S13 Apartments

Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much when I first pulled up to S13 Apartments on Šķūņu iela – I mean, it’s tucked away on this quiet side street in Riga’s Old Town area, and from the outside it looks pretty understated. But you know what? Sometimes the best places are the ones that don’t try too hard to impress you from the curb. The moment I stepped inside, I got it – this place has that perfect balance of being homey without feeling like someone’s actual apartment (which, let’s be real, some of these European apartment hotels definitely do).

The location is honestly brilliant, though you might not realize it at first glance. You’re basically a five-minute walk from Doma laukums and all the touristy stuff, but Šķūņu iela itself is refreshingly quiet – none of that late-night bar noise that can make Old Town stays a bit of a gamble. I actually loved walking back in the evenings; there’s something about these cobblestone side streets that feels more authentic than the main drags. The apartments themselves are surprisingly spacious – and I say surprising because, well, most European city accommodations aren’t exactly known for their generous square footage. Everything feels thoughtfully designed rather than just crammed in. The kitchenettes are actually functional (revolutionary concept, I know), and the Wi-Fi doesn’t mysteriously disappear every time it rains, which unfortunately can’t be said for every place I’ve stayed in the Baltics.

What really sold me on this place was the attention to small details that matter when you’re actually living somewhere for a few days. The beds are properly comfortable – not just “hotel acceptable” – and the blackout curtains actually work, which is clutch during those brutal Baltic summer nights when it stays light until practically midnight. The whole check-in process was refreshingly straightforward too; none of that awkward “we’ll send someone to meet you maybe around 3 PM” situation you sometimes get with apartment rentals. I mean, for a 3-star place, it honestly feels like it’s punching above its weight class – that 9.5 rating isn’t just tourist enthusiasm, it’s earned. The only minor thing I’d mention is that the elevator is one of those classic European tiny ones, so if you’re traveling with massive suitcases, you might be making a couple trips (or taking the stairs, which honestly isn’t terrible since the building isn’t huge). But that’s really nitpicking – this place gets the fundamentals right in a way that makes you want to come back to Riga just to stay here again.