Hotel Karavella - Riga - 里加

About 3 km from the old town, it's inconvenient and you face the prospect of continually being fleeced by taxi drivers to get to the old town - you will be charged 6 Lats for what should be a 3 Lat journey; a tram would cost 0.

Defiantly use the red Renault taxies, and you can also order taxi through the hotel which is very cheap, 4 lats into old town.

The beds are firm and the mattresses stained with an assortment of colours cleverly hidden from view with a delightful bed sheet possibly reclaimed from a decommissioned German u-boat.

At night I spent hours cowering under the bed-clothes, hoping the drunkards, who had no quandry about spending several hours outside any old room shouting their heads off, would not try and get in.

The shower cubicle in our room had a curtain which was pretty pointless as the plug hole didn’t drain as fast as the water entered via the shower meaning the tiny bathroom soon became a wet room.

The staff helpful and friendly, bed was v comfortable, breakfast was of a good standard the same as most counries outside the U.

Oveall I enjoyed the stay, while the Hotel is basic, all I needed was a bed to get some sleep when I was not exploring or drinking.

The breakfast was well-replenished and lots of good fresh coffee available and some hot food (mini hot dogs & omelette) too.

Bar staff were lovely and towels were clean.

There is a restaurant serving something approaching food.

Tiny little restaraunt/bar on the upper floor with no character at all.

The few staff we met were friendly, with the execption of the breakfast girl who never smiled or replenished items.

Bar staff were lovely, reception staff are OK.

We stayed for 2 nights in mid-September 2007 & found the staff to be really friendly.

Very much agree with previous comments except we found the staff very helpful and made friends with them.

We told the receptionist that the website said near to the town,she found this hilarious and said "only if you have a plane"Ha Ha.

Cheep and cheerful for a stag do, or it would be if the staff smiled.

When the lift door opened, it was in darkness.

There is a sauna in the hotel but will cost you 15 Lev just to turn it on for an hour so I imagine its still in the bubble wrap it arrived in.

The rooms while old and slightly worn were well maintained in a clean manner, and evidence of good cleaning practice were throughout the Hotel.