Garden Palace Hotel

Stayed a couple of days in February

Rooms felt less vintage and more “worn out and dirty”

The water did not work when we arrived but they told us they will fix it soon, still not fun when you needed to wash up after a flight

The breakfast was pretty meh but that is expected

However it did the job still

Booked this hotel trough booking.com, when we got there the hotel was closed, after 15 min of trying to reach someone, a guy showed up, but he only spoke Latvian, had to take help from someone walking by to translate. We were send to another hotel where they had no space for us, we were again sent to the 3 hotel were we finally were able to check in after one hour of driving around in Riga.
In other words don't book this hotel and save yourself a lot of trouble.

Strong smell of sewage throughout the reception area and corridors.

Mould in bathroom. No kettle or tea and coffee. Mini bar over priced. Out dated rooms, broken tired furniture and decor. Big yellow stains on bed. Remote control for TV filthily disgusting.

Major issue with access to hotel as there is a locked gate which requires a security guard to open to allow entry/exit. Found had to wait multiple times to get into the courtyard area .

Booked this hotel via a booking site believing the adverts that this was an older but adequate hotel (the four star rating was most likely self-awarded but that was OK) and found that it has hardly any of the amenities it offers on its website.

The first red flag was having to pay on arrival rather than on check out (never seen this before) and the fact that check in took about 20 minutes. We also arrived early evening to the hotel looking closed and having to be let in through the gate by a security guard (this turned out to be at all hours).

Room was dated, the 'antique' furnite in the room worn out. Beds OK and at least bedding clean. Bathroom was OK but had broken mirror and shower tray drained very slowly. Loose floorboards meant that everything in the room shook when anyone walked.

Generally felt dark and worn out. At least it was quiet and very close to the centre of the old town. Second star is for the location.

It is a real shame as Riga is beautiful and we had a good time otherwise.

We will stick to branded hotels in future.

There is no swimming pool as the website states. There is no bar as the hotel decided to close it owing to complaints about prices. The lobby and other communal areas had an awful smell which my friend said was most likely a dirty mop being used.

The staff were very welcoming. The hotel is quiet with great decor. It is also conveniently close to all the sites in Old town.

Seldom have I encountered a more drab and cheerless hotel experience. The staff were surly, unhelpful and uncommunicative. The predominant colour everywhere was a poorly lit dark brown. My bed was bigger than the sheet was and as a result it couldn't be tucked in so I woke up both mornings on the mattress. The pillow was a joke like an old bag of marshmallows. All the bed linen should have been pensioned off long ago, there was no smell of fresh linen, or fresh anything for that matter. The wardrobe door didn't fit and wouldn't close, the curtains wouldn't run on the rails and the stains on the carpet were many. There wasn't even a picture on the wall to make life any brighter. All the furniture was in need of renewal. This hotel harked back to bygone era and not modern Europe. From the security gate manned by someone who could only grunt to the receptionist whose default was to shrug her shoulders by any standards this was poor. It's a pity as it does no justice to the vibrant, energetic city in which it sits. I would never stay here again.

no cleaning of room - only making of bed. Very run down facilities.

The hotel was spotless the staff excellent.The hotel is very out dated no kettle to make tea etc.But it was grand othee than that.

Not 4 star. Perfectly clean but clearly had seen better days. Comfortable enough but not if you wanted to spend a significant amount of time in your room. Convenient location to get to where you wanted to go but quiet so not disturbed by street noise.

Nice room, nice entrance, tv didn't working, but thats ok

We knew it wouldn't be some kind of luxury hotel before we got there, but sadly our expectations (while low) still wasn't met. The staff seems to hate their jobs, everything about the hotel is kitsch and worn down. We didn't get our room cleaned for our three days stay and had to ask multiple times for a TP-roll and new towels. The only thing they did was refill the minibar.
Beds were old, but decent.
Breakfast not terrible, but if a lot of people wants coffee you'll have to wait.

Should either be turned into a hostel or renovated completely in my opinion.

Location is flawless though!

The rooms were not cleaned every day, and when they were it was not during the times stated. Staff were not unpleasant, but neither were they very friendly, and weren't helpful without extra prompting

A Nice hotel in The center of old town.
Sorry but The breakfast without coffe or tea The first morning was not ok
The shower did not work properly but The room was clean and nice
To have four stars The hotel must do more
The kitchen staf did not Great The custemors 'good morning' and so on

We stayed at this hotel for four nights. It is very central, very close to the main attractions and restaurants. Breakfast was ok, room was clean and spacious. I wouldn't mind staying there again if I revisit Riga.

At first the reception girl would not get me a glass of water for me to take my tablets. I was early so could not get into my room. The shower was coming off the wall. Breakfast was a bit cool to say least. A huge line up for coffee or tea. Most of the staff were good apart from the receptionist. No tea or coffee in the room. Could not find a glass in the room until the last day as it was hidden behind the head board of the bed. Location is fantastic.

The garden palace is a wonderful hotel with an old fashion decor that really seems to pop. The staff are very helpful and the breakfasts are great. The rooms surrounds a central courtyard away from the street consequently rooms are very quiet and you get a good nights rest. The gate from the street is constantly locked, you need to push the buzzer to have it opened. Comfortable and clean and would have no hesitation in rebooking in the future. Highly recommend.

Waiting for a refund from 15.09.18 until today. They have been promising it ASAP since then. Guess the ASAP has a different meaning in Garden Palace...
Otherwise the rooms were OK, breakfast very basic. Some mornings the coffee machine worked and some mornings not.

Location is ideal for tourists. Staff helpful and efficient.

Our group of 7 found this hotel to be adequate - comfortable enough but quite basic, definitely no frills with a 'dated' feel. The rooms are sparsely furnished and ours looked out onto walls and other windows. The place is quite gloomy inside - decor and lighting very dull - and we visited in summer. Breakfast was basic - bread, cheese, some cold meats and some cereals. The entrance gate to access the hotel is always locked - you ring a bell to gain entry and someone quickly appears to let you out - quite unusual but it created no problems for us. The hotel location is excellent - very close to the old city and within easy walking distance (with suitcases) from the number 22 bus stop coming/going to the airport. It seems a bit over-priced for what you get but the location is excellent.

This hotel’s biggest selling point is its location - it’s in the old town and very close to the river.
I found the staff friendly and helpful and the room was ok.
The building itself could do with a lick of paint! The interior can be a bit dark and gloomy.
To access the hotel you have to go through a gate which is always locked. This didn’t prove to be a problem because whenever you want to exit/enter the gatekeeper makes a very quick appearance. However, it did seem a bit strange.
The price of a room is quite reasonable, given the location.