Finally I was able to try this rather new Pullman that opened in Riga year and a half ago. I stayed there for three nights after the new year. This wasn’t only my first stay at this hotel but in a Pullman hotel in general and to be honest I didn’t know what to expect. But I was very satisfied with the stay. I wonder if other Pullman hotels are as good.

Check In

Prior to arrival, I received an odd email offering room upgrade (now 85 euros, normally 100 euros), welcome drink (3 euros) and access to spa (0 euros) among other things.

I opted for airport transportation (now 49 euros, normally 56 euros). At the airport, driver was waiting for us with a sign, shook hands and welcomed to Latvia. Despite the fact that I had booked just an ordinary car, the ride was upgraded and it was done in a shiny Mercedes-Benz E class.

Upon check-in we were warmly welcomed, thanked for the loyalty and proactively given all the necessary benefits. For once Accor’s slogan, Feel welcome, meant something.

Early check-in around 11am wasn’t problem and the superior room I had booked was upgraded to a premium deluxe. That was a three level upgrade. The next category would had been a presidential suite which was booked so it seemed that they gave us the best room that was available.

Breakfast times, spa details and facilities were explained. All this was highly appreciated.

Room

Our premium deluxe room on the second floor felt spacious albeit it only had 31 square meters. Perhaps it was the high ceiling and the three large windows facing Jekaba Park that made the room feel bigger than it actually was.

A wooden floor kept nice creaking sound. (It’s an old refurbished building.)

In addition to a comfortable king size bed, the room had a lounging area with armchair and couch. Amenities included for example capsule coffee machine, kettle, and safe. Minibar was stocked with premium brands such as big bottles of Hennessy cognac and Belvedere vodka with not too expensive prices.

The bathroom had only one switch for all lights so it was either very dark or super bright. Toilet seat was placed oddly in a separate space without sink and one needed to walk through the room to get to the bathroom to wash hands.

Shower was flooding both in the room and the spa so the property seemed having some issues with the sewer. There was only two hooks where one could hang all towels and bathrobes. Bath amenities were C. O. Bigelow.

No turndown service.

Service

The staff was service minded, friendly, helpful and clearly eager to please. Always when we approached or passed the front desk, employees were smiling and greeting us.

A handwritten welcome card from general manager, three handmade chocolates and four bottles of water (two Badoit and two Evian) were waiting for us in the room when we returned to hotel in the afternoon.

There was also a bottle of local mineral water placed on both bedside tables and they were restocked daily and so was the bath amenities even though we hadn’t finished the previous ones.

A front desk supervisor started to investigate troubles I had with the Places application after Accor customer care, Le Club team on Facebook and Accor concierge here on FlyerTalk weren’t able to help me.

When I requested chamomile tea in one evening, it was brought with cookies and a handwritten card. When we were leaving, many rushed to help us and asked if we needed taxi or help with the luggage.

Dining

We only ate breakfast at the hotel. It was good: savory, nutritious, and extensive enough. If I missed something, more fruits perhaps. Nothing was really wrong but it wasn't amazing either. Rather typical European hotel breakfast with made to order eggs, including Eggs Benedict and its variations. However, coffee was bland liquid from a self-service machine.

Before going out for dinner we used the two drink vouchers that were handed at check-in. I used it for a gin and tonic, my partner chose a very tasty berry flavored mocktail.

The hotel had a cozy tapaseria.

Spa

The spa on the 7th floor was empty most of the time which was relaxing. Facilities included dry sauna, swimming pool and resting area with views to old town over roof tops.

The pool was long but shallow and narrow. It was surrounded by birch trees and smelled dirty. Maybe the idea was to create a feeling that one is swimming in the river Daugava.

The shower room only had body cleansing gel so if one wanted to clean properly it was necessary to bring own shampoo and conditioner.

One day, the spa was closed for maintenance and this was communicated only last minutes. Then another day the sauna was closed again, now due to cleaning later that day. We were sitting in a cold sauna. No information was given, not even when entering in the spa, before we asked about it.

