Hotel Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin

Spent a few days here for New Years. The rooms are ok, don’t expect a great view as it’s a city location. There are no carpets in the rooms nor in the corridors which make them an echo chamber. The noise from people walking past the room was awful.
The noise from the voice announcer from the lifts can also be heard from the rooms that are located near to lift lobby.
Breakfast is ok but nothing special. The staff are ok but some a rude.
Queues should be expected for breakfast and they use the bar areas as an overflow when the main restaurant is full.
Prices for drinks at the bar are also expensive.
We will return to Dublin but will probably stay elsewhere.

Staff were brilliant couldn’t do enough for us the hotel had a lot of staff members working so didn’t have to wait for anyo

Booked the most expensive room in the hotel (supreme deluxe king size) as it was for a special Christmas getaway & yes the room was lovely.

However on arrival after doing an online check in at home we were met with queues of people checking in & had to sign more paperwork? Then handed card & instructions to get to our room……up in one lift, then had a 5 mile camel track along another corridor, (all the while looking at the map), down another lift and down the bottom of another corridor…… this room will be worth it after all this walking we joked. Our reward???? ….. A view of a brick wall, back street with 1 homeless person and awoke as delivery lorries parked up. I was gutted.

But I suppose you are only paying for the room which was lovely & city location means views cannot be accommodated?

Then in the evening whilst at the bar drinking very slowly over very pricey drinks with my partner, a waiter approached my him (not me) and told him to tell his wife she is not to vape in the hotel? I asked why where is she? (Neither of us vape). He said he’d approached the wrong couple & left??

It’s a mixed review and why I’ve deducted 1 star. As the staff, room & breakfast were all lovely and it was a very busy Christmas period for the staff.

Possibly my expectations were higher than the reality? But can’t help thinking if the Holiday Inn next door might have been as good & less costly.

Did not live up to my expectations at all. Firstly on arrival at 1pm, I was told I would get an email when my room was ready but I never did so was after 630pm when we checked in, they then still had no cards for room or paperwork done even though I had signed and paid previously in the day so my payment was still outstanding on system, had to be flagged with manager who proceeded to count cash and say it’s ok. Disaster. Coffee was €5.95 and cappuccino was €6.10, crazy prices.

Room was a horrendous walk from lift and had to do it a few times to go to bar, breakfast, collect and fill water etc. Room was spacious, no view even though I had asked for street view on booking.

No hairdryer in room to dry my hair, had to ring reception 3 times for one to be bought to room. So annoying.

Plus was it was spacious, fab shower, great buffet breakfast, big bathroom and location good but otherwise was so disappointing

A mixed experience and disappointing for two main reasons.

The first is probably unique to me - my parents had their honeymoon here many years ago and I guess I was hoping to find at least some feeling of the place they visited. But that's long gone and what's here now is an anonymous Euro-chain hotel that could be in any city anywhere. That's a shame - this grand old hotel has a real history. There's no feeling of even being in Dublin - the staff are all nice enough but I heard just one Irish accent amongst the dozens in 6 days and there's no connection to the history of the place any more - as embodied in the way the Spanish chain's branding just smoothers its identity.

The second? The Gresham has I guess made us realise that we really don't want to do a 'hotel Christmas' again. For various reasons we ended up staying over Christmas this year. There was barely any Christmas mood (other than a big tree in the lobby). The hotel laid on a buffet for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - not only was it the same pretty uninspired menu both times (unexpectedly), with barely a nod to Christmas, it was astronomically expensive. Sure, staff costs are higher but even so...this was probably more than double what I would have expected to pay for a meal like this (and which I wouldn't have ordered anyway - less still for two consecutive meals). It included some kind of strange processed turkey item. Another option was roast beef (which was, to be fair, good) - it came with 'Yorkshire Puddings' which were in fact large vol-au-vents! 'Chicken Supreme' too. Odd.

Otherwise, people seem to like the breakfast buffet - in truth it's just the same sort of thing as you'd find in many equivalent hotels. A small point - but it mattered to us - we both drink decaf coffee. The stuff they were serving was literally undrinkable - weak, poor quality instant that even the waiting staff apologised for. Seriously? Buying a few bags of decaf ground coffee isn't too much to ask. Details. This is supposed to be a 4 star hotel.

The room? Clean and promptly serviced each day. The bed was huge. The tea and coffee making stuff was 2-3 star level at best. TV choices were standard - no movie channels and not all the channels worked. The bathroom had a frosted window onto the bedroom and a very irritating motion-controlled light that flashed on and off filling the bedroom with light when someone used it at night. It also had ambient lights round the bathroom door that you can't turn off, so if you like to sleep in total darkness, you have to somehow cover them up. We also heard snoring and conversation from the adjacent rooms - not ideal.

Overall just not great. It's well located, especially for the airport (the Aircoach stops outside) but there are plenty of other decent city centre options.

