Hotel Sigulda

Built of stone in 1889 and extended in glass and steel in 2001, Hotel Sigulda joins two eras under one roof. That building closed for years before its 1998 restoration; the newer wing added guest rooms, meeting space and a pool. The result today is a compact hotel of 43 rooms, sleeping up to 85 guests, set in the centre of Sigulda, a short walk from the medieval castle and the bobsleigh and luge track. Rooms carry flat-screen TVs, minibars and Wi-Fi, plain comforts rather than flourishes. Downstairs, the restaurant serves European and Latvian dishes from chef Aigars Šāvējs, with a terrace open in summer. The spa holds an indoor pool, sauna and steam bath, open to guests by booking. You can hear the murmur of the pool's current jet from the changing area. Four conference halls, the largest at 105 m², handle groups of up to 100 people, making the hotel as practical for a seminar as for a weekend away. Riga sits 51 km off. Parking is free and on site. It is a hotel built in layers, not concealed but left legible in its two façades.