I've stayed at the Plaza Inn many times in the past and it's one of my favorite places to stay while in Ashland. It's definitely suffered throughout the pandemic but the staff is trying very hard to keep things pleasant for guests.
Unfortunately the buffet breakfast and evening snacks are no longer available, instead guests pick up a small bag breakfast (example: bagel, Tbsp of cream cheese, yogurt) from the front desk. The manager at the desk (always alone) must navigate handing guests their choice of breakfast bag and coffee while also handling incoming phone calls, check-outs, and any other guest questions. I never saw more than one person at the desk at a time, despite the hotel being fully booked all weekend, and at one point we could not find or reach anyone for about 10-15 minutes (the manager was checking on a problem elsewhere and there was no other admin or even custodian anywhere nearby; calls to the help number just rang indefinitely), resulting in a small line of about five people not knowing what was going on, including one man who needed his room key changed because it wasn't working.
Despite this, the two staff members we met with were very kind and helpful, and patient despite the fact that they were clearly under crippling stress.
The rooms were clean and comfortable as always, and the location really can't be beat. I only hope they're able to recover and hire some more staff to help them out, and eventually get those delicious buffet breakfasts back.
