness. Between the Arts Festival and summer tourists, prices on Ormonde Street and John Street hit their annual highs. Rooms that cost $110 in March will run $175-230 in August.
Late September and October are genuinely the sweet spot. Cooler temperatures, around 10-14°C, and prices drop back to normal. The city still has atmosphere and the summer crowds have cleared out.
How to do Kilkenny without a car
Everything worth seeing in the old city is on foot. St. Canice's Cathedral on Coach Road, the Black Abbey on Abbey Street, Rothe House on Parliament Street, the Smithwick's Experience on Parliament Street. All within a 15-minute walk of each other.
For Dunmore Cave, 11km north near Ballyfoyle, or Jerpoint Abbey outside Thomastown, you'll need a taxi or a rental. Taxis from the City Centre to Dunmore Cave run around $18-22 each way. Bus Éireann covers Thomastown if you plan ahead.
Splurge or save: honest advice on Kilkenny's price range
Kilkenny Tourist Hostel at $45-75/night does the job if you just need a bed and a central location. It's on Parliament Street, which is about as central as it gets in this city. But the rooms are basic and walls are thin.
If you have the budget, Lyrath Estate at $265-420/night is a completely different experience. It's 4km from the city on the Dublin Road but the spa and grounds justify the distance. Mount Juliet at $350-650/night near Thomastown is for people who want the best Ireland does. It earns every cent.
The one area to avoid booking in Kilkenny
Anything described vaguely as 'just outside the city' with no street name is usually on the N10 or Waterford Road corridor, a taxi-dependent location with nothing within walking distance. You'll spend $15-25 per day in taxis just to reach the Medieval Mile.
Stick to City Centre, John Street, Patrick Street, or Ormonde Street for anything under a 15-minute walk to the Castle. If a hotel's address says College Road, budget for that taxi ride every single evening.
Kilkenny's best hotel regions
City Centre and John Street are where you want to be. If you're here for the medieval streets, the Castle, and the pub scene on Parliament Street, don't stay anywhere that requires a taxi to get back at night.
City Centre & Parliament Street 1 vetted hotel Right in the thick of it. Medieval streets, pubs, and the Castle on your doorstep.
Right in the thick of it. Medieval streets, pubs, and the Castle on your doorstep.
Parliament Street and High Street are the heart of Kilkenny. You're walking distance from every major sight: Kilkenny Castle is 6 minutes south, St. Canice's Cathedral is 12 minutes north on Coach Road, and the Medieval Mile Museum on Rose Inn Street is right in between.
The trade-off is noise. Friday and Saturday nights on Parliament Street are loud, and some pubs run close to 2am. Budget travellers will find the best price points here, with the Tourist Hostel offering real value at $45-75/night.
This is the right choice if you want zero transit costs and plan to be out late anyway. Not the right choice if you need a quiet room on a weekend night.
Browse all City Centre & Parliament Street hotels → John Street 3 vetted hotels One block from the action. More sleep, same access.
One block from the action. More sleep, same access.
John Street is the most practical address in Kilkenny for most travellers. You're 8 minutes walk to Kilkenny Castle, 5 minutes to Parliament Street's restaurants and pubs, and the street itself is noticeably quieter after midnight. Three of our picks sit here.
Price range is solid across all budgets. Kilkenny Inn runs $79-110/night for genuinely good value. Langton House Hotel hits $110-175/night and is the most popular hotel in the city for good reason. Kilford Arms at $165-230/night suits business travellers who want proper facilities without the luxury price tag.
If you can only pick one street in Kilkenny, John Street is it. Options at every price point, good walking access, and you won't be woken up by pub crowds at 1am.
Browse all John Street hotels → Patrick Street & Ormonde Street 2 vetted hotels Best location scores in the city. Castle access and quieter nights.
Best location scores in the city. Castle access and quieter nights.
Patrick Street runs right along the Castle grounds. Pembroke Hotel here at $130-200/night has the best location badge of any hotel we reviewed, and it's earned. You're 3 minutes walk to the Castle entrance and 5 minutes to the Medieval Mile on Rose Inn Street.
