Baltā māja

The room on the ground floor was big, the bed comfortable. Although outside was hot, in the room was pleasantly chilly. The bathroom has a big bath.

Everything was perfect. Just keep in mind that this is an old-fashioned house, not modern hotel. And that actually make your visit to Rundales Palace more authenticate.

The guesthouse has been lovingly restored. The double room with shower, was spacious and comfortable. The kitchen and shared areas were clean and well equipped. We paid extra for breakfast and it was delicious. It is a short walk to Rundale palace and perfectly located. Very much worth staying here.

It was like an artist colony.

Baltā Māja is a cute, rustic and definitely eclectic property. It's situated in an old, presumably historic building a stone's throw from the famous "Versailles of the North" that is Rundāles Castle. If you are here specifically to see that castle then it's pretty hard to beat this place on location and price, but the accommodation itself is simple. The room had an interesting layout with a large bedroom (with small fridge and kettle), a table and massive wooden chest at the foot of a large double bed. The bathroom is located off of the large foyer, so is technically an en suite. The bathroom is also unique having a toilet, sink and a massive bath basin/spa pool. It looks impressive, but unfortunately didn't seem to work. When we attempted to fill it with (hot) water, the tap sputtered and a dribble came out. Even had there been enough hot water available to fill this basin, we would have been lucky to have had a bath by 2am. Best to try for the shower option. Even here there were challenges as the shower head was part of the basin. Yes it could be pulled up and operated with one hand, but there is no place to mount/hang the shower head, meaning one is left with only one hand for the actual bathing should you want to keep warm water flowing over you during the actual showering process. Fortunately I was travelling with my partner so we swapped off holding the shower head for each other, so that we could enjoy quick, but warm showers. Beyond that the room is clean and surprisingly warm. The bed is comfortable and both my partner and I slept quite well. The host is also extraordinary kind. We interacted with Martin who is there helping his grandmother who actually owns the property. He's a lovely chap and gave us a fantastic dinner recommendation (their own restaurant was shut since it was the middle of December) that was located in the town of Bauska.

If you're looking for all the luxuries of home and beyond, keep looking. But if you don't mind a bit of rustic charm, a place with HEAPS of character, a lovely host and great proximity to the local attraction, then I don't reckon you'll be disappointed with this place.