Tucked away on a quiet side street, Riga Hostel offers the best of both worlds -- an incredible location and an inexpensive price. The hostel is located on the second through seventh floors of a typical old-town building (tall and narrow) in the center of old town Riga, literally within view of St. John's and St. Peter's. In the basement is a "gentleman's club," which the hostel advises against visiting (their information sheet posted on the walls in every room simply says, "they are not our friends"), and on the first floor is a restaurant that is currently closed.
Run by a staff of young, friendly world travelers whom you might find sleeping in a bed next to you on occasion, they provide an open and inviting atmosphere for the hostel. Their kitchen/common room is well-equipped, with a microwave, fridge, toaster, stove, a hot water pot, and free tea and coffee. A computer in the room also offers free Internet access (wi-fi is available).
The rooms range in size from the smallest (housing two people) and the largest (housing fifteen). All the rooms have a separate bathroom with shower and there are two more showers available for use downstairs as well. The rooms are nicely decorated with bright colors and simple, low-to-the-ground bunk beds. The beds are mostly hard mats, although some have foam pads on top, and are surprisingly comfortable after a long day. All the rooms also have some sort of couch/easy chair in them, perfect for lounging around.
The one slight downfall is the bathrooms, which tend to be rather smelly -- almost like there is a sewer backup. They are generally clean, though, except maybe when a whirlwind of sixteen-year-old boys just went through them. All in all, Riga Hostel is a great value.
-- Exclusive Hostelz.com Review
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