County Dublin Romantic Vacations

I booked RIU Plaza The Gresham Dublin for my husband and me during our Ireland trip (August 19-23, 2026). The location is excellent, but our stay was overshadowed by poor communication, inconsistent information from staff, and a lack of accountability when issues arose. At check-in, we were told we would receive a call or email when our room was ready. No notification was ever sent. When we returned later that day, we were simply told the room was ready. My husband is a cigar smoker and fully respects a hotel's non-smoking policies. The issue was not the policy itself but the conflicting information we received about outdoor seating and terrace access. Different employees gave different answers, and when concerns were raised with a manager, the response felt defensive rather than helpful. We were also concerned when my husband and four other guests became trapped in an elevator for several minutes. The emergency speaker system was difficult to understand because of excessive rattling. The Wi-Fi registration process was unnecessarily complicated compared to every other hotel we stayed at in Ireland. On our departure morning, we asked a buffet employee if we could sit just outside the buffet entrance so we could remain with our luggage and were told yes. Later, two employees loudly confronted my husband for bringing food outside the buffet area, despite the permission we had already been given. Thankfully this was the only one of five hotels in Ireland that was bad.

Outstanding anniversary stay – staff made it truly special We stayed at the Hilton Kilmainham in Dublin on a Saturday for our one-year anniversary, and it was a really lovely experience overall. From the moment you walk in, there’s a beautiful fragrance throughout the hotel. Our room was spotlessly clean, the bed was extremely comfortable, and everything we needed was there. The staff were absolutely outstanding – genuinely 11 out of 10. The guys at reception were super helpful and friendly. They helped me organise a lovely surprise for my partner with balloons, chocolates and red wine. The hotel also left us a little dessert plate with “congratulations” written in chocolate. All the small details were thought through perfectly and made the stay feel really special. We had dinner in the hotel restaurant. The traditional fish and chips were excellent. Unfortunately the steak was quite chewy and not great. When we mentioned it to a gentleman in a suit (I believe he was a manager), his response was just “Was it chewy? Oh ok” – very flat, no smile, and quite different from the rest of the team. In contrast, all the restaurant staff were brilliant – polite, warm and always smiling. Special mention to our waitress Chloe, a lovely French girl who was fantastic. We also used the pool and jacuzzi, which were clean and really nice. Breakfast the next morning was excellent – great choice of food and again the breakfast team were so friendly and helpful.We would happily return

Every thing was perfect....parking, middle of the city location, staff, cleanliness, food. Great gluten free options. Couldn't be happier& will definitely stay here again.

The hotel was beautiful and the rooms were nicely furnished. The breakfast was very good with an ample selection of various different items, and a menu to order fresh cooked items from the kitchen. The A/C was not great and the windows barely opened so the rooms were quite hot and stuffy to sleep in at night. They did provide a fan when we asked. Our second room wasn’t ready after the check in time of 3 pm, and not ready until almost 5 pm, which was a definite downer after flying all night we wanted to nap for an hour or two after being awake for 30+ hours straight. Having said all that, would definitely stay there again.

Everything about the property exceeds expectations. Next time we are in Dublin we will definitely be staying at Ariel house and will recommend to everyone. The staff were fantastic

This was our 4th visit to the Grand Hotel and as been fully refurbished. We will come be back again soon.

I booked RIU Plaza The Gresham Dublin for my husband and me during our Ireland trip (August 19-23, 2026). The location is excellent, but our stay was overshadowed by poor communication, inconsistent information from staff, and a lack of accountability when issues arose. At check-in, we were told we would receive a call or email when our room was ready. No notification was ever sent. When we returned later that day, we were simply told the room was ready. My husband is a cigar smoker and fully respects a hotel's non-smoking policies. The issue was not the policy itself but the conflicting information we received about outdoor seating and terrace access. Different employees gave different answers, and when concerns were raised with a manager, the response felt defensive rather than helpful. We were also concerned when my husband and four other guests became trapped in an elevator for several minutes. The emergency speaker system was difficult to understand because of excessive rattling. The Wi-Fi registration process was unnecessarily complicated compared to every other hotel we stayed at in Ireland. On our departure morning, we asked a buffet employee if we could sit just outside the buffet entrance so we could remain with our luggage and were told yes. Later, two employees loudly confronted my husband for bringing food outside the buffet area, despite the permission we had already been given. Thankfully this was the only one of five hotels in Ireland that was bad.

Every thing was perfect....parking, middle of the city location, staff, cleanliness, food. Great gluten free options. Couldn't be happier& will definitely stay here again.