Austria
- More than 250 guests at the party were able to enjoy a taste of the finest gastronomy and service of the RIU hotel chain, of which the Gresham is now part
The Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin welcomed more than 250 guests to the celebration of its 200th anniversary. The party was also a chance to present the historic hotel after all the improvements and modernisation work undertaken by RIU Hotels & Resorts in recent months.
The hotel general manager, Paul McCracken, noted in his speech that this date marks the start of a new era for the hotel, which became part of the RIU family a little over a year ago. “We celebrate our 200-year anniversary looking to the future with great excitement as members of the RIU family, and we are unveiling our renovated hotel right at the time that the city and tourism sector in Ireland is experiencing good growth”.
The Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin was elegantly decorated to present to a select group of commercial partners, colleagues and friends its finest service and the new features of the hotel in terms of event and meeting spaces and improvements in the rooms, bars and restaurants, as well as the new décor in the common areas. Prominent among the changes is the work of art that now presides over the lobby, handcrafted creation composed of more than 400 pieces of glass that pays tribute to Ireland through its most emblematic flowers.
The hotel currently has 322 rooms and by February 2018 it will have 340. The Gresham has hosted the most glamorous film stars and top international executives and as a testament to those golden years, the suites still bear the names of figures like Grace Kelly, Elizabeth Taylor and President Eisenhower.
When RIU acquired the building in September 2016, it chose to maintain the name of the hotel out of respect for its long history and the importance it has for the city and its people. At the same time, it decided to introduce a series of improvements and modern features to restore the hotel's amenities and décor to the level of a quality four-star hotel.
The début of the new Riu Plaza The Gresham Dublin coincides with the modernisation and upgrade of O’Connell Street, the main street of the city, which in recent years has been the target of investment in infrastructure and businesses, such as the Luas, the new tram that will pass directly in front of the hotel, enhancing the modernity, connectivity and quality of the zone.
This hotel is the second in the Riu Plaza line in Europe, along with the Riu Plaza Berlin, inaugurated in September 2015, and the sixth hotel of the brand. The Riu Plaza Panama, Riu Plaza Guadalajara, Riu Plaza Miami Beach and Riu Plaza New York Times Square complete the list of RIU Hotels & Resorts urban hotels at the moment.
