Review: Hilton Garden Inn Riga Old Town [Latvia]
| Positives | Negatives |
|---|---|
| Great location within Old Town | Bad breakfast |
| Rooms feel bigger than advertised | |
| Good service recovery | |
| Good value for the price |
After visiting Lithuania, I worked my way up to Latvia and stayed at its capital Riga. Hilton seems to be the best hotel program in Latvia because they have hotels inside the Old Town which seemed to be a sensible location for my first visit where other programs steer slightly outside. Hence why I chose the Hilton Garden Inn.
Hilton Garden Inn Riga- Booking
I booked a 2-night stay here on cash with 98 EUR per night. It’s typical for this hotel to hover around 100 EUR range and I find it good for what it is.
Hilton Garden Inn Riga- Location
Hilton Garden Inn Riga is located in the heart of Riga Old Town. It’s very close to some main attractions like House of the Blackheads and St. Peter’s Church. If you enjoyed the movie “Flow”, you may encounter a Riga sign with one of the film’s characters on it in front of the House of the Blackheads. After the movie won the Oscars for Animated Films in 2024, Latvia is very proud in showcasing it to the world.
It’s minutes away to the main bus station where you can navigate through all the three Baltics countries easily from there. Taxis also have no problems picking you up right in front of the hotel or dropping you off right at the spot, which is a huge plus for those carrying multiple luggages. I recommend getting the Bolt app for fair taxi prices
There are few restaurants I enjoyed nearby, including Ala Pagrabs, Folkklubs where they serve traditional and modern Latvian dishes. I recommend giving their toasted rye garlic bread a try, a great Latvian classic! Second, Restaurant Milda, which serves good general Baltics cuisine and is awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand, so you won’t break your bank dining there.
There is another Hilton property (SLH) in Riga Old Town called Grand Palace Hotel, but I find the location near the Hilton Garden Inn to be slightly more favorable due to it being closer to the bus station.
Hilton Garden Inn Riga- Check-in
I arrived to the hotel at around 1pm from a 3-hour bus ride from Vilnius. When I was at the front desk, I was not expecting to get early check-in and planned to just store my belongings at the hotel and get some lunch and explore the Old Town in the meantime. To my delight, they granted me early check-in and upgraded me to the King Deluxe.
Unlike other hotels though, this hotel wants the room rate payment upfront rather than holding incidentals with your credit card. It was no issue personally for me, just thought I’d point that out. I was able to split payment across 3 different Amex cards to use up my Hilton credits on the Business Platinum, Hilton Surpass, and Hilton Business to take $160 off the total room rate.
They gave me a free ice cream that I can grab from the freezer by the market as a welcome gift. So good for a summer day!
The hotels’ market offers snacks, drinks, and souvenirs to go where you can pay at the reception. The coffee and tea are free, however.
Hilton Garden Inn Riga- King Deluxe Room
I was assigned to the King Deluxe at 5th floor. I was impressed at the size of the room, and it somehow felt like a Junior Suite with its own living room that’s separated by a sloped hallway towards the bedroom area.
The living room are has a long sofa with TV across and a desk by the window.
The closet has generous space to put your luggage on.
Water bottle is given for free for all, but elite members get 2 daily.
But, when I checked the mini-fridge, housekeeping forgot about a glass that was left by a previous guest. I notified the front desk about it, and while I didn’t ask for anything, they gave me a glass of Prosecco downstairs at the lobby bar as an apology. Smooth recovery I say!
The sloped ceiling reaches out to the bedroom area, and it gives a cozy sleeping in an attic feel.
The bedroom has another TV right across the king bed.
The view from the bedside is see-through of the hotel’s end of hallways so keep that in mind. I kept this side closed at all times though.
The views from the living room side are nicer with European-style rooftops and parts of the St. Peter’s Church.
The bathroom is right next to the main entrance. Pretty standard everything wise except that there is no rainfall shower.
Hilton Garden Inn Riga- Breakfast
Breakfast is served at the restaurant “Beef Room” on lobby floor. It serves Western-style breakfast with special additions like a waffle maker and salted sprats that are commonly seen in the Baltics.
Breakfast in this hotel was its weakest point with overcooked bacon and powdered eggs that did not taste good. I stuck with the sweet options like cereal and cakes in here which were fine enough.
Breakfast is free for Hilton Gold and Diamond, but I wouldn’t pay out of my own pocket here.
Hilton Garden Inn Riga- Gym
The gym is located on the basement floor and is open 24/7. You just need your keycard to access. It looks like a standard gym, with possibly less options for strength training than the typical hotel gym.
Hilton Garden Inn Riga- Laundry
Guest laundry can be seen on the third floor. But, there seems to be only one set of wash & dryer machine. Keycard is needed for access.
Conclusion
Hilton Garden Inn Riga is a perfectly fine hotel to stay at in Latvia’s capital. The location within Old Town is fantastic, and the majority of Riga’s attractions will be approachable by foot. I was also impressed by the rooms’ sizes, and they felt bigger than advertised. Only the breakfast was its major weak point, but other than that, there was not much to complain about.