Kilkenny River Court Hotel

We stayed two nights in this hotel and, while there were a few positives, the overall experience fell short — especially for the price we paid (€450 for two nights).||Our room was on the ground floor facing the road, and unfortunately, it was extremely noisy. There was loud music from a nearby venue both nights until around 1am, making it very difficult to sleep. We called reception after the first night and were told it was only a one-night event and that the hotel was fully booked, so a room change wasn’t possible. However, the same music happened again the second night, so clearly that wasn’t the case.||On top of that, the road outside is used by staff for taking out bins, which meant more noise late at night and very early in the morning. Between the music and the clattering bins, sleep was nearly impossible.||On a more positive note, the hotel itself has lovely decor — calming, modern, and well thought-out. Free parking is definitely a plus, especially in a small city like Kilkenny where parking options are limited. The bar and restaurant have a beautiful view over the river/canal, which is a lovely spot to relax.||Breakfast was average — fine, but nothing special. However, the coffee was really disappointing.||When we mentioned our poor sleep to the receptionist at checkout (after she asked how our stay was), her response was underwhelming. A brief apology, but no real sense of care or acknowledgment that the noise seriously impacted our stay. For the price, we expected better service and at least a quieter, more restful experience.||Overall, while the hotel has some nice touches and is in a great location, we wouldn’t stay again unless guaranteed a quieter room. Sleep is too important to compromise.

An exceptional experience in the very heart of Kilkenny! Kilkenny River Court Hotel is not just a place to stay it’s a feeling of calm, elegance, and genuine hospitality. The location is beyond perfect with stunning views of the castle, right on the riverbank and just steps away from the city centre. Our room was spacious, spotlessly clean, and the view was truly unforgettable. Breakfast was generous, delicious, and well organised, and the riverside restaurant offers a true delight for both the palate and the eyes. The service? Absolutely impressive. The staff were attentive, warm, and always willing to help with a smile especially the team at the restaurant and front desk. It’s the small touches like these that make your stay feel truly special. One idea for the future (inspired by guest feedback and the hotel’s care for all types of visitors): it would be great to offer customisable door signs such as “Quiet Please” or “Sensitive Guest” to add an extra layer of personal comfort. In short if you’re looking for elegance, comfort, and a warm welcome with one of the best views in Kilkenny the River Court Hotel is your place. Highly recommended. 😇

Beautifully situated hotel by the river and close to the Castle and centre of Kilkenny. |Spacious bedroom and en-suite with nice toiletries. Very good choice at breakfast. Lovely clean hotel. We had a lovely outside dining table by the river for out evening meal but were disappointed we had a wait of 1 hour 20 minutes after ordering.

I stayed in this hotel in June 2025, the room was spacious, and had everything one would expect in a modern hotel. Bed was very comfortable and there was a comfortable arm chair which was very supportive. My view was a quiet car park / courtyard and there were no sound issues during my stay. (Big plus) I chose to eat in the bar, and the food was very tasty and of excellent quality, the 2 ladies serving were fantastic, and a mature lady won MY staff member of my stay! Check in was quick and easy, as was checking out. Hotel was clean in all communal areas, and was very inviting for people to sit down. ||Draw back - car park looked quite full.|| Property is in close proximity to the city sites, and public transport hubs. I chose to have the breakfast which was buffet style and there was plenty on offer, with a wide variety to suit all tastes. Pastries, breads, toast, juices, cereals, home made granola, and the hot food under cloches was PIPING HOT and checked regularly. |My only issue was price... it was more expensive than what I would normally book for myself. If the room and breakfast had been 30 euro cheaper, then I would have had no problems at all. ||Would I recommend? YES |Would I stay here again? YES||I didn't need lunch the following day after that breakfast so I saved half of my over priced stay by not needing another meal!

Stayed in room 134 for first night, did not get to sleep till 12pm (and broken sleep at that due to drunk people coming back late slamming doors,and random shouting from locals drinking on bench beside river and car park on hotel property!! They were not moved on by staff. ) as there was music on right under our window, they were shut but made very little difference. I rang reception at about 11pm to see could we move room due to the noise, but there where no rooms apparently. This is not acceptable, either don't rent the rooms right about venue, or get proper glazing. On top of this the rooms were hot, but could not open windows due to noise.Had to take duvet out of case, no aircon, fine with me if you can open windows. Got moved on second night, to smaller room, but quieter, except for locals drinking cans on bench. Breakfast average, possibly rehydrated scrambled egg, worst black pudding ever. Cheap sausages, Cold buffet is good. Car needs a wash from rear car park, covered in layer of dust after two days, due to lime hardcore. Video of noise taken for evidence but can not post videos, it was like being inside the venue!!!

