The Famous Latvians

Hotel Description

Look, I’ve stayed in plenty of places around Riga’s Old Town, but The Famous Latvians on Mazā Pils iela actually surprised me – and honestly, with a name like that, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The thing is, this little street is tucked away just enough that you’re not dealing with the tourist crowds stumbling around after too many Riga Black Balzams, but you’re still maybe two minutes from the Town Hall Square. I mean, you can literally hear the street musicians from some rooms, which is either charming or slightly annoying depending on your mood and the time of night.

What really got me was how they’ve managed to feel authentically Latvian without being kitschy about it. The lobby has this old-world elegance thing going on – think heavy wooden beams and artwork that looks like it belongs in someone’s well-traveled grandmother’s house, not some corporate hotel chain. The staff actually knows the neighborhood too, which you don’t always get. When I asked about finding decent coffee early in the morning (hotel coffee is fine, but you know), they pointed me to this little place on Kaļķu iela that locals use, not just the obvious tourist spots. Room-wise, mine faced the inner courtyard, so it was surprisingly quiet for being right in the heart of things. The beds are proper comfortable – none of that rock-hard European hotel bed nonsense – and the bathrooms are updated without losing character.

Here’s the practical stuff that matters: parking is tricky like everywhere in Old Town, but they have an arrangement with a garage about a five-minute walk away, and honestly, you’ll be walking everywhere anyway. Check-in was smooth, no drama, and they’re pretty flexible about letting you store bags if you arrive early. The whole place has maybe 20 rooms, so it feels more like a boutique spot than a big hotel – you’ll recognize the other guests by day three. I stayed in late September and it was perfectly positioned for exploring without the summer crowds, though I imagine July and August get pretty busy. The 9.3 rating makes sense when you consider it’s not trying to be everything to everyone, just doing what it does really well. If you want a pool and room service until 2 AM, look elsewhere. But if you want to stay somewhere that feels connected to Riga rather than just dropped into it, and you appreciate when the little details are thought through, this place delivers.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $98. Two-Bedroom Apartment with 1 double bed, 1 large double bed and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 3

Reviews

• Cosy, good value apartment in the heart of the old town – Joshua from United Kingdom – 19 June 2025 (10/10)

  Lovely cosy apartment, with an incredible courtyard for viewing the cathedral. Excellent location in the old town and great value for money.
  
  What could be improved: Small downside that the only bathroom is an en suite so can be a bit disruptive for the person in that room

• Exceptional – Michaela from Czech Republic – 15 June 2025 (10/10)

  Location, owner, large apt..

• The best apartment you could ever find – Federica from Italy – 22 April 2025 (9/10)

  The apartment is super cute, charming, clean and comfortable. The beds and pillows are also very cozy. The hosts were very helpful and friendly. We really had a great time. I don’t think we could have found a better place for our stay in Riga! Highly recommended.
  
  What could be improved: The first night we were a bit cold because it was around 0°C outside and the heating is centralized, so it couldn’t be adjusted. However, we were prepared for this, as I had read several reviews of different places on Booking and it seems that this is quite common in most apartments in Riga. On the following days, as the temperature outside rose a little, we were perfectly comfortable. Honestly, that was the only downside — everything else about the apartment was fantastic!

• Best place in Riga – Ashish from Singapore – 24 March 2025 (10/10)

  Beautiful and well maintained, and in the old town. Dont look any further , this is the best place to stay in Riga.
  
  What could be improved: Liked everything

• Best location and apartment in Riga – Helder from Brazil – 2 January 2025 (10/10)

  The property has everything one needs to stay comfortably in Riga, it is in a very good location, as we visited during the Christmas time, it was just amazing to have the Christmas market a few minutes walking distance away. (And the main tourist attractions). I can’t recommend it enough.

• Excellent value for money in such a beautiful location. Just book it!!! – Tim from Australia – 27 December 2024 (10/10)

  Mid 60’s Aussie couple who enjoy old style good value premises, travelling with our son & partner. Perfect location to visit the old town and Christmas markets. Excellent communication with our host, even once we moved in, checking to make sure we were happy. Super clean apartment with everything you need for a few days, with tea, coffee and a few other basics, and great heating. Usual old building quirks with creaky floor boards and compact bathroom (accessed via the second bedroom – ok for families!). No shortage of good eateries on your doorstep (as is the Three Brothers!) and the most quaint coffee shop in town just outside the front door – bonus!
  
  What could be improved: Probably should have black out blinds as the street lights are pretty bright, but we all slept well anyway.

• Exceptional – Josef from Czech Republic – 20 October 2024 (10/10)

  Very cosy appartment and nice and friendly owner.

• Superb – Egils from Latvia – 3 September 2024 (9/10)

  If you like older style towns, then this place is perfect for you.
  Two comfy beds, one is softer one is harder, so you have a choice.
  Has everything you might need for a good stay.
  Not that if you are tall, above 1.9m you will need to duck while going through doorways.

• Superb – Gunita from United States – 13 August 2024 (9/10)

  Location is amazing!! The apartment is spacious with charming character. We loved our stay at the Famous Latvians!

• It was such great value for money and a wonderful authentic Latvian experience! – Christine from Germany – 4 August 2024 (8/10)

  Edgars was extremely welcoming and greeted us in person even though we arrived really late. He always made sure we were okay and happy. Also the location was just amazing for us because it was so central. Everything was in walking distance. And the apartment felt very authentic, too! Just a cute atmosphere overall.
  
  What could be improved: Because it was so central, it was also quite loud sometimes and a bit bright due to the lanterns right in front of the windows. But we still enjoyed being in the middle of everything very much in spite of that!

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities