Belgard Road 24, Tallaght, Ireland | (937) 315-4602
Located
in a retail park close to transportation links
Spacious rooms with flat-screen TVs and electric kettles
Two
on-site restaurants with room service and a bar
On-site nightclub drawing a local crowd
Free
parking in large on-site lot
Free
Wi-Fi throughout
Far
from Dublin city center
Rooms show signs of wear and tear
No pool or fitness center
Noise
from the road, on-site bar, and nightclub reaches rooms
Rooms lack air-conditioning, mini-fridges, and safes
Breakfast not included in room rate
The 122-room Plaza Hotel is located in the Dublin suburb of Tallaght, next to a large shopping center. From here, it's a 23-minute drive to Dublin city center, or 50 minutes via the city's tram system. A lower-middle-range choice, the budget-friendly Plaza lacks such amenities as in-room air-conditioning, minibars, a swimming pool, or fitness center, but it has two on-site restaurants serving Italian and Thai cuisine, and two bars that draw many locals. Weekends, when the on-site nightclub is in full swing, can be noisy. Travelers might want to also consider the Best Western Sheldon Park Hotel, which, with an indoor pool, sauna, and steam room, offers better value, though rates can be higher.
Scene
Generic property with a chain-hotel look and a boisterous nightlife scene
The Plaza Hotel is located in a retail park on a busy road, housed in an unattractive glass-and-brick building surrounded by a vast parking lot. Interiors are generic and dated, and smack of a chain-hotel look. Bright-green carpets cover the floors of the lobby, and several black- or brown-colored leather sofas are clustered into seating areas. The hotel is quiet during the week, but on the weekends it gets busy with local revelers hitting the hotel bar and nightclub. Many guests are leisure travelers, but the hotel also gets a fair share of business travelers during the week. The Plaza is also popular with tour groups, especially during the summer months.
Location
Located outside the city center in the suburb of Tallaght
The Plaza Hotel is located outside Dublin in a suburb called Tallaght, next to the Square, a large shopping center. Located on a busy main road, the Plaza gets a lot of traffic. Many businesses, retail outlets, and a casino are nearby. The city's tram system, called the Luas, links the area to the city center, and there's a tram stop within a three-minute walk of the hotel.
Rooms
Spacious rooms that come with flat-screen TVs and tea- and coffee-making facilities
The 122 rooms at the Plaza, which include Singles, Doubles, Twins, and Triples, as well as several Family Rooms that can sleep up to four, are spacious and simply decorated. The color palette varies from room to room, consisting of either somber tones of gray, white, and beige; plum and dark gray; or warmer shades of yellow and red. Bathrooms are on the small side, and are fitted with shower/tub combos; hairdryers are provided. All rooms include flat-screen TVs and free Wi-Fi, but be aware that they are not air-conditioned. Electric kettles, along with tea and coffee packets, are available, but there are no mini-fridges or safes. Rooms show several signs of wear and tear, including scratches and marks on the furniture and worn carpets, and many could use a refresh. Street-facing rooms can get noisy, and guests have complained about noise from the on-site pub and nightclub, especially on weekends.
Features
Breakfast buffet, two on-site restaurants, two bars, and a night club
The Plaza Hotel doesn't have a lot of on-site features, and the few it offers mainly focus on drinking and dining. Breakfast is served each morning buffet-style, but it's not included in the room rate. Guests can also dine at the two on-site restaurants. Olive Tree serves Italian fare, while Ginthai's focus is Thai and Asian cuisine -- it has an adjacent cocktail bar, The Vista Bar is located above the lobby area. The on-site bar, McClafferty's, is a traditional Irish pub serving local food and drinks and is popular with locals, as is the weekend nightclub. The hotel has four meeting and conference rooms that can accommodate up to 250 people. On-site parking is free, as is Wi-Fi.