THE GRAND PALACE HOTEL RIGA: A REVIEW

Last Updated on 26th March 2024 by Bejal

I had my heart set on staying at The Grand Palace Riga, ever since I set eyes on it as part of ‘The Leading Hotels of the World’ group. The hotel is steeped in history and well the luscious fabrics and decadent colours blended with ornate ceramics was always going to be a winner with me! So the question is, did my stay at The Grand palace Riga live up to my expectations? Read on to discover what I thought.

As our car drove us through the quiet streets of Old Town Riga’s cobble-stone streets, I caught a glimpse of the hotel and breathed a huge sigh of relief! It had the same charm and beauty that I had envisaged it to have and as I stepped outside onto the red carpet and looked up to the gleaming gold plaque, that read ‘Grand Palace Riga’ something told me I had made the right choice!

The Grand Palace Hotel

The building was constructed in 1877 as the Central Bank of Latvia and turned into a 5 Star boutique hotel in 2000. The Grand palace Riga has been voted Latvia’s leading hotel for the past 10 years by World Travel Awards. It has a prime location in Old Town Riga, a UNESCO WORLD Heritage Site, a stones throw away from all the sights, sounds and flavours of the city. It is also within walking distance from the acclaimed Art Nouveau district. Everywhere you would need to go can be reached by foot!

The Grand Palace Hotel Riga’s interiors were designed by Andrew Martin, a British designer who has tried to fuse the buildings past in the communal areas with the modern clean lines and simplicity in the rooms. 

We were greeted by the Concierge, who walked us through the grand front doors of the Grand Palace Hotel and up the marble staircase leading to the reception room. This is where we got our first taste of the decadent feeling of this hotel. Two large desks, beautiful  chairs and stunning drapes adorned the room in rich opulent hues fabrics. The smell of freshly cut lilies fills the room as you are swiftly taken through the check-in process and given a tour around the hotels communal amenities.

We booked directly with the Grand Palace Riga and were therefore upgraded to a Deluxe Double Room including breakfast (booking a room direct with the hotel guarantees you with a room upgrade!), which faced the old town Riga which we were literally situated in, down a quiet little cobble stone road. I’ve mentioned before that when I’m on a short city break, when I know I’ll be exploring, I generally don’t tend to book a suite so and in this case we were out all day and literally used our room as a luxurious haven for relaxing post dinner and gaining a restful night’s sleep.

THE ROOM

Our deluxe double room was located on the fourth floor off a beautifully decorated hallway. The room was airy and spacious and it was apparent on entering that the two large windows (which face the front of the hotel, overlooking the cobble stone street) were responsible for the natural light flooding in.

The colours were neutral tones of grey and ebony interspersed with small pops of colour in the form of soft furnishings. The room contained all the usual suspects, a stylish desk (not that anyone was planning on working), a cute hanging wardrobe, plenty of chests, the all-important full length mirror, 3 stone upholstered seats to plan a day of sightseeing from and local pieces of art work in classic frames and mounts. The carpet with its dark grey swirls was just right to break up the room neutral wall scheme.

The bathroom on the other hand was a little more classic, with a black and white checked tiled floor, a Victorian style suite and pretty little ceramic pieces housing the amenities one could need for their stay. Luxurious toiletries were by Dead Sea Minerals and just felt and smelt divine. Additionally you can feel right at home in fluffy white bath robes and comfy slippers!

Heading back downstairs, and it’s worth taking the stairs down just to experience the beautiful chandeliers that hang down the wide carpeted staircase, with beautiful blue and white ceramic pots at every corner.

Off the lobby there is also the PILS Bar & Restaurant the Restaurant Orangerie and a terrace which unfortunately was not in use during our stay buy I can imagine summer days out here would be idyllic.

PILS BAR & RESTAURANT

Ok so I’m a little bit in love with the bar. From the teal bar stools to the beautifully classically stocked bar display and the modern meets classic décor!

It’s open all day to enjoy a relaxing drink and rest stop inbetween scheduled sight seeing however Dr C and I chose to have pre-meal cocktails at the bar being heading out in the evenings. The bar tenders are very well versed in cocktails and you know what I’m going to say… I am a happy girl if my Espresso martinis are made right! This was most certainly the case! The grin on my face speaks volumes!

The hotel also has a restaurant adjoining the bar, which we didn’t actually eat at but the hotels Executive chef, Roberts Slaidins is renowned for his attention of using high-quality ingredients and creativity of dishes. The restaurant provides a very elegant dining space filled with chandeliers and a romantic ambience.

THE ORANGERY

Breakfast is served in the light and airy orangery situated at the back of the hotel. A room filled with ornate chairs, chaise longue and white statues. Look out for the chief resident of the orangery, Misha. A stunning lady who spends her days sitting on the perch and talking to diners as she swoons around the room when it takes her fancy.

Breakfast is laid back affair at the hotel consisting of a buffet with hot items made to order to suits tastes and personal palettes. The crockery is simply quite stunning too but be careful not too much prosecco for breakfast as it’s quite delicate! I’m not speaking from personal experience incase you’re wondering!

The hotel also has Spa facilities and can arrange special extras in your room like champagne and flowers for special occasion. They even have a business room for meetings. Additionally I really adored there little computer station which is complimentary, as is WIFI in all communal areas with a additional code for in-room use.

Little details are also taken care of such as the turn down service, chocolate treats and bottled drinking water is complimentary.

The Grand Palace Hotel, Riga is the ultimate boutique hotel in my opinion. It oozes individuality in both service, style and quality. The attention to detail and personal service is really second to none and a true haven to return to after a long day exploring the Latvian capital, Riga. It is a true insight into the Latvian hospitality which leaves me reeling to discover more of the Baltic cordiality.

Original question of did my stay live up to my expectations, one hundred percent YES!

SHEER UNADULTERATED BLISS FOR

Couples, romantic getaways, city breaks, honeymoons, anniversaries, special occasions.

The Grand Palace Hotel, Riga
Pils Iela 12,
Riga, LV-1050
Latvia
Tel +371 6740 4000

À Bientôt…

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