Booked here for 3 nights 25th December 2025 as of the past 4 years room was on 6 the 608 amazing brand new room absolutely stunning and bed comfortable view good with large balcony, we went for are usually Xmas day lunch which in 4 years first time I have ever complained it was horrible to start a waiting in a queue for 20 minutes one chef cutting meat had a queue tint bk to end of the bar this didn’t move for ages everyone in queue was complaining starter were nice but the main course was between cold items on plate to Luke warm items blood was gushing out of roast beef thre to my gravy our Xmas day lunch was ruined we told a lady staff about it she shrugged her shoulders and said sorry that was it I had to lift my dirty dishes of starters and mains to bar area as no one was lifting there we were at table 36 and beside till were staff stood there was a Dublin man small worker past us and the bad language of him to my ears is so uncomfortable and unprofessional in front of customers we paid bill and left had to wait next day to see a manager which said that’s for the feedback and was letting on he could not understand what we were saying fully this is not good enough writers bar was lovely for cocktails and drinks and staff as well and staff at front desk but definitely won’t be returning again at Christmas time we check out tomorrow breakfast is amazing can not fault that one bit it’s delicious.

Everything was amazing, I will came back soon.
Reception was great, Martin, Denisse all of them really kind and professional.
Writers Bar was excellent and amazing service.

Worst experience ever , ruined our christmas. Room was freezing even after bringing two heaters. We called reception to have it changed. No result so i had to go down to receptiom at 4 am to talk to the rudest guy ever. Saying im not your servant but when i pay you 400 euros you need to give me a warm room. Thats the least. Wouldnt issue a refund for night we spent moving heaters and trying diff things. Instead of enjoying our christmas eve as a couple. And then we go back to the room only for them to stop answering the phone when we call. Here we are still waiting and waiting while they are punishing us because they said my wife was rude. Im a duty manager at a five star hotel , no one at that front desk had ettiquette or manners. I wouldnt hire them for one sec , especially the one with the big blond beard , he is more fit to be a bouncer not front of house face. 0/10 worst hotel stay ever. We are actually angry that our christmas was ruined. So thank you Gresham hotel for ruining our christmas and wasting our money.

After over a decade of visiting this hotel, we continue to be more than satisfied with all aspects of the service and cleanliness at the Gresham 🩷 Paul, Lorraine, Deborah and Imelda and many others, made this another visit to remember for a lifetime.
Well done team. Keep following your inspiring leader 🫶🏻 And thank you for all the friendly craic 🩷. we’ll be back 🫶🏻

We stayed here for a couple of nights and couldn’t fault the hotel! Great location, most things are walking distance and we got the air coach from the airport which drops you outside the hotel! We arrived 4 hours early but we were able to check in which was nice, very friendly staff. Breakfast was also great and great for accommodating dietary requirements. We would definitely book again if we returned to Dublin

We stayed at the RIU Plaza Gresham Hotel Dublin for a two-night pre-Christmas break.

Firstly, the reception staff were fantastic, very welcoming, friendly and helpful on arrival, which made a great first impression. In general, the hotel was very clean, particularly the public areas, which were well maintained throughout our stay.

The hotel was extremely busy due to the time of year, and this did result in quite a bit of noise late at night. When people were returning to their rooms after nights out, there was frequent door slamming and some very loud, disruptive behaviour. While this was frustrating, it does seem likely that this was due to the pre-Christmas party season rather than the hotel’s usual atmosphere.

Unfortunately, the main disappointment was housekeeping. After being out for the day, we returned to our room at around 15:00 to find it had not been serviced. The cleaner was working a couple of doors down, so we assumed it would be done shortly and went back out. However, when we returned again at around 17:00, the room was still unserviced. With a booking at 19:00, we asked the cleaner for fresh towels. She did offer to service the room at that point, but it was too late, so we opted for towels only.

This level of service was certainly below what we would normally expect from a RIU hotel. The cleaner appeared overwhelmed, and again this may have been due to how busy the hotel was at that time of year, but we did expect better.

Overall, the hotel has many positives, particularly the staff at reception and the cleanliness of public areas, but the noise levels and housekeeping experience did detract from what should have been a relaxing short break.

Very disappointed that I am unable to get any information from you regarding an excess charge, that I have seen on my bank statement, I have no idea what for, and would be grateful if someone, (not a bot) could enlighten me. My stay was paid for in full before I arrived on 16 December for two nights, reservation ID WRC35D6R. The forms you keep sending ask for information I don't have regarding details of the company I booked with. Sadly I have had to give a one star reivew because of this issue. If it is resolved to my satisfaction then I will change the star rating. However, not holding out much hope as it is so difficult to contact anyone.

An absolutely beautiful hotel spotlessly clean and the facilities are amazing along with the quality of the food made this trip memorable. A mention for a young man called Lucas who served us all night he is a credit to the hotel

It’s a vast hotel but that’s not a negative. We had a King Deluxe room on floor 6 and it was huge. The bed was comfy, there was adequate storage & the bathroom was great. The room had an iron and ironing board. There’s also a small effective fridge and a safe. The breakfast is plentiful and tasty - porridge, pancakes, fruit, continental style stuff and hot food too. The only downsides to the stay were the lack of plug sockets in the room and the fact that the only place to plug in the hairdryer was in the socket that was used by a lamp on the desk so I dried my hair with no useful light.
The staff were attentive without being overbearing. I had asked for a quiet room and that’s exactly what I was allocated and the staff were great at responding to emails. I’d go back, for sure.

