Bei unserem Aufenthalt im Hotel Avitar machten wir sehr unterschiedliche Erfahrungen. Positiv ist die wikrlich nette Belegschaft der Rezeption zu bewerten, eine Kellnerin allerdings verhielt sich schlicht gesagt unmöglich - in einem als Raucherraum ausgezeichneten Raum des Restaurants wurde ich äußerst unhöflich darauf hingewiesen, dass hier während des Frühstücks das Rauchen nicht erlaubt sei, wir wurden unhöflich kurz nach 10:00 des Frühstückraumes verwiesen, obwohl Frühstückszeiten bis 10:00 angegeben sind - was natürlich heißen muss, dass ich mein Frühstück um 10:00 beginnen kann - zumindest ist das international so üblich. Ich wurde dann auch noch mit einem "f... you!" bedacht und am Nachmittag wurden wir als Gäste ganz einfach ignoriert - wir konnten nicht einmal bestellen! Unser Zimmer wies einige Mängel auf, so z.B. eine Jalousie, die man nur bei geschlossenem Fenster schließen kann, da sie einfach über nach innen gehende Fenster angebracht wurde.... Unsere Betten waren schlicht eine Katastrophe - durchgelegen und von unendlicher Lärmerzeugung, wenn man sich nur umdrehte!!! Es ist richtig, dass das Hotel sehr sauber gehalten ist und auch die Lage günstig ist, wenn man sich nicht scheut, ca.30 Minuten zu Fuß zu gehen - die angegebenen 15 Minuten zum Zentrum sind reine Erfindung, da müßte man joggen! Außerdem deckte sich die Rechnung nicht mit den von der Hotelvermittlung BOOKING.COM angegebenen 220 € - es wird in Lats abgerechnet, was zu Mehrkosten von gut 8 € führte! Der Preis allerdings war wirklich günstig, offensichtlich ist das auch der Grund für die Mängel. Noch einmal ins Avitar? Eher nicht! Vereno/Lughofer

They advised us as soon as wearrived they are sick of the scottish, english and welsh making noise and making a fool of themselves and then they listed all the things we could be fined for (making a noise, coming in late). We lasted one night, and if it wasn't for the fact our flight was a night time arrival we wouldn't have stayed the first night. Nice enough looking hotel if you have a thing for discipline!

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 .

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 .