We recently had a friends reunion in Kilkenny and opted to stay at the Newpark hotel. The staff were brilliant, especially Mick the night porter, an absolute gent. Had carvery lunch the next afternoon and it was really good. The place was packed with people eating which is always a good sign. Hotel is nice but for me it was the staff that made our stay most enjoyable. I'm a frequent visitor to Kilkenny and though it's a little more expensive here then some of the other hotels, it's definitely worth the extra few quid.