— The hotel
EBU 28
Look, I’ll be straight with you about EBU 28 – it’s one of those places that grows on you. When I first walked up to the building on Ernesta Birznieka-Upīša street, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. The address sounds intimidating if you’re not familiar with Riga, but it’s actually in a pretty solid neighborhood that locals know well. You’re about a 15-minute walk from Old Town, which means you get that sweet spot of being close enough to everything but far enough away that you’re not dealing with the constant tourist chaos and street noise at night.
The thing about this place is that it doesn’t try to be something it’s not. It’s a 3-star hotel that actually delivers on what a good 3-star should be – clean, comfortable, and run by people who seem to care. The rooms are… well, they’re not going to win any design awards, but they’re thoughtfully put together. I mean, someone clearly spent time thinking about where to put the outlets and how to arrange the furniture so you’re not constantly bumping into things. The beds are surprisingly decent (I’m picky about this stuff), and the bathrooms are modern enough that you don’t feel like you’re stepping back in time. What really got me was the attention to small details – like having enough towels without asking, and curtains that actually block out the light during those bright Baltic summer nights.
The location is honestly one of the best parts, though you wouldn’t know it from just looking at the street address. You’re walking distance from some of Riga’s better local spots that tourists usually miss – there’s this little market area nearby where you can grab actual good coffee and pastries in the morning, not the overpriced stuff you find in the city center. The tram connections are solid too, which matters more than you’d think when you’re trying to get around the city without constantly paying for taxis. I stayed there during shoulder season and it was perfectly quiet, but I’d imagine it gets busier in summer when everyone descends on the Baltics. The staff – and this is where you really notice the difference between a place that cares and one that doesn’t – they actually know the neighborhood. Not just the tourist spots, but where to find a decent dinner that won’t cost you a fortune, or which route to take to avoid construction. That 7.8 rating makes sense when you stay there; it’s not perfect, but it’s genuinely good at what it does without any pretense.
