2 Best Hotels in Kilkenny City, The Southeast

Who needs Kilkenny Castle when you can stay at the Dowager Duchess of Ormonde's 18th-century town house, a charming piece of Georgian grandeur with an ivy-covered three-bay facade and an elegant walled garden? (There's even a private entrance to Kilkenny Castle.) Inside, the reception salon has a magnificent plaster ceiling and marble fireplaces. Upstairs, any grande dame might look askance—a gradual renovation of the guest rooms is ongoing, so the decor ranges from muted 1970s minimalist to bright and modern. The rooms vary in size, with some big as a house and others on the snug side. If you can, treat yourself to one of the high-ceiling bedrooms overlooking the garden and the castle. Breakfast is served in the gorgeous, bay-windowed dining room.

This popular family-owned hotel in the center of Kilkenny boasts the gloss of a big-city boutique lodging but not the icy-cool reception you get in some fashionable joints. The clientele is mainly Dublin weekenders in search of Kilkenny's legendary nightlife, as well as a good cross section of local business executives and foreign tourists. Relaxed and welcoming, rooms are minimalist in style, with walls painted in strong, modern colors. Zuni also has a good nouvelle restaurant where the food, like the decor, is light and contemporary. The café is perfect for lunch.