Cheap And Chic

Arriving in Riga was already a bit of a sensory overload—traffic, the scent of fresh bread from a bakery on Lielais Boulevard, and that unmistakable hum of the city. I walked straight to Cheap And Chic, tucked between a tiny secondhand shop on Mazā Smilšu iela and a street‑corner coffee roaster that serves the best single‑origin espresso in town. The building itself is a modest two‑story brick structure, but the lobby feels surprisingly airy thanks to the floor‑to‑ceiling windows that spill daylight onto the polished concrete floor. Parking is a bit of a hunt; the street is narrow, so I parked in the municipal lot a block away and walked the short distance, which I actually thought was part of the charm—no need to worry about a spot for the night. Check‑in was quick; the front desk guy was friendly and handed me a key that looked like it belonged to a different era—like a throwback key fob you’d find in a vintage shop. He told me about the Wi‑Fi password in a way that made me feel like I was getting insider tips.

The room itself feels like a hybrid between a 1970s loft and a modern studio. The bed has a wooden frame that creaks a little when you shift, which is oddly comforting—like a reminder that the building has history. I slept well, even though there’s a faint hum from the street; it’s not a full‑on siren, just the