Powerscourt Hotel, Autograph Collection

Room service on our first evening was tasty and easy to order, and the hotel has so much character. Our room had lovely personal touches, and every area felt set up for a relaxing stay. After only two minutes waiting in the cosy lounge with a glass of orange juice, we were seated for breakfast. The signs warn that it gets busy from 10am-11am. For lunch, we took the complementary shuttle bus into town. If fine dining is your thing, the restaurant was lovely. We would have preferred to eat in the bar, but it had no availability, and that was our own fault for booking last minute. We’ve just left after two nights for our baby moon, and the hardest part was leaving this beautiful hotel. The lovely staff made everything easy, from check-in to the pool and spa. This was the best hotel experience I’ve ever had, and I’ll tell anyone who’ll listen. The Powerscourt hotel made every part of our short baby moon so special.

Dinner was nice, and the room was spacious, but it needed some TLC and a more thorough clean. Check-in was fine. We barely slept because it was extremely hot, even with both windows open and the A/C running all night. There seemed to be no way to adjust the heating. The shower temperature kept changing, so we could easily burn or freeze without touching the dial. Breakfast was average. I burned myself picking up a hot plate with a napkin. Staff brought aloe Vera burn gel, but otherwise were extremely unhelpful and rude. They seemed more concerned with questioning me to make sure I couldn’t claim against the hotel than showing genuine concern. I left breakfast early, embarrassed, upset and overwhelmed by their behaviour. At checkout, I stayed away from reception because I didn’t want another interrogation. I was right to be wary: when my relative confirmed our room number, the reception manager was called immediately, and my relative got only basic answers about our issues. Arrival and check-in had been fine, and our experience at the sallys gap restaurant was brilliant. It’s a shame the whole hotel didn’t match that. I was delighted to leave once checkout was sorted. We won’t return or recommend it to anyone we know.

Afternoon tea was a wonderful experience, and I genuinely enjoyed the stay. The property and rooms are beautiful, with a dreamy atmosphere, and it lived up to its reputation despite being somewhat remote. My only criticism is the service. Some staff interactions felt somewhat entitled, though professional, and that slightly detracted from an otherwise exceptional experience. The property itself is stunning and well worth visiting.

We had an excellent time here celebrating our one year anniversary. The waterfall is very nice to visit, and Bryan at the entrance was especially polite and helpful. He gave us the hotel bikes for a lovely ride along the river and shared precious information.