Denise M.
Yelp
my fiance surprised me with a getaway to ireland and we stayed at the powerscourt for four nights. it is one of the best experiences we've had at a marriott autograph collection hotel.
there are some small negatives you'll find below, but these are more cautionary for guests who are considering staying there, and should know the details upfront, because we did not. i still consider that we had a 5 star experience.
(disclaimer- our stay was booked on marriott points. we could not have afforded to stay here, had we needed to pay out of pocket. for that reason, i occasionally felt a bit out of place. the powerscourt is fannnnncy.)
first- service is impeccable. i have never experienced more polite or eager customer service in a hotel ever. any time we needed to arrange a taxi, or had a question, reception staff was incredibly helpful.
our room was upgraded to a suite which was just lovely. we had a legitimate hallway we needed to traverse before we entered our sitting room. the decor was rich and tasteful. our bathroom was quite large, and all white marble. dual sinks, separate shower stall, and deep soaking tub were all awesome. the toilet stall left a bit to be desired and... you better be pretty comfortable with whomever you're sharing your room with. the door was clear with only some frosted glass, and did not fully meet the door frame (there was a small space all around it). so. you have the option of completely closing the french doors to the entire bathroom, but just know that the stall itself is not going to be affording you very much privacy.
breakfast was included with our status, and was served in the Sika restaurant (separate review for that to follow). note that we arrived on a saturday and were informed that breakfast the following day was served until 11. we were not informed, however, that breakfast during the week only went until 10:30. thankfully, on monday, we arrived just a few minutes before and were able to be seated. it was obvious though that we were not the only ones who hadn't been fully informed, as guests continued to arrive after we did, and the later ones had to be turned away. for a hotel with such attention to detail, what time breakfast ends seems like an important one to overlook.
we took a peek into the spa/pool area, but it was really humid and so we ended up not swimming. the space itself is beautiful, and there are restricted hours when children are welcome, so it is generally adults only.
the fitness room was pretty spacious and had a good amount of equipment. there were very few other people in there when i was using it, so if you're staying committed to your workouts while you're on vacation, you should have no trouble doing it here. the room does overlook the back courtyard, so there's a nice view. there are also tvs on the wall, as well as individually on the machines.
i highly HIGHLY recommend that you check out the neighboring gardens, as well as the riverwalk. it's about 8km (roughly 5 miles), and totally worth it. the river is more of a slightly babbling brook, but it provides a pleasant background noise. the enormous trees are really what you'll be marveling at. on the weekend, there were definitely a good amount of people also enjoying the route, but it wasn't at all crowded. it is gated, and you must have a code to enter. those who have the code are either guests of the hotel, or members who pay annually to have access. we felt safe at all times. almost everyone we encountered had a very well behaved dog or two who was off leash, but incredibly well trained. we were never approached (which is very unlike our typical experience in the US).
the only drawback from the country location of this hotel is that you are a 45 minute ride from the airport (80 euros), and a 30 minute ride from dublin (45 euros). that said, it was easy to get a taxi to either location, and no one complained about bringing us back.
the hotel is just a short drive from enniskerry, which has a super cute little downtown area that has a few shops and dining options. the powerscourt has a shuttle that runs for free, on the hour, the majority of the day.
i'm glad we had our stay here, and really did thoroughly enjoy ourselves. if you are looking for some luxury and incredible service, this is the place to stay.