Riga · Latvia
Amber Private Rooms
Bed bug reports
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Guest report Booking.com
Location is ok. There is shopping center Olimpia only 2km walking distance. There is very nice play ground for kids. "Checking in” was a disaster. The instructions were very vague. I later showed the staff that I had not received any of the photos they claimed to have sent. The instructions consisted of only two separate lines, including the codes. It was pure luck that I managed to enter the apartment after several attempts. There was no helpful guide on the walls, and nothing indicated that the apartment door was the last one in the building. The inside of the entire building was in very poor condition. It was like a ghost house, with a strange, appalling smell. The apartment was the last possible door on the third floor. I can only imagine that not everyone would want to walk that far into such a strange building. The stairs were very steep. The location would obviously be a death trap in the event of a fire, because there were no alternative exits and the stairs were wooden. Electrical cables on the wall were exposed and damaged. We were forced to leave the exterior door open because I could not trust that the external access code was working. The service was also poor. I tried calling the number provided in the reservation and the number displayed on the nearby “Amber Apartment” sign. It took them 90 minutes to call back, even though I had also sent them a message. The situation caused additional stress because it was unclear whether this was a scam and whether I would need to find new accommodation. Ninety minutes is a long time to wait when travelling with two small children. I wish the entrance process had been more convenient. After the first night, my spouse was bitten by bedbugs or similar insects. After the second night, my older child was also bitten. It took more than a week for the marks to heal. There was a small bloodstain on the bed linen, and my spouse saw brown bugs a few millimetres long. Afterwards, Amber Apartment said that they had carried out an inspection, but they refused to send me the inspection report by email.
Vibe Analysis
Amber Private Rooms is a simple budget base in Riga Old Town, close to the main sights, public transport, and the Daugava riverfront. The strongest reason to book it is location: it works well for a short city break where most of the day happens outside. The setup is more private-room hostel than polished hotel. Rooms and apartments vary: some are spacious, clean, warm, and comfortable, while others are very small, with bunk beds, basic furniture, creaky beds, or thin curtains. The host can be kind, responsive, and helpful, though staff presence is not always consistent. A self-service kitchen and breakfast are part of the deal. At its best, there are eggs, milk, yogurt, cereal, bread, tea, and coffee available through the day; at its weakest, the breakfast can feel sparse or poorly restocked. The kitchen can be useful, but rooms near it may catch noise and smells. Soundproofing is the big tradeoff. Thin walls, loud floors, hallway traffic, nearby rooms, shared bathrooms, and late-night street noise can make sleep rough. This is better for flexible, price-conscious city explorers than light sleepers or anyone expecting hotel-level quiet and privacy.
Signals to check
- Soundproofing can be poor, with noise from hallways, nearby rooms, floors, bathrooms, the kitchen, and the street.
- Bathroom arrangements vary, and some rooms rely on shared toilets or showers for the floor.
- Breakfast is self-service and can range from useful basics to very limited stock.
- Some rooms are small or very basic, and beds may creak or feel uncomfortable.
- There may be stairs, no elevator, limited parking, and occasional confusion with entry codes or finding the apartment.