The Latvian capital has a decent selection of hotels to suit every budget, but outside of the capital things are not always so rosy. Major cities such as Ventspils and particularly Liepaja have some good options, but smaller towns may only have one or two hotels and some of them are unappealing Soviet relics.
Earlier this year I spent a few weeks driving around the country conducting research for the forthcoming Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Guide to the Baltic States, and managed to find a number of decent new hotels – some of them in quite unexpected locations. Nevertheless there is certainly room for more quality accommodation.
This is why it was good to read about the development of hotel chains beyond the capital. A report in Diena newspaper, translated by Standby News, mentioned both the new Day & Night chain and the more established Kolonna. The former already has a three star hotel in Bauska (where it was much needed) and has plans for Ventspils and Cesis. The latter group, also known for its spas, has hotels in Cesis, Riga, Rezekne and Kuldiga. None of these are particularly off the beaten track, but they are good options particularly in Cesis and Rezekne.
4 responses so far ↓
1 Mont Tremblant skier // Feb 15, 2008 at 6:49 pm
You mention that there is a development of hotel chains beyond the capital. In that area, do tourists prefer more hotels than hostels or other type of accomodations?
2 John // Mar 3, 2008 at 2:09 am
Hi Mont Tremblant skier, thanks for dropping by. Sorry it has taken a few days to reply; I moved out of London at the beginning of the year and am not really up to speed yet. I haven’t posted anything in weeks!
In answer to your question, it isn’t easy to find a hostel outside of Riga. There just aren’t enough backpackers I guess. When I was on the road researching the guidebook I would have been happy to stay in hostels, but mostly had to go to low-end hotels instead.
Try In Your Pocket as they usually list hostels, or just try a search – a quick look on Google found Liepaja Beach Hostel. I haven’t visited it, as my guidebook doesn’t cover hostels, so can’t say whether or not it is any good. The national or local tourist boards may also be able to help.
Oh, just remembered that there is also a hostel in Kuldiga that I did visit, right by the river. I was there out of season and it was empty, but it looked OK – basic but cheap.
Hope that helps!
3 Share Web Content ! // Mar 18, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Hi John and Mont Tremblant Skier.
So if there are not really Hostels beyond Riga, can we enjoy staying with the locals?
4 John // Mar 19, 2008 at 4:30 pm
I don’t know of any homestays other than the fantastic one in Riga (www.homestay.lv), run by Ric and Diga. That isn’t to say that there aren’t any others – I’d suggest contacting the national tourist office and also any relevant local ones. They may well turn something up.
Leave a Comment