Hedgehogs Backpackers Hostel

Hedgehogs and Cinnamon Sally share a stairwell at Merķeļa iela 1, opposite Riga Central Station. They are separate businesses with different owners, but the location is identical and travelers who can't book into Cinnamon Sally often end up here. Hedgehogs is the event-heavier of the two: happy hour runs 6pm to 8pm every night in the in-house bar, karaoke on Wednesdays, live music on select weekends, a ping-pong tournament one Friday a month, and movie nights in the game room.

Inside, it feels more restaurant-bar than traditional hostel. The ground-floor restaurant serves Latvian comfort food (grey peas with bacon, pelmeni, potato pancakes) at €8 to €12 per plate, with a non-guest crowd mixing in. The mini-mart on site covers late-night drinks and snacks — handy when Origo and Rimi have closed.

Dorms run 4, 6 and 8-bed with sturdy bunks, under-bed lockers, reading lights and sockets at every bed. Rooms are soundproof (double glazing facing Merķeļa iela) and air-conditioned. Private rooms are basic but well maintained, and the paid airport shuttle (€15) competes with the €2 Bus 22 from out front. The walking tour, the bar crawl and the in-house karaoke mean you can book a whole week of activities without leaving the building, which is either the appeal or the limitation, depending on what you want from Riga.