There's just something about this place keeps drawing me back. The staff are lovely, the rooms…read morespacious and the hotel well kept. Food is hotel food if you know what I mean but the breakfast is above the ordinary. Add to that the spa and leisure centre and it's location in Birr close to Birr Castle, the bog sculptures etc. and there ye have it. I like it ...nuff said

We stayed here for a wedding. The reception took place here as well. The food was incredibly…read moregood. You wanted for nothing. Anything you wanted or needed was at your fingertips. The staff was very warm and receptive and extremely helpful. I recommend this hotel to anyone who wants great service, good food, and a comfortable place to lay their head down after their travels.

Wow. Where do I start? My wife and I decided to seriously indulge ourselves so we went with a two…read morenight package (via Relais et Chateaux) in Ballyfin Demesne, a grandiose 18th century house on 600 acres in the leafy Laois countryside. We arrived at the main electronic gates (you need to dial reception for entry) and made our way along the winding 3km road to the main house. It was a bit disconcerting to have all of the staff lined up outside the hotel to greet us, but it certainly made us feel very welcome. Our luggage was taken, my car driven off to be hidden away out of sight and we were given a short introduction about what we could expect from our stay. Our deluxe room was incredible. It was very well presented, looking very much like what it would have looked like two hundred years ago (I'm sure) and the mini bar was filled with complimentary (non alcoholic) drinks and nuts. The quality of the products (soaps, shower gels etc) were of the highest order. We relaxed for a while then went down for a guided tour of the house hosted by the extremely pleasant & imitable Lionel. The house has been lovingly restored to its former glory in the finest detail by its owners. I could talk for hours about what a beautiful hotel it is. The main points to note are that: yes you do pay a lot to stay/eat there, but it is worth it for the relaxation, the excellent food, the incredibly friendly, attentive (and not in any way overbearing) staff. There are many activities on offer (we took a spin in one of the golf buggies and explored the estate and all of its follies, grottoes and forests), including clay pigeon shooting, fishing, archery etc...I enjoyed not having to worry about running up huge bills, as most teas, soft drinks, newspapers and a pre dinner champagne etc were complimentary. The team were accommodating in every way - they had no issue with us bringing a bottle of our own wine (for nostalgic reasons - our wedding wine) and just charged corkage. The food, including the breakfasts, was incredible. I recommend to anyone looking to seriously indulge themselves in truly opulent surroundings to treat themselves to a night in Ballyfin. I would personally prefer the Cliff House for a foodie break, but for the whole end to end package it is hard to beat the luxury on offer at Ballyfin.

I cannot wait to come back! This is the most luxurious and beautiful hotel I have ever been too! We…read morestayed here for my husband's birthday. The attention to detail by the staff was phenomenal! From the pictures on the wall, flowers, decorations, I could go on.... Staff very helpful & always there to offer you, tea, water or coffee. Golf carts great way to get around!

Great experience outstanding landscape and views at Castle Durrow Ireland definitely a place…read morenot to miss if you are in Ireland.

I was here for a wedding and boy do they know how to do weddings here in Castle Durrow…read more The drinks reception was out the back, in the garden and you really couldn't ask for a more perfect setting, The room the reception itself was in was wonderful. The staff were excellent. The food was amazing. Everything really appeared to go like clock work. After dinner everyone went outside to chat and mingle the night away. The heatwave we were experiencing made it feel like the Mediterranean. After the reception room closed, we made our way to the hotel bar. Greeted by a very affable bartender, he was able to give a history of a few of the pelts and stuffed animals displayed in the room. He was a good laugh too. It's only fabulous, Castle Durrow. A great day and night was had by all.

This is a fine hotel, but with a little investment the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel could be a grand…read morehotel. The room we got spacious and comfortable room. At first glance it also looked the part of a luxurious hotel bedroom. However, a few things we noticed took the sheen off the room: Long cracks running up the wall and ceiling The counter in the bathroom had a big chip in it The handle that switches the water to run from bath taps to the shower was gone (there was a stub that worked mind you, it just looked terrible) I was very impressed with the banquet room; it was decorated perfectly for the occasion I was there for, a wedding reception. All the staff at the Abbeyleix Manor Hotel were extremely helpful and friendly. In the morning at breakfast they promptly brought things to our table that they just run out of at the hot food counter. The food was nice; from the finger food at the drinks reception, to the buffet and then the breakfast the next morning.

I've given this place 4 stars but almost gave it 5…read more There are a few issues, its obviously in need of a few repairs. Nothing major admittedly but there were a few cracks and things not quite perfect the carpet in the room had a few stains. However the place is excellent. The staff and bar staff are really friendly, the rooms are very good value. The room we had was massive, it had two double beds in it and still had room to wander around. The bar is really nice and generally it looks great a really nice hotel out of Dublin. We attended a wedding here and the room for the wedding was really good and could easily hold 120-130 people. There are toilets everywhere as well and bars in all the right places. Add to this free ( good ) wifi and a quiet nights sleep as well its a great place to stay if you are in the area. Excellent.