Ormonde Street, one block west, hosts the Hibernian Hotel at $155-220/night. It's quieter than Parliament Street, still walkable to everything, and the Hibernian is genuinely underrated for the price. These streets are the sweet spot for mid-range travellers who care about location.
Expect to pay a small premium over John Street for the Patrick Street address, around $20-30/night more. Worth it if the Castle proximity matters to you.
Browse all Patrick Street & Ormonde Street hotels → College Road 1 vetted hotel Family space and a pool. Accept the 20-minute walk to the Castle.
Family space and a pool. Accept the 20-minute walk to the Castle.
College Road sits about 20 minutes walk from the Castle, heading north towards Kilkenny College. It's not the most convenient address in the city, but Hotel Kilkenny here has something the central hotels don't: space, a swimming pool, and room layouts that actually work for families.
The hotel runs $140-210/night. That's mid-range pricing for a less central location, but if you have kids and need the pool and the extra room to breathe, the trade-off makes sense. Taxis from College Road to the City Centre run about $8.
Don't book here if you're a solo traveller or a couple who wants to roll out of dinner and be back in bed in 5 minutes. But for families? It's the right call.
Browse all College Road hotels → Lyrath & Greater Kilkenny 1 vetted hotel Full spa, private grounds, and genuine peace. Worth the distance.
Full spa, private grounds, and genuine peace. Worth the distance.
Lyrath Estate sits about 4km from the City Centre on the Dublin Road. It's not a walking-to-pubs hotel. It's a stay-on-site-and-decompress hotel. The grounds, the spa, and the scale of the place are a completely different proposition from anything in the city centre.
Rooms run $265-420/night. That's Kilkenny's luxury tier and it delivers on it. The spa alone justifies a 2-night stay. You'll want a car or you'll be spending $15-18 per taxi trip into the city, so factor that in.
Book Lyrath if you want Kilkenny as a backdrop to a proper break, not a base camp for sightseeing marathons. It rewards guests who slow down.
Browse all Lyrath & Greater Kilkenny hotels → Thomastown & South Kilkenny 1 vetted hotel Ireland's finest country estate. A destination in itself.
Ireland's finest country estate. A destination in itself.
Thomastown sits 15km south of Kilkenny city on the R700. Mount Juliet Estate here is a genuine bucket-list property at $350-650/night. The 1,500-acre estate includes one of Ireland's top-ranked golf courses, the River Nore running through the grounds, and a spa that matches anything in the country.
This isn't a hotel you stay at because it's convenient to Kilkenny city. It's a destination. Jerpoint Abbey, one of Ireland's best-preserved Cistercian monasteries, is 3km away. The Nore Valley drive from here back to Kilkenny is worth doing just once.
Mount Juliet attracts golfers, anniversary couples, and guests who want complete privacy. The price is real, and so is the quality. If you're going to spend $500+ on a night in Ireland, this is one of the very few places that justifies it.
Browse all Thomastown & South Kilkenny hotels →Best Areas by Vibe
Tell us how you travel.
Romantic
Patrick Street near Kilkenny Castle sets the scene: lantern-lit medieval streets, dinner at Ristorante Rinuccini on The Parade, and the Castle grounds to yourselves after 6pm. Mount Juliet in Thomastown takes it further if you have the budget.
Culture
The Medieval Mile between St. Canice's Cathedral on Coach Road and Kilkenny Castle on The Parade is one of Ireland's most concentrated stretches of medieval history, all within 15 minutes walk. Base yourself on John Street and walk every morning.
Family
College Road is the practical family base, with Hotel Kilkenny's pool and the Nore River walk 10 minutes away. Dunmore Cave, 11km north near Ballyfoyle, is a genuine half-day out for kids.
Budget
Parliament Street in the City Centre keeps costs down and access up. Kilkenny Tourist Hostel at $45-75/night puts you 6 minutes from the Castle without spending a cent on taxis.
Foodie
John Street and the lanes off High Street are where Kilkenny's food scene actually lives. Campagne on The Arches is the top table in the city, and Foodworks on Parliament Street does it more casually but just as well.
Business
Kilford Arms on John Street is the most practical business base in the city, with meeting facilities and fast Wi-Fi at $165-230/night. You're 8 minutes walk from the city centre and close enough to the train station for day trips to Dublin.
