A Wyndham brand property, Days Hotel Riga VEF, Latvia was my 2-night hotel stay in Riga, Latvia two weeks ago. The room was basic, but also quite a deal at 28 EUR per night. This stay was less about saving money on a hotel room and more about earning Wyndham Rewards points on a low hotel rate.
VEF is a 1919 company established to build and repair telephones and telephone exchanges. In 1936, VEF developed the world’s smallest camera. During the 1960s, VEF produced two-thirds of all Soviet Union telephones. Days Inn Riga is across the street from the old VEF building.
Days Hotel Riga VEF offered a 28 EUR per night flexible rate with 2,000 bonus points for a 2-night stay. I also had a targeted triple points promotion for my Wyndham Rewards account.
My $60 hotel stay earned 4,188 Wyndham Rewards points.
- Days Inn Riga VEF 56 EUR stay earned 594 base points.
- Go get ‘em award 1,000 minimum points per stay = 406 points.
- Stay Once, get 3x points = 594 x 2 = 1,188 points.
- Best Available Rate 2,000 bonus points = 2,000 points.
4,188 Wyndham Rewards total points for 56 EUR ($60) hotel stay at Days Inn Riga VEF.
I asked a question when I initially received my Wyndham Rewards 3x points promotion offer.
Loyalty Traveler – Wyndham Rewards 3x points March 7-May 25 looks like great deal for me (March 13, 2017).
Is 3x points calculated only on base points earned (30 x base spend) or is it calculated after adding the go get ‘em award 1,000 points minimum for a 3,000 points minimum?
My screen shot shows triple points (30 points/$1) only applies to the base spend points earned: $59.40 x 10 + $59.40 x 20 = 594 + 1,188 = 1,782 points.
For my trip in the Baltics, I stayed one night at Ramada Vilnius on a GoFast rate using 3,000 Wyndham Rewards points + 62 EUR. That hotel night cut the room rate for the 5-star Ramada Vilnius from 141 EUR to 62 EUR. (And yes, a 5-star Ramada hotel actually exists!)
Loyalty Traveler – Ramada Vilnius Lithuania Hotel Review – notably luxurious for brand (April 14, 2017).
Net values are 3 hotel nights on my 10 night trip cost 118 EUR ($127) with Wyndham Worldwide hotel stays. I made a net gain of 1,188 Wyndham Rewards points while staying in Vilnius, Lithuania and Riga, Latvia.
Days Inn Riga VEF Hotel Review
The #6 tram stops outside the Riga National Opera, beside Old Town Riga for the 3.8km/2.3 mile ride to VEF stop. The tram takes about 20 minutes between Old Town and Days Hotel Riga VEF. Opera House is a ten minute walk from Riga Central train station.
Riga National Opera
Days Inn Riga location has easy access by tram, but is definitely a full mile outside the main tourist area. Tram tickets are 1.15 EUR one ride.
Tram #6 runs from 4:40am to 12:34am on weekdays and 5:27am-12:57am on weekends. Every 6-12 minutes during most hours.
Google Maps Riga Opera to Riga VEF 3.8km.
Days Hotel Riga VEF room
My room was Floor 5. The main issue with that floor is a private event lounge on Floor 6 kept the walls pounding until midnight. I was so pissed off, I went upstairs to join the party since the noise was keeping me from sleeping. I was refused admission.
Comfortable bed and AC outlets on both sides of the bed. I also tried to attend the club party upstairs due to my inability to access hotel wifi on Sunday night. When I complained to the front desk, the receptionist replied, “We are a 110 room hotel.†As if that is rationale for no wifi access at a hotel.
Wifi worked fine on Monday and Tuesday.
The small and old TV was a real source of frustration. I went down to the desk twice to say the remote control does not turn on the TV or change channels. The trick is manually turning on TV pressing power button on TV and then changing channels by inputting numbers 1-9 directly on remote. Channel up/down button did nothing. When I tried inserting 10, the TV went into the 100s and snow and then none of the buttons worked again, until turning off the TV and starting over.
Mini-frig. I took out the top shelf and then 500ml beer bottles fit.
All the hotels I stayed in on this trip required a key card inserted into the slot for electricity.
The aggravating aspect of this room is the key card automatically turned on the bathroom light. I never figured out a way to turn the bathroom light off when the card was inserted. I slept with the bathroom door closed.
The towel heater rack allowed me to do some hand laundry with overnight drying.
The basic room was adequate for me as a solo traveler. I would not take my wife to this hotel without a compelling reason. The room design is too basic for her tastes.
Breakfast Buffet Included
Breakfast buffet was standard fare with scrambled eggs, beans, meats, oatmeal, cheeses, breads and pastries. Not much in the way of fruits and veggies.
Dining room with view to VEF building across the street.
Cesu beer 2.50 EUR/500 ml.
Valmiermuižas alus 2.90 EUR/500 ml.
Red and white wine 3.00 EUR/150ml.
Days Hotel Riga VEF is adequate if the price is right. Tram service and city buses make the location not too much an inconvenience.
This was my first time in Riga, Latvia. I walked by Park Inn by Radisson Residence Riga Barona, recently opened in fall 2016, and checked out a couple of hotel rooms. Rates were 58 EUR per night when I was in Riga. This hotel is a new residential style Park Inn with kitchen facilities in the room. This is a hotel I recommend for being close enough to Old Town to walk, while being a few blocks away from the main tourist area that off-season rates are pretty low.
