[PatJordan]

Riversidepark Hotel Enniscorthy, Ireland

We have visited the Riverside Park Hotel on a great many occasions. It’s location on the banks of the river Slaney is idyllic and the hotel’s policy of continuous investment means that all areas of the hotel are in excellent condition.

The hotel is in easy reach of Dublin Airport (currently just under 2 hours but likely to be quicker when a new motorway opens later this year) and Rosslare Europort (about 1 hour). There is ample (and complimentary parking).

South East Ireland is a very popular tourist destination and the Riversidepark Hotel is perfectly placed to visit and tour the area.

There is a good choice of rooms of various sizes for business meetings, with excellent facilities. Whenever we visit, the information screen in the lobby always has a list of companies using the hotel.

Our visits to the Riverside Park include countless lunches, mainly the carvery which has a good selection of dishes and always perfectly cooked. The dessert range is also very good. When our grandchildren are with us, they are very well catered for too. The Prom bar is a lovely spot to enjoy a meal, and in the evening a perfect venue for a drink, particularly when there is music to enjoy.

Breakfast is served in the Moorings restaurant. There is a continental buffet which is very good. A point worth noting is that the jams served are made in the hotel kitchen, and are really good. Hot food is cooked to order, and is also very good.

My mother’s 90th Birthday party in the Seamus Rafter suite was a huge success. The function room was very pleasant, the food excellent and the overall attention to detail made this a very memorable occasion.

Two years later, my mother’s 92nd and my uncle’s 80th birthdays coincided and we decided to have a special lunch to mark the occasion. The Riverside Park rose to the occasion admirably: we were given a small suite and personalized menus were printed, which were a lovely keepsake. As ever, the meal was perfectly cooked and served.

As my mother’s health declined, our stays in Enniscorthy became more and more frequent, and everybody we encountered at the hotel went out of their way to look after us.

When the time came for my mother’s funeral lunch, we were allocated the Moorings restaurant, and once again it was a memorable occasion.

We have made several visits to Enniscorthy over the past months, and whenever we visit the Riversidepark Hotel, whether for a quick bite to eat or a welcome overnight stay, we are made very welcome.

One recent development is a new wing containing a couples only floor: these rooms are superb, have jacuzzi baths, enhanced refreshment facilities, mini fridge and mood lighting.

In the same wing are some family rooms: these also are excellent. Among the many thoughtful touches are enhanced lighting and ceiling mounted televisions with built in headphones! Our grandchildren were particularly fond of this!

All rooms include complimentary bottled water: something many “premium” brands could do well to copy.

As can be imagined, we are very fond of the Riverside Park Hotel. It is a very pleasant hotel with excellent facilities and great ambience, but what makes it stand out from the competition is the efficient, helpful and very friendly staff led by an equally helpful general manager, Mr. Jim Maher.

We are by no means the biggest spenders in the Hotel, but the fact that the staff go to such lengths to make us welcome puts the “recognition” of major hotel chains loyalty programmes in the shade.

[PatJordan]

Since adding my original post Mrs.J and I have had many pleasant times in the Riversidepark Hotel.

With the recent extension of the M11 Motorway, the travel time from Dublin to Enniscorthy has been shortened by 15 minutes.

In recent hospitality awards (sponsored by a leading radio station based in South East Ireland), The Riversidepark Hotel was recently voted Best Business Hotel and the wonderful Jim Maher voted best hotel manager in the region.

Our own experiences have been great: whether popping in for lunch, staying a night or two, we are always greeted by name and very warmly welcomed back to the hotel. Last weekend, Mrs J & I spent a weekend in the hotel with family and friends. We were having a ceremony to renew our wedding vows, and the hotel went to great lengths to ensure that every moment of our time there was most enjoyable. All our guests (including some for whom this was their first visit to the hotel) were hugely impressed also.

My sincere thanks to the Rivrsidepark Hotel for treating us so well, and always doing so.

