My wife and I stayed here for a little over two weeks while vacationing. We chose this hotel because it was a good rate offered near Dublin. As many people have pointed out, this is not the Ritz. If that's what you need, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a comfortable and clean place to rest, the Plaza Hotel will do just fine. There's nothing special about the decor or atmosphere. This is a very basic operation with some obvious wear and tear, though everything works more or less as it should and things were clean and orderly.
If you're not familiar with the geography, Tallaght is a 20-30 minute drive from Dublin city center. There is a single toll portion of the M50 a couple exits shy of where you'll be getting off, it's easy enough to go around if you're trying to save every little bit of cash you can. The location gets you away from the noise and congestion of the city.
The Hotel parking lot is a bit tricky to get to, and street level parking is only allowed directly in front of the hotel. The rest of the lot is reserved for other businesses in the plaza. However, there is ample parking in the underground garage which you will have access to as a guest of the hotel.
Adjacent to the hotel is a dry cleaners across the street which will drop off your cleaning at the hotel if you tell them your room number, and you can pick it up at the front desk; a shopping mall with a cinema; and a nice park with a pond and some well-fed ducks and swans.
The hotel has a pub, a Thai restaurant (which we did not get a chance to try) and a bistro. The pub serves standard fare at standard prices. The bistro serves a full Irish breakfast buffet for 12.50, which is a bit higher than most places - for example, there's a cafe about a block away that does a fry-up for 8 or 9 euro, plus it gives you a chance to walk off some of that delicious grease ...in the evenings, the bistro serves a nice dinner, which again is a bit pricey but I felt like I more or less got my money's worth from it.
The hotel seems to be a popular place for celebrations. It seems every other day there were signs in the elevator for a birthday party or an anniversary or retirement or some such. Some of the crowds can be rowdy, but they tend to stay contained to the pub and from my room on the top floor I didn't lose much sleep, if any.
The staff is friendly, helpful, and responsive. After a week, they knew me by name and greeted me as I left and returned. They generally respect the "Do Not Disturb" sign - I say "generally" because, if it is still hanging on the door by around 10 or 11 in the morning, they call the room to ask if you'd like it serviced. If you don't have the room serviced, fresh towels will be left by your door. If you need an adapter for the plugs, they are sold for a few euro out of a machine in one of the halls, but they can be purchased cheaper at one of the shops in the mall.
The elevator is a little weird. I took to using the stairs whenever I wasn't hauling luggage or dead tired.
The rooms are nice enough. Comfortably sized, with a decent armoire, a chest of drawers, a desk, a table, a couple of chairs, and nightstands. The bed was soft, the pillows were full, the sheets crisp. There is also an iron and ironing board. The windows go all the way across one wall at about chest height, and can be opened to let in a nice breeze if it gets warm. The curtains cover all the windows fully and keep a good amount of light out. I'm not sure if this is a standard thing in Ireland, but there is only a radiator for warmth. If you want to cool the room, you'll have to use the window. As others have mentioned, you have to use your room key to activate the power in the room. The bathroom has good light, but the water smelled a bit odd to me in the shower. The shower is a bit narrow, and I found myself holding a rail when I got in and out because I couldn't be quite sure of my footing. The toilet paper dispenser is directly between the toilet and the shower, leading it to get spattered from two directions - not a clever layout. I recommend moving it to a nearby counter to remedy this inconvenience.
All told, I would stay here again. For the price I paid, I got a much better experience than I was expecting. I have paid more money for places that ended up being dirty and seedy, so I was very pleased with the quality I found at the Plaza. read more