Why are hotels so expensive in Riga, a city where the average person earns 300 euros per month? A city with high inflation where one finds guards in the grocery store because the locals are having a tough time affording the food inside and sometimes resort to stealing it?

I would like to tell you that you can do better than the Avitar, but for the price - we paid 70 euros per night for a twin in low season - you probably can't. What made this hotel acceptable was the fact that the room was actually a small apartment with a separate living room and a tiny kitchenette. It was this extra space that made the Avitar enjoyable. Without it the hotel would have been a bust.

The hotel's website is deceptive in that the map gives you the impression you are just a couple of blocks from the beautiful old town, which is where you want to spend your time if you are a tourist. In fact, the beginning of the old town is a 35 minute walk at a brisk pace. I enjoy walking and the weather was nice while I was in Riga but let's face it, most tourists would not accept this sort of distance from the old town. There are two other options to get to the old town and they are taxi or bus. Fortunately the hotel is located on one of Riga's main drags - Valdemar - and there are a number of bus routes stopping very close to the hotel.

The immediate area is residential with virtually no restaurants or services except for a small corner food shop on the next block and a convenient strip mall on the opposite side of Valdemar with a Super Netto grocery store and liquor store. The neighborhood feeling is very Sovietsky which is fascinating but perhaps a bit depressing.

All in all, I liked this small hotel in spite of its inconvenient location and cool Sovietsky reception. It was very clean and I found its 'Ikea' furnishings somehow comforting. The breakfast buffet, included in the room price, was basic and tasty. But those demanding proximity to the old town will not go for this place. Again, the large living area made this hotel acceptable, even likable. Having a separate living room and kitchenette was lovely.

Not far from the hotel is the former KGB headquarters where many were tortured and murdered during the Soviet occupation. Outside is a small monument where relatives of the deceased leave bouquets. While it's horribly sad, it's very touching and a reminder of the horrors this beautiful country has endured; a testament to the amazing strength and spirit of the Latvian people .

We went back to Riga after leaving the city 23 years ago. We loved staying at Avitar. The breakfast was hardy and tasty, the rooms were large and comftorable although the water pressure in the showers was a little weak at times. The hotel employees were very helpful, friendly, and accomodating. the location was great: Riga is a small city so you can walk everywhere. If you don't feel like walking, the bus stop is half a block away. I highly recommend staying at this hotel and when we go back, we will definitely be staying at Avitar.
Riga is a beautiful city!!!!!!!