Butler House, a hotel in the small medieval old town of Kilkenny was awarded the status of Unique Luxury Hotel of the Year by the prestigious Luxury Travel Guide. The prestigious luxury travel award seeks to recognise excellence in the affluent travel and tourism industry. With nominations coming in from around the globe, the expert judges from the Luxury Travel Guide travel extensively in order to accurately identify the best services available from within a number of fields including hotels, airlines, tour operators and even airport transfers.
To make the competition a touch easier, the awards are divided into global regions of Europe, Australasia, The Americas and Africa, coinciding with the release of their Luxury Travel Guide publication in that region. For all categories and regions, nominations are shortlisted before voting is opened to the guide’s half a million subscribers.
According to Butler Hotel’s manager, Gabrielle Hickey winning the competition was a huge achievement by the hotel and “ a further endorsement of Kilkenny’s high reputation in the tourism industry”. Indeed, the Butler Hotel offers a wonderful example of Victorian charm, that is comfortably fitted with modern day conveniences and amenities. Guests are able to enjoy a walk in the beautiful manicured gardens before retiring to the sunshine lit dining hall for a sumptuous meal prepared by the talented in-house chef. Hickey felt that the awards which “represent the pinnacle of hospitality achievement” made it an enormous honour “to come out on top, and an achievement we are very proud of”.
The quiet and otherwise little-known Kilkenny, is a medieval town situated in southeast Ireland. Most remarkable for its history, the grand Kilkenny Castle was built in 1195 by Norman occupiers and since that time the town has become known as being deeply connected to its religious roots, making it a rather unusual place to offer heights of luxury. The town is dotted by many well-preserved churches and monasteries, that are dated as far back as the 13th century. For its visitors Kilkenny also lends itself as a wonderful crafts hub, with its main shopping strip situated along winding cobblestone lanes offering a great variety of pottery, paintings and jewellery.
