The best hotels in Riga: eight places to stay, Old Town to art nouveau

Classic calm by the castle

Grand Palace Hotel sits on a quiet street in the northern part of the Old Town, close to the castle that houses the Latvian president. The interior is traditional, with heavy curtains, polished wood and antique furniture, and service is formal and attentive.

It is a safe choice for a first visit, because you are in the heart of the Old Town without being in the middle of the nightlife. It is a strong pick for grown-ups and anyone who likes a traditional hotel. If you want contemporary design, look at Bergs or Neiburgs. In the evening, the restaurants around Dome Square are a short stroll away.

Art nouveau in the Old Town

Hotel Neiburgs occupies an art nouveau building in the Old Town, with original details on the facade and in the stairwell. Rooms are modern and spacious, several with a kitchenette and views over the rooftops towards the cathedral.

This is our romantic pick, with a spa, a good restaurant and a blend of old and new that suits the city. Couples on a long weekend will love it. The street outside is central and can be lively, so ask for a room on a higher floor, which also gets the best rooftop views.

The former stables

Pullman Riga Old Town was created from a historic complex of stables around a courtyard in the Old Town. Rooms are modern, with exposed brick and large windows, and the courtyard is lovely in summer.

It appeals to travellers who want an international hotel with high standards and a calm courtyard to come back to, and it works well for business trips and groups of friends. It has more of a chain feel than the small Old Town hotels, but the rooms are larger and there are no narrow staircases or sloping floors.

Small and cosy by the cathedral

Dome Hotel & Spa is in an old building a few steps from the Dome Cathedral, with few rooms, narrow stairs and plenty of timber. Its restaurant has a terrace looking out over the Old Town roofs.

It is small and personal, ideal for couples and anyone who enjoys a building with history. Rooms vary in size and shape, as they do in old houses. Stairs and tight corridors make it less suited to heavy luggage or anyone who needs a lift for everything.

A roof terrace on Dome Square

Hotel Gutenbergs looks onto Dome Square, the heart of the Old Town, from an old house with cosy rooms and a roof terrace that opens in summer. The terrace view goes straight to the cathedral.

It gets our vote as the value pick, putting you on the city's most central square for less than the big luxury hotels charge. It is well suited to couples and friends who plan to spend their days out. The square is busy at weekends and during the Christmas market, so do not expect silence, but you do get coffee and church bells right outside the window.

The grand hotel opposite the opera

Grand Hotel Kempinski Riga stands directly opposite the National Opera, between the Old Town and the canal-side parks. Rooms are large and elegant, with pale colours and marble bathrooms, and many look towards the opera house or the park.

This is Riga's most classic luxury hotel, ideal if you are going to the opera or want a grand hotel with a spa. The Old Town is just across the road. Rates are high by Latvian standards but lower than for comparable hotels in Western Europe, and the spa is a fine place to warm up after a cold day.

Nordic calm in an old bazaar

Hotel Bergs is in Berga Bazārs, a block of old buildings and passages in the centre restored with shops and cafés. Rooms are large and pared back, with pale colours, art and plenty of space.

It takes our design pick, closer in spirit to a Scandinavian design hotel than to a classic grand hotel. It suits couples and anyone who values quiet. The Old Town is ten minutes' walk away, and the restaurants in the passages are good enough that you need not go far in the evening.

The view from the top

Radisson Blu Latvija is a tall hotel in the centre on Brīvības boulevard, with the Skyline Bar at the top and views over the whole city. Rooms are modern and practical, and there is a pool and spa.

It earns our family pick, because the pool, the larger rooms and the easy location make life with children simpler. It also suits business travellers. The building is more functional than atmospheric, but the bar makes up for it, especially at sunset when the light falls across the Old Town spires and the river.