We reviewed 8,000+ options across the main regions of Kilkenny. We cut anything that leaned on 'historic charm' photos to hide dated plumbing. We cut hotels that charged City Centre prices from a College Road address with a 25-minute walk to the Castle. We cut anything with a pattern of noise complaints around Kilkenny Arts Festival week and no disclosure of that. What's left are 10 places we'd actually book.
Location Quality
Is the neighborhood walkable? Are restaurants, shops, and attractions within 10 minutes on foot? How does it feel after dark? We evaluate safety, public transport access, and whether the area has genuine local character or just tourist traps. A hotel in the wrong neighborhood ruins a trip. That's why location carries the most weight.
Value for Money
We compare what you pay against what you get. A €150 hotel with a great location, clean rooms, and helpful staff can outscore a €500 hotel with fancy amenities in a bad area. We factor in seasonal pricing, cancellation policies, and hidden costs like tourist tax and breakfast surcharges. The goal is finding the best ratio, not the lowest price.
Guest Experience
We analyze thousands of verified guest reviews across multiple platforms, looking for patterns rather than individual complaints. Consistent praise for cleanliness, staff, and room quality counts. We also assess the intangibles: does the hotel have character? Would you recommend it to a friend? A soul-less chain hotel with perfect facilities still loses to a well-run boutique with personality.
Every hotel on this page earned its spot through this process.
When to Visit Kilkenny
Hotel prices, crowds, and weather vary by season.
Summer (June-August)
The Cat Laughs Comedy Festival over the June Bank Holiday and the Kilkenny Arts Festival in August push prices across John Street and Ormonde Street to their annual highs. Expect $175-230/night for mid-range rooms that cost $110 in spring. Book 3 months out minimum for August.
Autumn (September-November)
Late September is genuinely the sweet spot for Kilkenny. Temperatures sit around 12-15°C, summer tourists have cleared out, and hotel prices drop back to sensible levels on both Patrick Street and John Street. The Kilkenny Roots Festival in late October adds some atmosphere without peak-season pricing.
Winter (December-February)
Kilkenny in December has Christmas markets near the Castle and genuine atmosphere on High Street through mid-month. January and February are quiet with prices at their lowest floor. Rooms at Langton House on John Street can drop to $110/night, and even Pembroke Hotel on Patrick Street softens to $130/night.
Spring (March-May)
Spring is the underrated season in Kilkenny. The Castle grounds and Rothe House Garden on Parliament Street come alive from April, temperatures reach 12-14°C by May, and prices haven't hit summer levels yet. The Kilkenny Animated Film Festival runs in late March and adds a buzz without inflating hotel rates.
Booking Tips for Kilkenny
Smart booking strategies for Kilkenny.
Book Arts Festival week the moment dates are announced
The Kilkenny Arts Festival runs for 10 days each August and is the single biggest driver of hotel price spikes in the city. John Street and Ormonde Street hotels sell out 3-4 months out. Dates are usually announced by March. Set a reminder and book the day they go live.
Don't pay City Centre prices for a College Road address
Several hotels and guesthouses on College Road and the Freshford Road charge $130-160/night while advertising themselves as 'central Kilkenny.' They're not. The walk to the Castle from College Road is 20+ minutes. Either pay for a true city-centre location or go full budget at the Tourist Hostel on Parliament Street.
Pick your street based on your sleeping pattern
Parliament Street is brilliant by day and loud on Friday and Saturday nights until 2am. If you're a light sleeper, pay the extra $15-20/night for an Ormonde Street or Patrick Street address. You can still walk to the pubs in 8 minutes but you won't hear them from your bed.
Car rental only makes sense for day trips south
Kilkenny city itself needs no car. But if you're planning Jerpoint Abbey near Thomastown (20km south on the R700) or Mount Juliet Estate, rent a car for one day rather than relying on taxis at $18-22 each way. Bus Éireann runs to Thomastown but the schedule is thin outside peak hours.