[PatJordan]

Having been closed for over three months due to the Corona Virus, the Riversidepark Hotel in Enniscorthy once again opened it’s doors to guests on Monday June 29th.

This date also marked the freedom to travel throughout Ireland so we took advantage of the oportunity to visit family and friends and to enjoy the hospitality of the Riversidepark Hotel.

In advance of our stay, the hotel sent an email outining the many measures being taken to protect guests and staff. This was very helpful and meant that we knew exactly what to expect for the duration of the current situation.

The check in process is redesigned to reduce contact: room payment is taken in advance, guests are requested that only one member of the party approaches the reception desk, and no luggage storage is possible. That said,the welcome remains as warm and sincere as ever.

There are some changes to the bedrooms: throws, cushions, additional pillows, extra blankets & pillows, tea making facilities, fans and stationery are now removed, but are available on request if required. Staff will not enter bedrooms unless invited by guests (unless in an emergency). This means that replacement supplies, towels, etc are delivered on request by a card similar to that used for breakfast orders. Room service menus are now laminated. Glasses have been replaced with plastic items in sealed packs.

Numerous hand sanitizer points are located throughout the hotel.

In keeping with Government advice, there are restrictions on leisure centre usage.

The Promenade bar currently operates as a restaurant. Staff greet guests at the entrance, take contact details, and guide guests to tables. Social distancing is very well organised, with plenty of staff on duty to take and serve food & drink orders. There is a very high standard of cleaning, with tables and seating sanitised as soon at guests leave.

Very clear and informative signage is in place regarding usage of lifts, and toilets.

It is clear that the Riversidepark hotel have gone to great lengths to meet and indeed exceed the government guidelines to safeguard the health of staff and guests.

On the first night of our stay, we took dinner in the Promenade Bar. Staff were very friendly and those who recognised us took the time to welcome us back to the hotel. Menus here are newly laminated too, and offered a wide choice of dishes. Our starters were vegetable soup with brown bread and potato skins. Mains were stir fry chicken & noodles, and curry with rice and naam bread.

The food was absolutely fabulous: cooked to perfection, piping hot and generous portions. We took the opportunity to book a table for dinner in the Moorings restaurant for our second night.

Breakfast is served in the Moorings Restaurant. Perspex dividers have been added to seperate tables. Because the perspex is very tastefully framed in wood it looks very nice indeed, and indeed adds to the ambience of the restaurant. Again the menus are newly laminated.

All the breakfast items are now served to order by the friendly and efficient staff. As in the Promenade Bar, regular and thorough cleaning was evident.

As room charges are paid in advance, a “no touch” express check out facility has been introduced.

It is clear that the Riversidepark Hotel has invested hugely in safety measures, and anybody visiting for the first time would be completely reassured by this. For us as regular guests, we were very much impressed with the manner in which the all staff extended their usial warm and sincere greeting whilst adhering to current government guidelines.

It is worth noting that the hotel has refrained from increasing prices in the wake of Covid 19.

We had a very enjoyable stay in the Riversidepark Hotel and highly recommend their hospitality.

1 user thanked author for this post.

rjhcambs

[cwoodward]

I hope that you have charged and a fat fee for this extensive and generous endorsement Pat.
I’m keeping a note to visit when I am in the area but undoubtedly it will be booked out!

1 user thanked author for this post.

PatJordan

[PatJordan]

Thanks cwoodward for your kind words.

Not only is the Riversidepark a lovely hotel, it’s location beside the River Slaney is very picturesque.

Hope you enjoy your stay there!

[PatJordan]

After many months of Covid restrictions we were finally able to visit the Riversidepark Hotel in Enniscorthy, Co.Wexford, Ireland.

The confirmation email contains details of the Covid procedures throughout the hotel, the check-in process and a very helpful link to an app which is a very informative guest information booklet. Definitely a good example of the concept of “know before you go”.

