G22 Apartments

You know what? G22 Apartments caught me completely off guard – in the best way possible. I mean, when you’re walking down Grēcinieku iela (and honestly, good luck pronouncing that until you’ve been in Riga for a week), you might almost miss it. It’s tucked right into the heart of Vecrīga, the Old Town, but somehow manages to feel like a quiet retreat even though you’re literally surrounded by cobblestone streets and medieval buildings that have been standing since before your great-great-grandfather was born.

The thing about this place is that it actually gets what modern travelers need without trying to be all flashy about it. The apartments – and they really are proper apartments, not just hotel rooms with a mini-fridge shoved in the corner – have this clean, Scandinavian-ish vibe that works perfectly with the historic neighborhood. I stayed in a one-bedroom unit on the third floor, and the windows opened right onto the street where you can watch early morning locals heading to work with their coffee cups steaming in the Baltic air. The kitchen was small but functional (I made pasta twice, successfully), and the bathroom had one of those rain showers that actually works properly – you know how that’s always a gamble in Europe.

What really sold me on G22 was the location, though I hate using that word because every hotel claims great location. But seriously, you’re a three-minute walk from the Town Hall Square where tourists cluster around taking photos, yet when you step inside your apartment at night, it’s quiet enough to sleep with the windows open. The building itself has this cool industrial-meets-historic thing going on – exposed brick in some places, modern fixtures that don’t look like they’re trying too hard. Plus, and this is crucial if you’re planning to explore beyond the Old Town, the bus stops right outside that’ll take you to the Art Nouveau district (which honestly impressed me more than I expected it to). Check-in was refreshingly straightforward – no hovering concierge, just clear instructions and a key code that worked every time. The staff speaks excellent English, which I probably took for granted until I ventured into some other Baltic establishments.

With a 9.1 rating, you’d expect something special, and it delivers without the pretense. It’s the kind of place where you can grab groceries from the little market around the corner on Kalķu iela, cook dinner while planning your next day’s wandering, and fall asleep listening to the occasional late-night laughter from people discovering Riga’s surprisingly vibrant nightlife. Three stars on paper, but honestly, it punches way above its weight.