Riga Rooster

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The Riga Rooster was talking about this possibility over a year ago. He pecked that unless the Latvian Tourism Authorities begin to take action to improve the image of Latvia abroad this situation might occur. And it appears that it has according to the latest Business News in Latvia last week.

Hotels being sold off in Riga
As market tightens, older hotels are being abandoned

From www.Standbynews.info Monday 30 June 2008

Latvia’s hotel industry is experiencing a crisis, according to this article, and three hotels in Riga have been put up for sale. After Latvia’s accession to the European Union in 2004, the number of hotels in the city and its outer district grew considerably, a trend that accelerated also due to the World Ice Hockey Championships in 2005. Last year, 5.234 million foreigners crossed Latvia’s border. But in the first quarter of 2008, the number of tourists in Latvia decreased y-o-y for the first time since 2004. At the end of 2007, 400 places of accommodation were available in Latvia. Meanwhile, eight new hotels have been unveiled in Riga so far this year, for example, the Reval Hotel Elizabete and the Nordic Hotel Bellevue. The Atlantija Hotel, which first opened in the Soviet period, will be auctioned off in October. These days the building resembels nothing more than a run-down hostel. It is also possible that the 3-star, 68-room Bruninieks Hotel will be sold too.

Biznes&Baltija, 2008-06-27

The Rooster's last thoughts...

The statistics on the number of people crossing the borders is very misleading and not representative of tourism. Many of the border crossings are from Latvia's neighbors just swinging across for a short visit, to have lunch and maybe even stay overnight. But, that is NOT tourism and these visitors do not contribute many NEW MONEY into the tourism economy.

Our guess of statistics for numbers of nigh stay is that it has decreased from around 3.8 nights in 2003 to about 1.8 nights in 2007/2008.

Most of the foreign visitors are those that choose to come, live cheaply and drink their pockets empty. Most of these monies don't find the pockets of the tourism providers either. They line the paper bags of the clever few that have found a way to make a killing from the drinkers stumbling off/on the Ryan Air and other lowcost flights.

Shame on the Latvian Transport Minister and the other leaders of Latvias Tourism and Police sectors for NOT making a plan as the first Ryan Air flight touched down. There is still no plan and only action being done is chasing the drunks around the freedom Monument to stop peeing on the monument and to have them pull up their pants.

SHAME on Latvia's leadership , this rooster crows loudly.

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There are many new small hotels springing up all over Riga. Some are not perhaps in the most desirable locations.

As the old saying goes - Let the Buyer Beware !

One local newspaper just issued a strong statement on a new hotel South of the Central Market. A couple of days later a different newspaper issued a glowing report on the same hotel ... whimmm just wondering... yea ...

This Rooster is simply chicken when it feels the heat of the Sicilian BBQ ... so we have decided to change the wording of this POST to be as neutral as possible but still send a message of beware about of the location before you choose your hotel. 

Better to be safe than suffer the fate of the infamous DoDo bird.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodo


During the day some of these locations may be quite safe and even large shopping centers are located closeby. However after sundown and with a few too many drinks in my tummy (not thinking too fast and clear) I might be a little more worried about some of the areas outside of the central city center. 

Riding public transport can risk having your pocket picked during daylight hours; but the riders of the trams at these later hours may not be the knd of people you would want to invite into your home. This worrys me some too. So a taxi is probably recommend over a late might Tram or bus ride and for sure I would not be walking in some of these locations by myself late at night. 

There are many possible hotels in this category and I won't name them as I don't believe it is my place to do so. So as a visitor, consider the location carefully and ask a lot of questions. 

So the 100 Ls question (US$200) is do you risk something happening to save 100 Ls on a 3 night stay? Subtract 30 Ls of potential taxi fares during your stay and you are down to a 70 Ls savings over walking to a central city center hotel at a higher price.  (30 Ls for taxis  is 10  trips at 3 Ls per trip - that's 3+ trips a day for 3 days)

Oh yea, almost forgot to mention, some hotel owners have made special arrangements with taxi companies for special fares from the hotel to popular locations around the city. There is just on simple problem with these relationships and that is the GREED on the part of those involved in calling for the taxi for the client. Sometimes a different taxi company is called than the one which should be and someimes the extra fare charged to the client is shared with the person that called the taxi. 

Oh yea, another issue is how do you get back to the hotel without paying the special much higher fare of the taxi driver hailed on the local street corner  .. it's know to happen around these parts.

... be careful is all we are saying