Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Friendly staff, good food, good leisure facilities |
| Disadvantages: |
A little bit dated and not all facilites are on par with other hotels |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
The Ard Ri has for many years been a favourite of both locals and tourists for two main reasons: value for money and fantastic service.
Located across the river Suir from the city, and claimed by some to be actually in County Kilkenny (a great source of local rivalry and jovial banter), this hotel is well situated to take in the panoramic views (especially at night) of Waterford City and the river Suir.
This
hotel was originally built back in the 60's and despite the ongoing maintenance and renovations that have been done, this hotel appears to be a little outdated when compared to some of the others in the city.
The bar is well laid out, and is tastefully decorated. It is big enough to accomodate a fairly large amount of patrons, but does get a little packed on the weekends, especially when there are some of the usual free entertainment with some local singers and musicians playing here. The price of the pint is on par with the rest of the hotels in the city, slightly higher than the pubs at around €4.
The restaurant is absolutely wonderful, with a huge selection coming from local produce, and the fish are mostly landed at the nearby fishing port of Dunmore East.
The restaurant staff are very helpful and attentive, and the service is very fast and efficient. For all the times that I have eaten in the restaurant (10+ times) I have never once been let down by the quality or the quantity of the food. However, there is a price to be paid, and that comes with the cost of the food. The restaurant is slightly more expensive than some of the local restaurants around the city, but when you balance the service and the quality of the food, you dont tend to dwell on the cost - well not too much anyway.
The rooms are fairly decent - just the basics and nothing special. Sparsely furnished with just the bed and the locker and wardrobe. The decor in some of the rooms leave a lot to be desired. Tea making facilities are present in all rooms. On more than one occasion, I have found the rooms not as clean as they could or should be.
The leisure facilities are very good, especially the deck level pool. If you have kids with you, this is a great place to keep them occupied, and will definitely help them expend all their energy so they can be exhausted by bedtime!
My recommendation: Visit, but be aware that there are better places in the city. The bar and the restaurant are major plusses for this hotel. Accomodation is not the best, but just ok.
