This hotel is located in a perfect location for my...

This hotel is located in a perfect location for my most recent stay in Dublin: very close to my daughter's student residence and right next to the busy O'Connell Street, Dublin's main street. I was pleasantly surprised by the Academy Plaza Hotel! Yes, the rooms are a bit dated, but mine was very clean and quiet, the bed was super comfortable and the bathroom had a shower / bathtub. I stayed in 7 different hotels during my European trip and this was the only one that had a bathtub! In addition, I noticed that another reviewer complained about the fact that he needs to place a room key card in a slot near the entrance to turn on the power in the room and that it turned off when he removed it (so they couldn't turn it on) devices while they left for the day). This is how it is done in each of the 7 hotels I stayed in during my recent trip, from Ireland to the United Kingdom to Spain. While it can be annoying for American travelers, it is a brilliant way to conserve energy. You get used to it.

We also take advantage of the hotel bar and grill. It was nice to have a place to leave the lobby when we checked in so late. I was surprised at how tasty the pizza was (especially since I'm originally from Chicago)! Of course, we had cold glasses of Guinness to accompany the pizza!

As we made our reservation directly from their website, breakfast was included for free! It was not my favorite hotel breakfast, but I was surprised at how much they offered. A hot traditional Irish breakfast! The potatoes are hard and not good, but most of everything else was fine, including some delicious cakes. And they have an espresso / cappuccino coffee machine, which makes up for everything.

It is very difficult to complain about anything considering how much we end up paying. They had a winter offer when we went and I paid less than half of what I paid at a different hotel around the corner when we arrived in Ireland at the beginning of our trip. In addition, the staff is super friendly and helpful, and a 747 Airlink Express bus stop is directly in front of the hotel. If I am lucky enough to return to Ireland while my daughter is a student there, I would not hesitate to stay here again!