In 2010 Hotel Krisjanis & Gertrude celebrates its 10th anniversary.
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How it all started.
Krisjanis & Gertrude was set up by the owners who were, and still are, active in the musical world. The idea was to cater for the needs of visiting foreign artists and professionals who do not want the expense and impersonality of the bigger hotels. 10 years ago there was very little choice.
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2000 - Setting up
This was problem as there simply was not the infrastructure to set up a reasonable standard hotel. The beds had to be specially made, and much of the bedding and soft furnishing was bought on trips to the UK mainly in York and Newcastle.
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2003/4 - Joining the EU
The pre-EU phase brought official visitors on all manner of fact-find finding missions. Then came the referendum, perhaps the worst nail-biting time for Latvia and the tourism industry as a whole. Many saw the choice as being between becoming a satellite of a powerful neighbour, and becoming a participating member in the new enlarged Europe. The people chose the latter.
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2005/6 - Wild boom years
Someone in an influential position in Riga had the idea that there were not enough hotels and that Latvia would soon become a tourist magnet. Soon there was a hotel building boom in the city and Riga was advertized as the cheap beer and wild party centre of Europe. Strange really, as the local culture is rather more sophisticated than that. The ice hockey world championship 2006 was hailed as the first major event to require the extra hotels. It was a big disappointment. The normal visitors stayed away to avoid the crowds and the fans did not stay in Riga.
Next came Nato Summit in November 2006, again disappointing for small hotels. Accommodation for all visitors was the responsibility of a central body who allocated guests only to preferred hotels. The procedure to get on the list was a mystery, and the city was closed for all other business.
Meanwhile the building work continued, with new expensive apartments joining the new hotels in anticipation of a high end demand which would never come.
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2008/9 - Quiet again
The reality check came at the end of 2008 when the world dropped into recession and suddenly the streets of Riga were again empty.
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2009/10 - Re-awakening
Slowly but surely people are returning, at first the business travellers. It is interesting to watch how the situation develops. (time of writing October 2009)
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