When we arrived in Riga we were tired and a little overwhelmed. After travelling on night buses for a few consecutive evenings we were looking for a comfortable, warm and welcoming place to stay. But at the same time we hadn’t had all that much time to research the city either and worried we might miss out. But in Cinnamon Sally we found somewhere we could get a great few nights sleep, amazing advice on must dos in Riga and also in a friendly, fun and artistic atmosphere…also they make you waffles in the morning!

A wonderful artistic surroundings

As soon as we walked into the cosy living room/ reception of the hostel we knew we would love this place. The room was decorated in an artistic, modern and yet warm and homely way. We loved how they had original artwork all around the main room and down the corridors. Beautiful thought provoking paintings and drawings along with fairy lights and a unique collection of furniture and decoration.

The facilities here were great too, the kitchen being in the open plan social common room means that you can cook in the well stocked area whilst not missing out on any of the fun! There are plenty of clean showers, toilets and washing machine facilities. What we did really love though is that the bedrooms actually felt like just that, often when you are in a large dorm it can feel just like a room jammed full of beds and nothing else.

Here they have added those extra touches that makes you feel much more at home, plugs on each bed, large lockers, lovely lamps, artistic decoration, cosy rugs and even somewhere to sit.

Comfortable and fun atmosphere

With a wonderful sound track in the background playing though out the day we almost didn’t want to leave to explore the city! The hostel has managed to get that perfect balance between being sociable but yet not over bearing, they organise pub crawls as well as cultural tours too, you can drink in the hostel but the 12am quiet time is taken seriously. It’s not the wild party hostel many of us try to avoid but if you want a great night out you have still come to the right place. Yet if you want great conversation with interesting people you also don’t need to look any further!

We even had a movie day too when the weather didn’t quite behave! The common room is more like the living room at home, with comfortable couches and bean bags around the coffee table making socialising fun and comfortable.

Helping us organise our time in Riga

One of the problems we had in coming to Riga was limited time, we were coming to the end of our 4 months in Eastern Europe and now suddenly we had flights booked and a tight schedule. Nightmare, especially after the freedom we had experienced for the rest of the trip. Add this to the fact that we had been on a few night buses in short secession and we hadn’t done much in the way for research for Riga.

But being the largest city of the Baltics we knew there would be lots to see and do! Luckily the staff at the hostel as soon as we arrived talked us through where everything was and where the not to miss places where. They told us about some of the free walking tours, we especially enjoyed the alternative one, and also some great local places to eat, the Folk pub Ala was a great experience!

What makes it a stand out hostel

The warm and welcoming vibe and atmosphere of hostel makes it more than just a a place to stay, but a place to make freinds, have fun, learn more about the city and just have a chilled out and relaxing time!

Overall

What more can we say, as Manchester locals and huge fans of The Stone Roses how can we not love a hostel called Cinnamon Sally!! But the one thing that we didn’t like…the fact that we had to leave after only a couple of nights due to our schedule!! We enjoyed the city and the hostel so much we are certain to return one day!