Enjoyable 2 night stay at the River Court. We had a large room overlooking the river and a view of the castle. Although dated, it was spacious, clean and the staff were delightful at reception, breakfast & bar. |Hotel and Kilkenny are very busy especially on summer weekends, the free parking is a definite bonus! The rooms were fairly pricey, but no more than other options in the area and it was a bank holiday weekend. ||Kilkenny itself is a great place to visit, lots of great music, restaurants & culture. Recommended!

Great location with easy access to the park of the Castle, wonderful and arranging staff. Bedrooms are however noisy and not well maintained, a serious refreshment is needed (windows, bathroom, furniture, …). Breakfast would be great with some fresh fruit. The terrace at the river is the best in town for food and drinks. Again a warm thank you for the staff who were fantastic

Good location and parking at the hotel. Friendly staff and great service. Our room was right above the air conditioning units, which meant noise until 10 p.m. We tried to move to another room, but everything was fully booked. Another issue was that the parking was a bit disorganized, often blocking the entrance and exit.

The River Court Hotel is a lovely place to stay during your time in Kilkenny. It is right on the river and within very close walking distance of pretty much every attraction within the city. When we arrived on our first day the front desk staff were able to check us in early and even upgraded our room to a castle view which was an exciting surprise! Our room was comfortable although one thing to keep in mind is that the hotel does not have air conditioning in the hallways and rooms, although it was cool enough at night to keep our windows open and the rooms do come with a small fan. The complimentary breakfast in the morning was very nice and the pastries (especially the chocolate croissants!) were delicious and a wonderful way to start our days before exploring Kilkenny. The hotel does have complimentary parking, which was extremely useful. We parked our car at the hotel when we first arrived and didn't end up moving it until checking out two days later since everything was so walkable in the city. I would highly recommend staying at the River Court Hotel!

GREAT wings and beautiful view on the terrace overlooking the river and Kilkenny castle. We only stopped in Kilkenny for lunch on our way back to Dublin and this place was recommended by a friend who grew up here. If you have a car, park in the hotel parking areas and they will validate your ticket. I'd love to come back and stay at the hotel and dine again!

spent the last night of our vacation here! such a cute hotel on the river side! And clear views of the kilkenny castle too! the rooms are spacious with very comfortable beds. our room rate (booked via expedia) had breakfast included. the breakfast was fairly standard irish breakfast (sausage, eggs, black & white pudding, beans, bread, etc). this hotel is in the perfect location and well priced! You can walk the major streets with all the shopping and restaurants just minutes from the hotel entrance -- i would definitely stay here again if i were to visit kilkenny again!

Views from our hotel were outstanding. The room was very clean and tidy. The front desk was very helpful with restaurant suggestions and pointing us in the right direction to maneuver around town. Most everything was within walking distance from the hotel. The hotel bar was very well equipped and had many beers on tap. I recommend the local Kilkenny Ale, very tasty. We visited during the month of October but still sat outside along the Nore River for a drink. The views were wonderful. Breakfast the next morning was buffet style and very tasty.

I'm verging on 3-4 stars for the Kilkenny River Court Hotel. If I could give 3.5 I would do. Firstly- this hotel is very well kept, with lovely spacious and well decorated rooms. The staff were really friendly and helpful. The room service was probably one of the best I've had anywhere (and I've stayed in a lotta hotels). The pool here is an absolute treat, when I went in on Sunday night it was completely empty. I had a lovely swim, followed by a steam and spa pool session, with the place all to myself! The location of the Kilkenny River Court Hotel is it's key selling point, but also it's number one problem in my opinion. The hotel is right in the town centre, surrounded by pubs, clubs and bars. I arrived late on Saturday night and had a conference on Sunday so I wasn't there to party (sadly, it looked like a fun destination for that purpose!) I didn't get to sleep until 5am on the Saturday night because it was so noisy. Sunday night was better, but still, quite a lot of talking and shouting going on outside until about midnight. Those things said, it is Ireland, and apparently Kilkenny is known for being a party town. So in essence, take earplugs, and call in advance for a quiet room unless you're out for the partying anyway.

Review is for afternoon tea service only. Basic afternoon tea service. You will get your 3 tier structure of sandwiches and sweets. Not as impressive as the pictures show. The sandwiches were in a word sloppy and not very tasty. The scones and breads were pretty good but they only offered jar of clotted cream so not super fresh and no lemon curd (sorry for sounding snooty - just giving you a comparison or what to expect at comparable English tea rooms). They didn't offer a tea choice either. But black tea offered was pretty good with sugars and cream. The final top layer of pastries and creams and cookies was good but was a little full so took these as takeaway for breakfast. Staff was friendly but a little slow and confused. I don't think they get too many full afternoon tea requests at least on the Sunday we were there. I would probably look elsewhere next time. But this place has a great riverfront patio setting with view of the castle which is hard to beat.

