Weekend at SPA Hotel Ezeri

This weekend we decided to treat ourselves and headed to Sigulda, where at hotel „Ezeri" we took advantage of the special "Spring Awakening" offer (LVL45), which included an overnight stay in a double room in the „Flower House" and unlimited use of the sauna-pool complex.

Around 14:00 we settled into a room with a view of the apple orchard, which for now stood quietly in a spring-grey stillness, not yet fully awake from its winter sleep. There was barely any snow left around, only large puddles of water on the roadsides. But the cold wind outside was raging for real, preventing enjoyment of the first warm spring sun rays.

At first there was mild irritation at the small-mindedness typical of Latvian hotels - extra charges everywhere you turn. LVL1 for a towel, LVL1 for slippers, LVL2.20 for two 500ml bottles of water. Well, if that money matters so much, just include it all in the base price - don't charge LVL12 for sauna complex access, charge LVL15 and include everything (towel, slippers, robe) for every guest.

The sauna complex itself was excellent - with a sauna and steam room, as well as a sufficiently large and shallow (chest-deep) pool, small pools with pebbles and an outdoor jacuzzi. Everything clean, orderly and convenient. We only stayed in the outdoor jacuzzi briefly, as the cold spring wind was freezing our ears, but we dove into the saunas and indoor pool two or three times each. The initial tension dissolved and we decided this is a place we could definitely visit again - just for the sauna visit and a swim.

We then stopped by the hotel restaurant „Gadalaiki" for a light snack of salads and drinks. The original food presentation was a pleasant surprise. A simple but crispy leaf salad was brought to me in a delightful thin pastry shell.

In the evening at 18:00 I headed to the SPA centre once more to enjoy a „Strawberry Temptation" treatment (LVL35) gifted by colleagues. On arrival I was given a robe, towel and disposable thong (this time everything was included in the price). The treatment consisted roughly of four parts. First I was led to a bathroom where I could relax for 20 minutes in a bubble bath with a generous strawberry bath bomb. Then a masseuse arrived and led me to the massage room for a 30-minute full body scrub. This was followed by a 40–50 minute full body massage with strawberry butter. To finish, I spent 10–15 minutes in the relaxation room enjoying a strawberry cocktail. The feeling was fantastic! My skin after the SPA treatment is velvety, smooth and soft, and the strawberry fragrance has been with me for two days now.

Dinner was at „Gadalaiki", where unlike the daytime atmosphere of calm with only two occupied tables, this time blues music was playing, people were chatting at almost every table and two waiters bustled about. Dinner with wine, a main course and dessert came to approximately LVL30. The food was excellent; the chosen Argentinian wine, however, wasn't quite to our taste - La Chamiza Mendoza Chardonnay 2009.

Overall, a very lovely and relaxing weekend. Away from the computer and everyday worries. A nice spot, only about 40 minutes (51 km) from Riga. Recommended!