I’m from Dublin, born and raised, and The Gresham is one of those places that truly represents the city. It’s not just a brilliant hotel to stay in, but a real landmark that many Irish people genuinely appreciate. Being right in the heart of the city centre already makes it a fantastic choice.

We stayed in a spacious room, and everything was spot on. The shower was large with perfect water pressure, something I always notice and really value. The bed was super comfortable, and you can clearly tell the hotel has gone through a major renovation, as everything feels new, modern and very comfortable. The room was also spotless, with absolutely nothing to fault.

The bar has a fantastic atmosphere, especially around Christmas, and it’s a great place to meet friends for a drink. The restaurant has the same cosy, festive vibe, which really adds to the experience at this time of year.

What really makes the difference is the staff. Everyone is friendly, welcoming and always smiling, making you feel at home from the moment you arrive.

From day one, we were lucky enough to receive help from the Deputy Manager, Jaime, whose customer service was truly outstanding. He helped us plan our days, recommended great places for dinner and always took the time to check if we needed anything. I’ve travelled to many places and I’ve honestly never seen someone in management so involved with guests, most tend to stay hidden in their offices, but that was definitely not the case here.

A big thank you to the whole hotel team, and especially to Jaime. We’ll definitely be back next Christmas, and without a doubt for many more special occasions.

Amazing stay at RIU Plaza Dublin. The staff is absolutely incredible—friendly, attentive, and always going the extra mile. The level of care and attention to detail throughout the hotel is outstanding. Everything felt thoughtful and welcoming. I would happily come back every time I visit Dublin. Highly recommended.

We stayed at Riu Plaza for two nights and it was one of the most frustrating hotel experiences we have had, particularly for a hotel that presents itself as high end.

We were forced to change rooms multiple times, which immediately set the tone for the stay. The lack of organisation at reception was obvious. Most of the reception staff were poor, with the one exception being Samara, who was genuinely kind, helpful, and professional.

As I was due to undergo surgery, I asked for a room with a bath. To our surprise and disappointment, the room we were initially given did not have one. We accepted this at the time because we were told we would be upgraded the following day.

One staff member, Andrew, openly admitted that the situation had been mishandled, saying, “I have no good excuses, and you wouldn’t believe it anyway. This is embarrassing.” While the honesty was noted, it did not resolve the ongoing issues.

Instead, we were given keys to a room that was already occupied. At this point, a receptionist named Magic followed us up the stairs to confirm the situation, despite the fact that the room was clearly occupied and incorrect. This added to the confusion and discomfort of the moment.

When we opened the door, the first thing we saw was personal belongings and clothes scattered throughout the room. Being handed the key to another guest’s room seriously questioned the security standards of the hotel and left us genuinely concerned that the same mistake could happen with our own room.

After this incident, we were left waiting for around thirty minutes for another room to be prepared, with little communication or urgency from staff.

Once we finally arrived in the next room, cleaning staff walked in without knocking, which was completely unacceptable and made us feel uncomfortable and disrespected as guests.

To add to the disorganisation, we waited around twenty minutes for our luggage, which never arrived until we had to call reception ourselves to follow it up.

The only real positive is the location, which is excellent and could not be more central. Unfortunately, location alone does not make up for poor service and repeated mistakes.

Overall, this hotel is all front with no substance. It looks polished, but behind the scenes it is disorganised and careless, and far below the standard it claims to offer. We would not return or recommend it.

Stunning large room with a later check out time than expected. Lovely staff who were very helpful. Really tasty breakfast with lots of variety. Thank you xx

From arrival to checkout, reception and restaurant staff friendly and welcoming, room good size, location central. Good value. Would recommend. Will be back.

Stayed at Riu Dec 4-10. Got to hotel at 1130am and our room was ready - 424. Convenient room location but right off elevator so a bit noisy . Nice comfy king size bed , closet, safe, fridge and bathroom . A bit tight between bed and dresser but not in the room much . There was a water and ice station in the hall. Location is perfect - O’Connell street is busy with bus and tram . Walked all over Dublin - getting in about 20,000 steps per day. Murray’s bar next door had great food and live entertainment and Irish dancers nightly . Breakfast buffet at Riu is simply amazing . Had in 2 locations in hotel and at 9am it is very busy. Various juices, coffee, beans, fried and scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon ( more like ham to Americans) mushrooms, tomatoes , various meats , cheeses, fruits, pastries, breads , cereal, oatmeal . Lobby bar was wonderful . Always busy with people eating and drinking. Stopped every night for a drink or 2 and loved sitting at the bar. Drink prices some of the best in the area. Highlight was the bartender Emilio !!!! He is amazing - so observant and made our vacation extra special