We travelled from Cork to Killarney with our 10yo daughter for a weekend break. This hotel's location is really perfect, being slap bang in the middle of the town and walking distance to everything in the entire town. From the moment we walked in the door (well, before actually because we had to telephone the hotel with a booking change) the staff were very friendly and helpful. The hotel public areas and the rooms are traditionally decorated and very tasteful and comfortable. Our deluxe room had a 5' double bed and a single bed for our daughter and still had plenty of room. The bathroom was large and airy and well equiped. Breakfast was fantastic - we did not eat dinner in the restaurant (which we regretted) and the bar was fun and lively.

Hard to fault this hotel - considering it was very reasonably priced. Very good value indeed. We would definitely consider staying there again.

This hotel encapsulates everything that Irish hospitality is about. The public rooms and guest rooms ooze old-world style but with 21st Century attention to detail. Breakfast is an experience worth getting up for: terrific choice of cooked options if you haven’t overloaded from the buffet table of fresh fruit, yoghurt, cereals, home-made breads, scones and traditional pastries. Tables have beautiful, Irish linen tablecloths and napkins set off with silver tea pots and jugs. And, if you can, have a chat with Betty. Betty is not so much a person as an institution (a walking, talking, encyclopedic one). She has waited in the dining room, and everywhere else around the hotel, for more years than anyone can remember (including the owners!): we’re talking decades here! She’s just wonderful and, she’s not alone. Some of the hotel employees have been here since Adam was a boy. Really. 10, 20, 30, 40+ years: all part of the Buckley Dynasty.
The adjacent Buckley’s Bar is a favourite with locals and visitors alike. It’s cosy and typically Irish: sounds of happy banter and chit-chat and music and laughter and the clink and dull thud of Guinness pints going endlessly about their business. Wallpaper with musical motifs, well worn wooden benches, softly padded arm chairs, original photographs. Sit by the fire; chat with the locals; sing along with the motley bunch of musicians that come and go before lunch on Sundays. It’s what a good pub should be. Magic! I met the owners, Sean and Carol Buckley, and reminded them - in case they'd forgotten - that most hoteliers would give their right arm to get close to what this establishment has on offer: location, style, tradition, ethos - and staffed by the most warm and wonderful people. It’s right in town with culture, history, shopping, pubs, restaurants and entertainment on the doorstep. It’s also a favourite starting point for visitors doing the famous “Ring of Kerry" tour. And, the wonderfully scenic Irish “Lake District” and Killarney National Park are just minutes away by car – or “Jaunty Car” (touristy horse and trap - complete with driver/guide who never stops talking). However long you’re here for you’ll want to come back. Honest!

My Mother, sister and I had a most enjoyable stay in the Arbutus
Hotel, Killarney which is perfectly located in the centre of town and ideal for touring the famous beautiful sites (e.g. Ross castle and Killarney lakes and Muckross House) which Killarney has to offer. We can only say that the food at the Arbutus was heavenly and second to none with the most delicious breakfast you could ever imagine - the gingerbread is simply to die for!!
From the minute you step inside the reception door you to when you leave you will enjoy the most friendly of staff and a special thanks to Betty and all the dining room staff who could not do enough to make our stay a delight. The bar provides some good "craic" with lovely traditional Irish music and song.
Looking forward to returning to this delightful hotel in the near future.

This family-owned and managed hotel is perfectly located in the middle of Killarney town and provides a warm and welcoming stay with true Irish hospitality. From Ina and Michelle at the front desk to Betty, the superb waitress in the dining room, everyone is "top shelf".
I have stayed at this lovely hotel over the past twenty-three years and I have watched it evolve under the care and watchful eye of the Buckley family: Norrie and her son, Sean, keep the hotel humming and are both very hands-on to ensure that each guest is treated warmly.
It is a hotel that seems to have only top quality people on its staff: Miro, the do-it-all guy, the two Denis's and Tim at the bar, along with pleasant and helpful housekeepers and other attendants whose names I do not know each made a memorable contribution to our stay.
It is a setting that captures the Irish experience with traditional music brought in to Buckley's Bar by locals on a regular basis. It is impossible not to have a great experience at the Arbutus...and I thank the entire "Team Arbutus" for this.
I sincerely look forward to our next visit to Ireland that will most definitely include a stay at the Arbutus!
Judy Bowns
Vienna, VA
USA