The Hotel Ballroom is currently being used as a Covid Vaccine centre, and on approach to the Hotel, cars with those requiring vaccine are guided to the outdoor car park with residents cars having the exclusive use of the underground car park. The staff directing traffic are very friendly and efficient and the system works very well.

Checking in was a very pleasant experience: we were warmly welcomed back to the hotel, suggested times for ordering breakfast and dinner outlined, and all in a swift and pleasant manner. There were many hand sanitisation stations throught the lobby with protective screens around the reception desk. A very nice touch was a large sign to place on our car’s dashboard showing that we were hotel residents.

Our room was immaculately prepared. Each room carries a sticker outside the door indicating that it has been cleaned and sanitised. And on entering the room it is clear that a great deal of care has gone into the preparation. Cushions and bed throws are once gaing in the rooms and add a nice splash of colour.

Replenishment of housekeeping items is my was of a list hung on the door handle each morning and the guest requirements are delivered in a plastic bag later that day.

Because our usual rooms on the Couples Only floor were all taken we were allocated a normal room which was perfect for our stay. A particularly nice touch was that we had been allocated a mini fridge: perfect for keeping drinks cool, and indeed chilling milk for the cups of tea: much better than UHT! The huge wardrobe provides plenty of storage space along with a chest of drawers and a safe big enough for a couple of laptops. There are several power points throughout the room so no issues charging devices.

The bathroom was very nice with a seperate bath and shower cubicle. The hotel now uses Voya toiletries which are very high quality and normally used in Airline lounges or restrooms in Business Class cabins on Aircraft. Definitely a touch of luxur which discerning guests will appreciate.

Whenever we encountered the housekeeping team in the hotel it was apparent that they were working very hard, yet everybody made the time to have a word of greeting or offer assistance with luggage thus showing a high level of customer care.

We had several meals in the Promenade Bar. Tables are allocated at the bar entrance, guests names and room numbers are taken for contact purposes.On entering the Promenade Bar, we were warmly welcomed back after a long absence. Plenty of staff members are on hand to ensure prompt service. The menu is a little shorter than pre-pandemic but still gives a good choice. The steaks are our favourite and are always cooked to perfection.

The hospitality sector has lost many staff due to the lockdown, and there were a lot of new staff in the Promenade Bar (and indeed all areas of the hotel). Despite having very little lead in time everybody performed admirably, and delivered a very impressive level of service.

Breakfast is served in the Moorings Restaurant, and once again the service was impeccable. A nice touch is the continental rack served at each table: a selection of fresh fruit, yogurts, pastries, breads with the invitation to feel free to request any extra items. This is a very nice touch indeed. The hot breakfast, toast, tea and coffee are prepared to order and are delicious.

Our stay in the Riversidepark Hotel was really impressive. A huge attention to safety protocols is visible throughout the hotel with the traditional welcome being warmer than ever. There was a fantastic atmosphere in the hotel with all staff going out of their way to make us welcome and go the extra mile to make to make everyones’ stay memorable. That this is achieved with so many new staff is remarkable and something for the Riversidepark team to be proud of. Well done everybody, and we will be returning very soon.

2 users thanked author for this post.

esselle, MartynSinclair

[Thomas]

This thread should be removed. It will be an open invitation for commercial promotion of hotels, guest houses, restaurants, etc. which is NOT the purpose of this forum. Next we will ave Willie Walsh praisin his recent BA or IB journey !!

1 user thanked author for this post.

BugAdvisor

[MartynSinclair]

Thanks Pat – wonderful to read a travel report that does not contain details about PCR, lateral flow, social distancing, masks, quarantine and vaccine passports..

Oh to be able to travel again ….. thanks for the reminder Pat… glad you both enjoyed…

@Thomas, contributors regularly provide wonderful and informative travel reports for both airlines, hotels, restaurants and even those miscellaneous travel needs. Long may they continue.. If BT magazine did not wish us to make these contributions I am sure we would have been told by now.

Enjoy the wonderful travel information created within these threads Thomas…

2 users thanked author for this post.

esselle, PatJordan

[Author]

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