Massage was reasonable priced for a hotel (90 euros for full body scrap and back massage, 35 euros for foot massage). And while in Sofitel Munich it was strictly prohibited to use swimwear in sauna, here it was vice versa (thank god).

Location

Couldn’t have been better. Located in the old town, the hotel was in a walking distance to everywhere in center. Being a compact city, restaurants, shops and sights were 5–15 minutes walk away.

Overall

Excellent stay and excellent hotel for which I would give four stars. I see a clear gap between Pullman and Sofitel. But I will certainly return next time my travels brings me back to Riga and I’m happy to try also other Pullman hotels.

The Pullman Riga is located in an old horse stable from the 18th century and although the facade might look small, the hotel features 155 rooms and 7 conference rooms. We chose the Pullman for our 3 night stay as it was the only high-end ALL property in Riga. 

Location

The hotels location is excellent. It sits right in the heart of Old Town on Jekaba street 300m from Dome Square. 

Check In

We had booked a business transfer from the airport via the hotel for 28 euro, and we were greeted at arrivals by the driver and driven in a black E-class to the Hotel. Check-in was quick and efficient. The receptionist explained all the facilities and their opening hours. Drink vouchers were given, but no room upgrade as the hotel was completely full. I did check online beforehand and indeed not a single room available during our dates. 

Reception and lobby area. 

There is a clear horse theme throughout the hotel with horse sculptures, horse painting and different horse accessories as decoration. There are also some odd furnitures throughout which weren’t really our taste. 

Room

We had booked a Premium Superior King Room. The room felt quite spacious and had great ceiling height. The room was located on the second floor with views out to the park in front of the hotel. The room was also very well isolated, it had double windows and we couldn’t hear any noise from the outside. Another positive was the AC, which worked very well and kept the room cool despite the outside temperature of 30+ celsius. Turndown service was provided every day and bathroom amenities and water bottles were restocked. 

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Work desk in the corner and a small sofa.

Coffee machine and kettle.

Hairdryer.

Pillow menu.

Park view.

Bathroom

The negative of the room was the bathroom. It was oddly designed and had a strange glass door which could open in both directions and would never stay closed. The shower was huge but the water would find its way out of the shower on to the bathroom floor unless we placed a tower under the shower door. The toilet was located in a separate room to the right of the entrance. 

C.O.Bigelow Hair shampoo, Hair balm, Body wash and Body lotion.

Toilet to the right of the entrance. 

Spa

The hotel features a spa on the 7th floor with a 19,5m heated swimming pool, loungers and a sauna. There is also a 24/7 gym. Various types of massages can also be booked. 

Mens and womens changing rooms.

Lockers with bathrobes and slippers.

Terrace

On the 6th floor there is a small terrace surrounded by beautiful old buildings. 

Dining

The hotel features the Equus restaurant on the first floor. We did have dinner there one night but unfortunately we weren’t impressed and our waitress clearly needed more training. The mains tasted quite good but the deserts were very dissapointing and our white wine was served borderline warm. 

This is where breakfast is served. We did not try the hotel breakfast during our stay. 

The bar. Located in the lobby area infront of Equus. 

Service

Service was a mixed bag, some staff were great and some were not. 

On our last night we wanted to use our drink vouchers for a cocktail before heading our for dinner in town. We went to the bar only to be told by the bartender in a semi rude way that the vouchers weren’t valid for cocktails. He then went on to read exactly what the vouchers mentioned. At checkin I had beed told we could use the vouchers for cocktails. Not in the mood for an argument we headed out for dinner. The next morning when checking out, I asked the receptionist to clarify the vouched situation. She told us that they could indeed be used for cocktails and apologised for the bartenders mistake. 

Overall

Although the hotel is clearly very business oriented and we were traveling for leisure, we enjoyed our stay at the Pullman. The rooms and the facilities were good. Service could have been better. The hotels location is excellent and a big reason to choose it.