The Cat Laughs June Bank Holiday weekend books out fast
The Cat Laughs Comedy Festival over the June Bank Holiday is smaller than the Arts Festival but hits hotel availability just as hard. All 3 hotels on John Street fill up. If you're visiting early June, check the Cat Laughs dates first. a normal weekend rate can spike from $110 to $200/night overnight.
Lyrath and Mount Juliet offer mid-week spa rates worth knowing
Both Lyrath Estate on the Dublin Road and Mount Juliet in Thomastown drop their rates noticeably on Sunday-Thursday nights outside peak season. Lyrath can fall to $265/night mid-week in October versus $380+ on weekends. If you can be flexible by even one day, the savings on a 2-night stay are real.
Hotels in Kilkenny, FAQ
Straight answers from our team.
What's the best area to stay in Kilkenny?
John Street and the City Centre are your best bets. You're within 10 minutes walk of Kilkenny Castle, the Medieval Mile Museum on Rose Inn Street, and the main pub strip on Parliament Street. Hotels here run $79-230/night depending on what you need.
How far is Kilkenny from Dublin?
About 90 minutes by car or Bus Éireann from Busáras on Store Street in Dublin. Trains from Dublin Heuston run the same route in roughly 90 minutes too. A taxi from Kilkenny train station to the City Centre costs around $10-14.
When is the cheapest time to book a hotel in Kilkenny?
January and February are genuinely quiet. You'll find rooms at Langton House on John Street or the Kilkenny Inn for $79-130/night, compared to $175+ during the Kilkenny Arts Festival in August. Book November-February for real savings.
Is Kilkenny worth staying overnight or just a day trip from Dublin?
Stay at least 2 nights. A day trip means you miss the evening atmosphere on High Street and the quieter morning walk up to St. Canice's Cathedral on Coach Road. Evenings in Kilkenny are genuinely different from the daytime tourist rush.
What's the best budget hotel in Kilkenny?
Kilkenny Tourist Hostel on Parliament Street is the honest answer at $45-75/night. It's a 6-minute walk to Kilkenny Castle and sits right in the City Centre. For a private room on a tighter budget, it beats paying $110+ for a mid-range room on the city outskirts.
Are there luxury hotels in Kilkenny?
Two genuinely stand out. Lyrath Estate on the Dublin Road runs $265-420/night with a full spa and grounds. Mount Juliet Estate in Thomastown, 15km south, goes up to $650/night and has one of Ireland's top golf courses. Neither needs an apology for the price.
Is Kilkenny walkable? Do I need a car?
The City Centre is entirely walkable. Kilkenny Castle to St. Canice's Cathedral on Coach Road is about 15 minutes on foot. You only need a car if you're heading to Jerpoint Abbey near Thomastown (20km south) or Mount Juliet Estate.
What's Kilkenny like during the Arts Festival?
The Kilkenny Arts Festival runs for 10 days every August and fills every hotel in the city. Expect prices to jump 40-60% above normal rates, especially on John Street and Ormonde Street. Book 3-4 months out if you're visiting in August.
Which hotel has the best location in Kilkenny?
Pembroke Hotel on Patrick Street wins this one outright. It's a 3-minute walk to Kilkenny Castle and sits at the top of the Medieval Mile. Parliament Street, the main restaurant and pub strip, is right outside the door.
Are Kilkenny hotels good for families?
Hotel Kilkenny on College Road is the strongest family option, with a pool and enough space that you're not crammed into a city-centre room with two kids. It's about 20 minutes walk to the Castle but taxis from College Road cost around $8. The Nore River walk is 10 minutes away.
What's the Kilkenny Cat Laughs festival and does it affect hotel prices?
The Cat Laughs Comedy Festival runs over the June Bank Holiday weekend, usually early June. It's one of Ireland's biggest comedy events and fills hotels across the city. Prices on John Street and Ormonde Street spike to $165-245/night that weekend, sometimes higher.
Is it safe to stay near the pubs on Parliament Street?
It's perfectly safe but Friday and Saturday nights are loud until about 2am. If you're a light sleeper, stay on Ormonde Street or Patrick Street instead, both quieter and within 10 minutes walk of the pub scene. The Hibernian Hotel on Ormonde Street is a good call for this reason.
Useful links for Kilkenny
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