We went on our anniversary trip to Ireland and were told by many to book the river court for a Castle view. We booked a classic room and requested a Castle view. We were told "we would try but not promised". Never told that it was a booking class for this room...3 months later we headed off. When we arrived and they up graded us to a king room. Except it was not a good upgrade. We got the room all they way at the end with a view of the rubbish cans and cars drive by every 5 minutes to help keep you up a night. Would not reccomend, go with a nice bed and breakfast that is not out to squeeze money out of you with a poor understanding from the management. Would have been a simple fix to say to book a Castle view room....not that "we will try..."

Has to be one of the finest locations for a city centre hotel in Ireland. Easy to miss the entrance down an unpromising alleyway in John St in the heart of Kilkenny. Once inside, the car park is a bit of a challenge being small and tight but we had no difficulty in getting a space about 10 steps from the front door. Result. Staff were efficient and welcoming and our room happened to be a very short walk from the reception area. Typically I find a lot of hotels require a map, a compass and stout walking boots to walk the many miles from reception only to find the keycard doesn't work. No such issues here. Result No. 2. The room, while small, was very comfortable with a giant bed almost filling the room. Perfect. The bathroom was clean, a shower that would flay skin and fully stocked with the usual consumables. After an excellent night's sleep, we over-indulged in the buffet breakfast and reluctantly left to go on our way after a brisk walk around the town. Sorry, the city. Apparently they're a bit touchy about referring to Kilkenny as a mere 'town'. Great experience, not our first visit either and we will be back.

We stopped by the The Kilkenny River Court Hotel for some lunch and the view. The outdoor area is only lovely with a great river vista. And fortunately the weather was on our side also, for October. I had a top notch toasted special, it really was excellent. And it came with nice chips. The staff were very busy and we needed to go inside twice to both order and then to request the bill. That said the food and bill did arrive very quickly. But they need to keep in mind the customers outside. They have money too you know! There was also the most obnoxious loud patron who spent the guts of 20 mins on his phone talking about a Hollywood script he was working on. Ugh. Not a lot the hotel could do about that I'm afraid, but we had ordered so couldn't leave.

Spent two nights here while attending a wedding. Fantastic wedding in my brothers backyard by the way. Not only does this hotel have a great location the rooms are spacious and comfortable. You have to use room key to get lights to turn on but after you master that it's all grand. The chips ( French fries ) in the bar / restaurant are positively addictive. I think the best I've ever had. Served piping hot with no frills. Just delicious crispy and clean. I'd recommend staying here again.

I have never been SO embarrassed in my life to recommend a hotel to anybody, no less my aunt and uncle celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary with their family and friends (30 people in total) all flown in from England especially. Overall the customer service was second rate (at best), the food was poor, they screwed around with reservations and never resolved any issues that arose. 1. My aunt and uncle booked the Earl of Ormonde Suite - MONTHS - in advance, the day of arrival they were refused this room as it was given to a wedding party. They were offered no apologies, no compensation and no alternative arrangements. 2. At dinner my cousins ordered a 60 euro bottle of wine and were given plan old tumbler glasses to drink out of. When they requested wine glasses (which they shouldn't have had to in the first place!) they were brushed off and never got them. 3. The breakfast in the morning barely resembled breakfast, McDonalds breakfast was a step up. 4. There was literally zero customer service for their entire stay, the entire hotel was focused on the wedding and completely ignored their other guests - including my family members who had flown in for a 50th wedding anniversary, booked a suite they didn't get and were treated like crap for their stay. They put in complaints that were never resolved, goes to show management priority is more focused on bringing in revenue from hosting weddings not realizing they have other guests to cater to. 5. If you want to stay in the Rivercourt, trust me - the castle view is not worth it. Pop round for a pint, take a few pictures on the veranda while your there and stay at Langtons or the Pembroke where they actually care about their guests and customer service.

I spent a night here in this magnificent hotel. The rooms were more spacious than I have ever seen. The breakfast is an amazing buffet-style breakfast, with honey straight from the comb, coffee and toast brought straight to you, and a wide range of fix-ins to add to your meal. The outdoor seating gives you a great view of the river and the Kilkenny Castle. If you choose to sit indoors, or the ever changing weather of Ireland drives you inside, you can still see the castle from the large windows next to the plush blue chairs. This hotel is in walking distance from most of Kilkenny's best attractions, and that is needed in Ireland. The waiters are very nice, and will ask you if you need anything else, and will go out of their way to bring you what you desire. The restaurant outdoors was incredible, and the view of the castle almost seemed too good to be true. Anyway, this hotel truly deserves the 5 star rating I am going to give it. Hats off to this hotel, they did an amazing job.

