I stayed two nights at Neibergs hotel in Riga and encountered two main problems: a bathroom that offered no privacy and the way my complaint was handled.
The bathroom had a bare, untreated window, with no frosting, film, blind, or curtain, directly overlooked by multiple windows opposite. A wall-to-wall mirror facing the window widened the sightlines, exposing the entire bathroom by reflection. There was no way to shower or use the toilet without being visible.
When I first checked in late at night, the bathroom was so brightly lit that the outside the window looked dark, and I assumed it was bare because there was nothing opposite. Only at around four o’clock in the morning did I realise there were windows facing mine, leaving the bathroom fully exposed. I raised this with the front desk, but the night receptionist said he was new and knew nothing about it. When I raised this in the morning, the day receptionist dismissed me by saying it was “normal in Europe”. Not only is it simply untrue, but I found it offensive as a North East Asian. He did not apologise until I demanded it, and even then the apology was reluctant and superficial.
He offered a room change after I objected to the remark. I did not want to change rooms, having already unpacked, so I asked him to find out whether the window could be covered with something like a plastic sheet, on the understanding that any solution would be confirmed with me after I had breakfast in the adjoining room. Instead, the receptionist had someone enter my room to cover the window without my permission while I was at breakfast. I had asked for information, not the unauthorised entry.
I asked his full name, but the receptionist was evasive about giving his surname, saying 'it doesn't matter'. He also stalled my requests to see the manager, which took three attempts across a day; I was only able to see her at around 5.30pm.
The manager was more sympathetic, but on reflection I felt her sincerity was thin, as she was similarly evasive and contradicted herself: She said that few guests had complained in her long experience at the hotel yet also said that I was entirely normal to raise the issue. She claimed the buildings opposite were disused offices, which I later found to be untrue. All this left me feeling gaslighted, cast as the one at fault for complaining and for wanting privacy in the bathroom. Throughout, I was treated as though I was seeking an upgrade, when my complaint was about the lack of privacy and the dismissive conduct.
Two further shortcomings added to a poor stay. The room had no heating I could control, which led to a cold and sleepless first night; an electric heater was offered for the second night but did not help, and the room only became warmer after the central heating was switched on at around midnight. The bed linen also smelled stale.
On a more positive note, the room was spacious, and the breakfast, though not exceptional, was served by friendly and professional staff.
