Hilton Garden Inn Riga Old Town

“Great Garden Inn”

We stayed in this hotel for four nights at Midsummer (unwittingly, not being aware that Midsummer in Latvia is the 23 June!). The hotel is strikingly modern in appearance, it has 100 rooms over six storeys and is located on the edge of the Old Town on a short, cobbled street. We believe that gues… more

We stayed in this hotel for four nights at Midsummer (unwittingly, not being aware that Midsummer in Latvia is the 23 June!). The hotel is strikingly modern in appearance, it has 100 rooms over six storeys and is located on the edge of the Old Town on a short, cobbled street. We believe that guests with mobility difficulties would be well catered for but Riga Old Town is extensively paved with cobbles which we found difficult in certain areas. We reached the hotel by public bus from the airport which literally stops two minutes away from the hotel, taxis are available at the airport and the hotel does have parking for guests with their own vehicle. We did not think that it was by any means full. Entry from the street is directly into a large reception area with plenty of soft seating – there is a good sized area away from the main reception area which we found cosy and quiet-ish and good for reading. There is a small, un-personned shop to one side and a bar and restaurant to the other. We found that both the reception and the bar were not permanently staffed but there was no significant delay in staff arriving. There is a fitness centre and a self-service laundry. Our room was on the top floor – rooms prefixed 6 (be aware that the ground floor is identified as floor 1) – it was a King Room overlooking the front street. The room was a reasonable size with a desk and work chair and an easy chair. The bed was comfortable with good quality linen – although we found the pillows soft. There was a walk-in shower and the usual Hilton toiletries. Towels were good quality and whilst not new were still fluffy. There was some noise from the street – but largely motorcycles and the odd reveller (and it was midsummer). We had no inter-room noise save for doors slamming in the corridor. There was no noise from the atrium with the door closed. Wifi was good and aircon was very effective. We found housekeeping to be very efficient albeit our room was always serviced into the afternoon. The whole hotel was clean and tidy and well maintained. We only took breakfast at the hotel – this is served in the restaurant area (which itself is a pleasant space and not at all akin to a canteen). There was an extensive buffet of good quality hot and cold food (even for vegetarians), waffles and an efficient toaster. A la carte hot dishes were available. We breakfasted early but there was no shortage of staff to assist us and to clear our table. Food was checked and topped up regularly and all staff were friendly. The restaurant does cater for walk-in diners at all mealtimes and has a small, external patio area. It is a short walk of less than five minutes into the Old Town which overflows with bars and restaurants. We had no difficulty in finding somewhere to eat for dinner. There is a supermarket two minutes from the hotel and others throughout the Old Town, there are plenty of tourist shops. The river, museums and general tourist sites are all within easy walking distance and the whole town is wonderfully flat! The bus station – if needed – is a 10 minute walk away. All staff with whom we interacted had good English, we met four receptionists during our stay and all were professional and helpful – especially the night receptionist who safeguarded our (generous) breakfast bags for an early return flight to the UK. We did not meet any package tour groups during our stay but we suspect that the hotel will receive them. We also believe that it would absorb and deal with them without detriment to independent travellers. There is a lot of room – even at the breakfast buffet. This is a very good hotel in all respects. It is acceptably priced for a four star establishment. Its location is superb and for the time that we were there we would recommend it wholeheartedly.

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