Hands down it was the staff and the hotel. From the moment we entered the young lady behind the reception desk was helpful, well informed and funny. She was kind and (and patient) in answering our questions (hotel and non-hotel related). We ate at the Embers and found the wait staff warm and welcoming, good food, great service. We met the restaurant manager, and we talked about beers and whiskey and the hotel manager, stopped by our table and he was very entertaining as we talked about a variety of subjects including our experiences in Ireland (He was right about Spike Island). I then saw these two managers go around the room doing the same with the other guests, as well as jumping in, helping wherever their was something that needed doing, whether that was filling a water glass, clearing a plate or sharing a good story. I think a good manager doesn't work from the top down, or from an office, but working beside his/her coworkers not only doing what a manager has to do to run a hotel but supporting their staff, the people that have direct contact with the guests. I will say this about one other group that might not have direct contact with the public but sets the stage to making everyone look good and that is the cleaning crew, everything was in its place in our room and the lobby was immaculate. I told one lady that, as I watched her straighten and wipe down every corner of the space. It was all of these small, important parts of the whole that makes the time in a hotel a wonderful experience.

The elevator was a bit temperamental.

We enjoyed our one-night stay at the Kilkenny Hiberian: outstanding location (an easy walk to castle and design center); excellent breakfast (buffet + table service) in the attached restaurant; attentive staff (via pre-arrival communication, check-in, qs during our stay, holding our bags after checkout). The facilities aren't super-modern/updated, but the hotel has an appealing old school charm. (Evidently, the building was a former bank, which you can tell from the front/facade.) Since the weather was so warm (no complaints about 10 days of sunshine in our first trip to Ireland), we appreciated that they provided a portable fan in the room. Overall, everything was just right for our needs. (FYI: On the day we left, it was an easy 12-minute walk to the train station with our carry-on bags.)

The elevator/lift wasn't working, but the hotel had advised us of this days before our arrival. It's not a high-rise hotel, so it wasn't a problem for us, as we were on the 2nd floor.

We have a autism child and all the staff went beyond and out of there way to help him in any way they could many thanks Ladys on reception thanks a million for everything First hotel in ireland to eat his food all thanks to the amazing chefs in the kitchen many thanks Our food in the evening in the resturant was to die for The bar was also excellent staff always smiling and greeting just really what we needed Bedrooms were unreal beds so comfy and everything was right what a amazing place to go to stay for few nights would highly recommand with respect

That we had to leave to go home again

Have stayed here before.Location is so central to everything, pubs, restaurants etc. Room was very comfortable, nice bed and pillows. Staff very friendly and attentive. Great breakfast, enjoyed our stay and we will be back.

Nothing really. A small gripe but we wanted to watch The Lions V Australia rugby match on TV. We planned to watch it in the lounge/bar but they didn't have any Sports channels so we had to go out to one of the local bars. Not a major problem but would have preferred to watch it in the hotel.

The location was excellent, centrally located. They had a lovely outdoor patio area in front of the hotel that served food and drinks. Food at the restaurant was very good. Rooms were nice and comfortable. Breakfast the next day was also really good. Staff was very friendly and accomodating. The elevator was not working, so staff offered to carry our bags to our rooms. The attached bar was lively at night and they had live music.

Not sure there was anything worth mentioning!

Location was great and staff was very helpful. The food and pub were both great options if you did not want to go for a short walk for other options.

The lift was broken .. they did notify us and helped with the luggage. My room was above the pub. The music did shut down early on Sunday at 2230. The street noise quieted after midnight. Would have preferred a room away from the noise. The bathroom was very large but without any shelf or sink space for my things.

Perfectly located in the very centre of town with a short walk to all amenities. Rooms were very soundproof even with a lot of noise on the street outside, when windows were closed we couldn't hear a thing! Beautifully updated decor. Room was spotlessly clean & beds very comfy. Lovely friendly and very accommodating hotel crew that met all our requests promptly & with a smile.

Unfortunately no air conditioning. There was a ceiling fan & freestanding fan which did help but it was still quite warm (probably not a usual issue but due to a weather high) with little air able to circulate due to security windows. Reception kindly provided us with plenty of water when requested though.

Staff were all very friendly and helpful. Breakfast was very good, although the same breakfast order came out served quite differently on 3 different days. must have had have 3 different chefs :) Room was clean and good condition although looked out over the back of the hotel (not much of a view) and could hear external fans in the room but didn't disturb me. Great stay overall. No onsite parking but the multi storey car park 2 min walk away was very well maintained and the staff there were very helpful too. Lots to see in the local area.

Room at front of hotel would have been better with nicer view.

On the day prior to our stay I thought I would have to cancel the booking due to unforeseen circumstances. I spoke to Brendan on reception and he couldn't have been any more helpful. He dealt with my situation in a kind, professional and understanding manner. I ended up not having to cancel and we met Brendan on arrival and he was every bit as pleasant then. The hotel itself is lovely, fabulous decor and really clean and comfortable. We were staying for a concert in Nowlan Park and was only about a 15 min walk from there. We had breakfast in the morning before we left and we couldn't fault that in any way, everything was freshly cooked and as requested. We met another lovely member of staff there but I didn't catch her name.

The hotel is in a great central location and has a charming pub attached. We spent two evenings in this pub because the music offering was superb. It was full but not crowded and even with the music we were able to converse because it wasn’t overly loud. Our room was spacious and had everything we needed. The staff was attentive and always helpful. We loved our four nights here!

Carpeting in the room was stained but everything else was in good condition so it didn’t bother us.