Do you have any suggestions for an upscale hotel in Riga--Thanks in advance.

For upscale hotels in Riga the following come to mind:

Grand Palace: Part of the Schloessle hotel chain that also operates the St Petersbourg Hotel and Grand Hotel Schloessle in Tallinn (and of German ownership, if I recall correctly), this is a pretty luxurious property right in the middle of Old Town Riga. Two good restaurants, no pool. Very classic.

Hotel de Rome: A 5 star (IMHO rather 4 star plus), rebuilt legendary hotel bordering Old Town and facing the Freedom Monument on Brivibas. Great location to explore both Old Town and the bordering Art Deco district. German Management. Rooftop Restaurant Otto Schwarz serves delicious food and one of the best breakfast buffets in town. No pool.

Reval Hotel Ridzene: A former residence for visiting Communist Party officials, this hotel with unimpressive exteriors has been refurbished completely and is under the management of the Estonian chain of Reval Hotels. Pleasant and friendly service. Conveniently located to the Art Deco District and just a few minutes from Old Town. No pool, but rubber ducks in the bathroom ;-).

Radisson SAS: Located on the "wrong" side of the River Daugava, it sports a fantastic view on the skyline of Riga's Old Town, which is about a 7 minute hike away. Reliable quality of the Radisson SAS standard - sort of "Marriottish". Decent indoor pool.

Hotel Ainavas: A boutique hotel in Old Town, the "Landscapes" sports 21 rooms trying to reflect the landscapes of Latvia. No pool. Have not stayed there personally.

I once more urgently refer you to the webpages of inyourpocket for very reliable information.

http://www.inyourpocket.com

I would recommend the de Rome as well- it's definitely not a fancy place, but the top-floor restaurant is great! Our rooms were very nice and the location is convenient.
I don't have experience elsewhere in Riga, but the de Rome was nice!!

thank you both for your responses==more study involved--we are really looking forward to this trip--right now the Grand Palace looks very interesting. Again thank you so much. jan

Thank you for your replies. I was all set to make a reservation and then I read two comments on one the boards and was hesitant to reserve the Grand--is it just an hotel that has been refurbished for tourists--the two comments were about the staff just being aloof--looking for any help you might offer-- 4 nights can be too short or an eternity.

jlpx2,

in general I would think that Riga, while it does offer a number of quality hotels, does not exactly sport a plethora of world-class properties.

When in town, I have stayed at the Konventa Seta, the De Rome, Hotel Laine (when everything else was booked), the Radisson SAS and the Reval Hotel Latvija. None of these were 5-star properties IMO (and only one of them claims to be: The De Rome).

I tried to point out on this thread and the other thread I believe you started on Riga that the Grand Palace appears to be a bit stuffy and is too formal for my taste. I only know it from having lunch there, though. But it did not do much for me. I don't mind staying in luxury hotels at all, but I'd rather like them to be what I'd describe as generous. That is to say all the amenities, but not of that "in-your-face" style, if you catch my drift - and certainly no staff more formal than me. The Grand Palace appears to be a bit nouveau-riche for me and probably that is what drew me away from it.

If service is important for you, the De Rome isn't bad. But it's not 5 star IMHO, but rather 4-star. The hotel lacks an air condition, if I recall correctly and its sauna is rather on the small side. Its location is its biggest benefit along with the breakfast buffet.

I have also experienced very friendly service at the Reval Hotel Latvija, which certainly would not meet your demands although it is of decent and reasonable quality. If the Reval Group's standards are consistent within the chain, you might check out the Reval Hotel Ridzene. A pretty good location and a good job in the renovation turning the hotel from a rather dull Party Official residence into a modern hotel with some ambition. I have been told though that the rooms are not exactly large.

The Radisson SAS is a business oriented property. Its biggest handicap is its location across the River Daugava. Especially during chilly days the hike across the bridge into Old Town can really be annoying. And venturing out into the Art Deco District at nights for having dinner in one of the many good restaurants there, you would have to get a taxi.
While it is reliable, it is not a five star property either.

I don't know if this helps - but to cheer you up a bit, Riga is still a fabulous city and I am almost certain you will enjoy it, if you are prepared to compromise a bit on the hotel of your choice.

Just to round this off:

Latvians in general are not exactly outgoing with strangers. Especially as a tourist or customer it feels a bit odd sometimes that it is often hard to come across a smile (and this comes from a Northern German who usually are notorious for being a bit aloof...). However I would not exactly take this as unfriendliness. They just take a bit longer to warm up - and in general are pretty straight forward people, which in fact is quite an admirable quality.
This might help explain some of the complaints about service that you heard.