Mercure Properties in Riga

I usually don't bother writing reviews, but this place had quite a few things to complain about. **Location:** It's a bit of a distance from the old town, about a 15-minute walk. However, it's conveniently located right next to a large shopping mall, making shopping and dining very easy. **First, the positives:** The room was quite spacious, just as shown in the pictures. Two complimentary bottles of mineral water were provided. Slippers and toothbrushes were available (though you had to ask the front desk for them). **Now for the downsides:** **Service:** The female front desk staff's English was very poor, making communication a real challenge. The male front desk staff (who also seemed to be working as a bartender) had an unpleasant attitude. **Facilities:** The pillows were absolutely dreadful! The filling felt like lumpy, hard cotton, making it completely impossible to sleep! **Booking & Room Setup:** When I made the booking, I clearly specified 3 adults + 1 child (9 years old). After checking in and getting to our room, we found that the sofa bed hadn't been made up, but instead, they had provided a baby crib. When we contacted the front desk, their response was that ”their booking information indicated there was a small baby in the group.” Even so, is it reasonable to expect three adults to sleep in one bed? They eventually made up the sofa bed, but only provided a single duvet. When we asked the front desk for another duvet or to swap it for a double one, we were told that housekeeping had already left (it was 6 PM at the time), and they had no idea where the blankets were... **Late Checkout:** When I inquired about a late checkout, the front desk staff pretended to check the booking, typing away on the keyboard, only to then say, ”Sorry, we're fully booked.” However, I quickly checked online myself and saw that the same room type was clearly available on Ctrip... In my opinion, a direct 'no' would have been far better than such a disingenuous charade! **Conclusion:** Based on all of this, I won't be choosing this Mercure hotel again for my next visit.