Riga: Albert Hotel (3 Star Hotel)

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Address: 33 dzirnavu iela , Riga 1010, Latvia
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Lonely Planet review

Its massive size (246 rooms), sleek no-nonsense rooms, ubiquitous (and free) wi-fi coverage and generous range of cable TV channels scream 'business hotel'. Its surprisingly reasonable prices, quirky Albert Einstein theme and location in the heart of the Art Nouveau district bellow 'tourists hotel'. Truth is, the Albert is suitable for either type.

The Einstein motif manifests itself in the atomic designs on the carpets and room-number plates that resemble miniature chalkboards. But you won't mistake this brand-new 11-storey behemoth for a quaint boutique. Those few funky touches aside, the small, functional singles are lifted right out of a business-hotel recipe book and the doubles are only slightly more original. Fortunately, the recipe book they used also called for luxurious beds, starch-white duvet covers, awesome flat monitor-style TVs and new everything. But most new hotels look good when they open. The test will be to see how it looks in a year. Disabled rooms are available and there's an 'allergy-free' floor with no carpeting. The 11th-storey Star Lounge has great views but despicable service. The hotel service is much better and there's a free parking lot.