Grand Palace Hotel — Hotel in Riga

Terrible service, not worthy of a 5-star hotel. We arrived at the Grand Palace hotel, Riga to check in and parked our car at the designated hotel parking outside the front door. We waited to check in as there was another guest ahead of us. As we were checking in the first thing we mentioned is that we drove and have a car parked outside. The staff member never mentioned that we need a parking pass to avoid getting a ticket. The check-in took 10 minutes as the staff member explained the hotel amenities and showed us a map of the city. At the end of the conversation, we asked about the parking and where to park, finally he provided the pass, without mentioning that it needs to placed in the car immediately. We went to put our hand luggage in the room and went straight to the car to get remainder of luggage. Unfortunately we had received a parking ticket by this time. When we inquired with the hotel about this they said we can only park outside for 5-min without pass otherwise a ticket is issued. This was never explained to us, we are from Canada, we don’t know the rule of parking in Riga. This should have been told and explained very first thing when we arrived and mentioned we have a car. We were offered a credit towards the hotel parking surcharge to offset the ticket. Later we were told this is not possible and we have to also pay €30 for hotel parking by another staff member on duty. He didn’t believe us when we told him we were not advised of the ticketing policy or that we needed to place the pass in the car immediately. He said “I heard a different story from my colleague” insinuating that we were lying. I asked him to check the videotape of when we checked in and he finally agreed that we got the pass after the check in and not at the beginning, neither were we told about putting the pass in right away to avoid getting a ticket. I asked to speak to a manager and he refused telling me I can complain by any public communication method but can’t speak to manager. As an unhappy guest I should have the right to speak to a manager at the very least. We feel very uncomfortable by this situation and didn’t find the staff helpful at all. Don’t recommend staying here, they don’t know what good...

We frequently hear about the benefits of "shopping small" and taking your business not to the name-brands, but to the independent and smaller businesses. This is often sound advice (not that there's anything wrong with brand-names), and in the case of the Grand Palace Hotel in Riga, it is 100% accurate. Leave the chain hotels on the side when you visit Riga, and stay at the Grand Palace. It looks small from the outside, but when you step inside, it is beautifully lit and decorated. It feels like a tiny palace. There is a warm and welcoming reception area where the front desk literally goes over your stay and what the hotel offers with you, like a private consultation. It's personable and very friendly. The concierge is delightfully pleasant, too and super helpful. My room was splendidly made up and had some welcome treats. A comfy bed with warm blankets and the feeling and look of pure cleanliness. I had needed to make use of their laundry service and have nothing but compliments. As promised, it was delivered by the end of the day, and all my clothes came back and they were well cared for. It was pricey, but the convenience was worth it. |Grand Palace Hotel is located a few steps from fantastic little shops, authentic souvenirs, historical places of interest, and some excellent local restaurants. Everything you might need or want is within reach. ||The breakfast area was gorgeous and the food was very good. I found the options to be bountiful and there is something there for everyone and every taste. Every member of the hotel staff I came across was courteous and friendly, and they truly value their clientele. ||I also had the pleasure of eating at the hotel's Michelin restaurant and was left satisfied. The menu was tiny but mighty and boasted some artful flavors that together created a blend of positive simplicity and sophistication. The food was impressive but did not boast pretentiousness from the plate; rather it looked confident. ||If you want to stay small and local in Riga, this is the hotel you're...

Well we simply fell on our feet with this gem of a hotel. Every aspect of it is first class, from the welcome, to the bar, to the food, to the staff and the rooms. We simply could not find a fault with this place. The staff were absolutely friendly and nothing was too much trouble. We didn't eat in the main restaurant but the bar meal we had on our last night was delicious and perfect after a lot of walking in heavy rain. The bar is lovely, although smoking is allowed in it (I think it's still allowed everywhere in Latvia) and it has a humidor for those like me who still enjoy the forbidden delights a decent cuban cigar. The extractor fans are on without being intrusive, so the tobacco smell is rather light and certainly not over powering. For me this is heaven, and a reminder of fond times gone by. Drink is at the dearer end of the prices in Riga, however you have to bear in mind the lovely bar, the superbly attentive, polite and friendly staff. This not a low end hotel. Our room was large, the bed very very comfortable, the bathroom superbly equipped and spotlessly clean. We had a TV, coffee maker and fridge (with very reasonable prices) and you get a free bottle each of still or sparkling water every night, plus a little sweet treat. It's literally located within a 5-10 minute walk of just about everywhere in Riga Old Town, and traffic on the cobbled street outside is very restricted so a street facing room like ours was very quiet. We slept brilliantly. Breakfast was included and served between 07:30 and 10:30 Mon-Fri, and until 11am at weekends. It was lovely with a superb selection of food, from cooked to continental options, with very good servers. If and when we return to Riga then this will be our hotel of choice. Highly...