This is a cute little hotel that is more like a bed-and-breakfast. The staff were super friendly…read more The lobby has some seating. It also has a pub that serves breakfast lunch and dinner. Breakfast is included with the room rate. The rooms were nice, but a little bit dated. The bathroom was nice. It was clean. It had a great shower with hot water. An electric kettle with coffee and tea was in the room. It was quiet at night. The beds were comfortable. There isn't an elevator, but the woman at check-in had one of the staff carry my suitcase up the steps because they were winding and little difficult to navigate with a suitcase. The owner is very friendly and knows a lot about the area. He can also help you get transportation. My one issue was that I booked the room online through email but never received any confirmation that I had the room.

This is not a review of the hotel but only the restaurant. Durrow is not exactly coming down with…read morebreakfast spots so we found ourselves here instead. Where to start? There were four of us looking for a quick bite en route to Cullohill. Two of us ordered toast with lattes, one asked for a scone with a cappuccino and the fourth opted for poached eggs with an Americano. After some time, the scone arrived but, alas, no jam was to be found in the place. After an interval, one of the lattes and the cappuccino arrived. The latte was unpleasantly bitter and the cappuccino, pet peeve, had spilt into the saucer but the server either hadn't noticed or couldn't be bothered. Some time later, the second latte, unaccountably better than the first, and the americano arrived. By now, this tapas approach to breakfast service was wearing thin. The eggs arrived although the omens were by now poor. Two tiny examples sitting sadly beside some mass produced brown bread were served. After another 10 or 15 minutes, toast arrived. Was it delicious sourdough served at a perfect temperature and golden colour and presented, perhaps, on a fashionable slate? No. It most certainly wasn't. Three slices of supermarket sliced pan, cut diagonally for reasons were plonked unceremoniously in front of us. As well as being anorexically thin, the toast was pale although clearly had been in some limited contact with a toaster in the previous 5 minutes or so. Cardboard would be offended by the comparison. We paid almost €22 for this abomination of a 'breakfast'. There is no excuse for such a shoddy product and simply bad service. We won't be back.

This is a cute boutique hotel was nice rooms and an excellent restaurant. You enter through the bar…read morewhich is the original box office for Kilkenny Theater. The lobby is tiny but check in was quite fast. Similar to other European hotels that converted old buildings, getting to the rooms can be a bit odd. Our "300" level rooms were accessed by taking the elevator to second floor and going down a hall which took us down a few steps and then up another few steps. While a bit of a challenge with luggage, it wasn't insurmountable. The room was chic with a modern bathroom. The bed was comfortable. The best part of the stay though was dinner at the restaurant. They have an extensive wine and drink menu. They served bread with flavored butter to the table. There were two types of bread, one that was like a country loaf and one that reminded me of focaccia served with a pesto butter. They were small but delicious bites. For my main course I had the Slow Braised Hereford Irish Beef Featherblade which comes with sweet potato puree, sweet corn, green beans & smoked bacon, red pepper polenta, fried corn crumb and jus. This was an amazing meal. The succulent beef was slow cooked before being crisped for serving. This gave the exterior some caramelization which contrasted nicely with the tenderness from the slow braise. The sweet corn & green beans provided the same kind of textural and flavor contrast to the sweet potato puree. And the polenta was savory and warm. Everything was a dance of complimentary contrasts. I only spent one night in Kilkenny but wish I had spent more just to enjoy more of the Zuni's excellent food. If you're looking for a place to stay, put Zuni on your list. If you're looking for a place to dine, Zuni is a must visit!

Nice boutique hotel - upstairs from the Zuni bar and testaurant. I got one of the last rooms…read moreavailanle with 3 wks advance nioice. Our room was not fancy but was updated and comfortable. I was contacted to see if I wanted to add dinner to my B&B pkg - glad I did. The place was packed and after iordering dinner / i could see why /wonderful food!. We met a couple at breakfast who got one of the suites abd they said it was wonderful!

This is a nice little hotel and the outdoor area was quite pretty. I was only there for a one day…read moreconference so i cannot comment on the rooms or breakfast service. I did however have the lunch carvery which was adequate if not stimulating. The lamb i choose was fatty and the vegetables bland and boring. The conference room was nice and bright with skylights and a balcony on which to admire the garden and passing traffic. We were served coffee and tea on arrival to the conference by a staff member but the coffee was cold which was disappointing as i needed the coffee after my drive there!

Great service for sure, very friendly. Nice decor. Three of us had the roast turkey, one the roast…read morebeef. All enjoyed, good sized portions with plenty of veggies. We had the local beer "Kilkenny" and our server let me keep the glass, thank you very much. Good stop for four hungry travelers.

If our tour company hadn't booked this hotel, I would not have stayed here. Our room overlooked the…read morewalkway going to the car park. The room had no AC so we had to keep the single window open and the fan blowing. We could hear cars coming and going, plus cigarette smoke drifted up to our room all through the night. It was too hot to close the window. The shower had mold. Our bed was hard (not just firm, but hard) and the pillows were flat. The room looked and felt dated. Breakfast was in this odd looking room with very uncomfortable chairs. I think it's supposed to look like a forest. The buffet had many hot and cold options, however, and everything tasted great. Staff was also outstanding. . We had drinks in the bar downstairs that was also quirky. I guess it used to be a church. The stone walls were interesting and the beer was great. We were there mid-afternoon so it was fairly quiet. The bartender checked on us a few times, but left us alone to relax. We only stayed one night and it wasn't a comfortable one for us. We did not sleep well with the traffic noise and smelling smoke from whoever would stand below our window and smoke at all hours of the night. I don't recommend and I certainly won't return.