Great convenient location and parking. Clean hotel and comfortable rooms. Lovely decor. Would stay there again. Why I didn't give it 5 stars was because housekeeping staff knocked on door multiple times in the morning when the do not disturb sign was up.

I was at a wedding here and I found it to be very nice and pleasant. While I didn't stay the night, I found it a nice place. It definitely has a great central location in Kilkenny. Extremely friendly staff, probably some of the nicest I've met in a long time!

T'was a beautiful morn when I established myself upon this accommodating, beautiful space. But it wasn't till I viewed the shining light that was the countenance of Brian (the beautiful and enchanting guest services fellow) did I realize what true bliss was. He provided a wonderful experience for myself and my two weary traveling companions. Together, comprising the band of men known as the Beast, The Jew, and The Rogue we enjoyed a marvelous stay thanks to the sweet, sultry touch of Brian. Every element that was innate within that soul; his gait, his lovely voice, his gesticulations, was so comforting for us merry lads. Only productive energy emanating from him, he was barren of hate. Thank you Brian. We love you.

Stayed April 2015: "Stone throw from a Castle" Before our visit, this hotel went through a remodel but their parking lot was not. There is an archway you have to go through, then a gate that provided you with a ticket. The parking lot is large, and it not only goes around the building but into another parking area behind the hotel. You walk through the lobby that has gorgeous tile flooring, seating near a fireplace, concierge desk, and the lifts are away from the front area of the hotel. Out room overlooked the parking lot but you can ask for a view of the river (pay extra of course). The bathroom was off to the right of the door, and on the left side of the hallway were the wardrobes. They appeared to be made out of a dark wood with a bamboo insert for a contrast of colors. The room was decorated in lite greens and tan, and it had one double bed and one twin bed. On the same wall as the wardrobes, there was a desk, mirror, and dresser which the TV was placed upon. There were two chairs and a table up against the wall that housed the window. The bathroom was a good size, and you could move around with ease. The baseboard and wall appeared to be grey marble, and the bathroom held a bathtub. There was a shower curtain on the curtain rod.

great staff, lovely hotel, well stocked bar comfortable rooms, very reasonable room rates tremendous buffet breakfast , wonderful location beside the castle I'll be back as soon as I can come up with a decent excuse.

We stayed here on June 6 and wish we had more time to be a guest. This is a very pleasant and comfortable and special place. We had a room with an upper balcony overlooking the river and the Castle. The room was large and very clean and had a comfortable large bed and good furnishings. The included breakfast was excellent and presented In a classy fashion. Their service at all levels was friendly and professional - highly recommended.

The rooms were nice and beds were comfortable etc, but I had asked reception in advance to please not tell my parents there were 3 other rooms booked under our family name (because we had spent a lot of time organising a surprise gathering for my parent's 40th wedding anniversary). Sadly, the receptionist asked them upon arrival: "Oh are you one of three McG's ?" which had put an end to many weeks of planning and gave the whole game away. we were quite disappointed as this special request was made in advance. I would also recommend booking rooms on the 2nd floor and up, at the weekend , as wedding parties can be very loud. Request a river view when possible. I was also charged for wine and chicken wings that i did not eat, the next morning..which I obviously did not pay for, but I felt like they were doing me a favour by taking it off the bill. None of my party ate anything in the hotel. They had to search for the docket / receipt which had a note on it saying 'left without signing.' But it was just another awkward moment for me as a guest before leaving.

Great location, amazing view of the river and Kilkenny Castle, right across the water. You can walk all over the town from this hotel, which was great. The hotel was clean and very nice and had convenient parking. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The bar was nice too - I had the drink special called "Holy Water," which was great and unique. The breakfast was okay, not spectacular, but it gets the job done. Overall, this was a great place for us to stay to explore the city, but to me, the hotel was just another nice hotel.

Don't stay at this hotel if you want to sleep. There was a wedding party and DJ playing loudly until 22:00. We were never advised of this at check in. The hotel should invest in sound proofing.

We had a lovely time at the River Court Hotel. The hotel location is excellent, it sits right across from the Kilkenny castle, your view is fantastic. You can easily enjoy a morning breakfast or afternoon coffee on the riverfront....a very picturesque spot. The breakfast provided in the morning are excellent as well. The key is the location of the hotel. It can't be beat for exploring and experiencing Kilkenny! You'll have a nice parking spot and you'll easily be able to walk the medieval mile, seeing sights such as the Black Abbey, The Cadice Cathedral and Smithwick's. Also, I highly recommend the Dylan Whiskey bar that sits just across the street!