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Best Western Academy Plaza Hotel

This newly refurbished hotel is tucked away just off busy O'Connell Street, and is within easy reach of nearby train, DART and bus stations.

A bright and spacious foyer makes a good first impression, with white marble pillars, marble floor, and lightwood panelled reception conveying a stylish modern tone and setting the expectations for the rest of the hotel.

Arriving guests are easily enticed into the comfortable contemporary bar which, with welcoming warm tones and smart leather seating set off against a polished bar top and gleaming beer taps, has a relaxed modern urban atmosphere.

Guest rooms and suites in warm autumnal tones and neutral beiges are finished to a very high standard, offering maximum comfort with 'super comfort beds', glossy cream and black bathrooms and all the amenities today's travellers demand, including air conditioning, WI/FI internet access, a dressing table that doubles as a workstation and a flat screen plasma TV.

Housekeeping is pristine throughout the hotel, and well trained hotel staff who clearly take pride in the newly refurbished interior are keen to ensure the comfort of all guests.

Business guests are especially well catered for with facilities that include a number of conference suites and, for relaxation at the end of the day, there's a gym, games room and hair, beauty and massage salon (a spa is also planned).

A buffet style breakfast is served in a cosy retro dining room just off the bar, and later dining options include tempting contemporary pub grub in the bar.

Conferences/Banqueting (250/60); business centre, free broadband wi/fi.

Rooms 285 (6 suites, 6 executive, 51 family, 225 shower only, 235 no smoking, 11 single, 6 disabled); children welcome (under 5s free in parents room, cots available); lift; 24 hr room service. B&B €60-70 pps; ss €40. Fitness room, spa (massage, treatments). Closed 21 Dec - 26 Dec.

Abacus Restaurant

An interesting choice for this new hotel restaurant, which opens onto Parnell Street - an area that is fast becoming known as Dublin's Chinese Quarter - Abacus offers fine Chinese dining in a smart setting, unusually for an hotel restaurant, is holding its own in an area renowned for authentic ethnic cooking.

Head chef Jackie Lam is from Hong Kong, and offers an extensive Asian fusion menu based on Irish main ingredients, especially meats, with spices and vegetable supplied by the local Asian markets.

With comfortable surroundings and polished service in addition to good cooking, this restaurant offers something different from its neighbours, which tend to lay the emphasis on keen pricing - being in an area that has become a destination for lovers of Asian food seems to be working well for all.

Seats 80; children welcome; toilets wheelchair accessible. D daily 5-10.30pm; early bird D €21.50, 5-7pm; also a la carte; house wine from €19; sc discretionary. Closed Dec 23-28. Amex, Diners, MasterCard, Visa, Laser

Directions:

Off the top of O'Connell Street