A22 Hotel Riga – a strikingly elegant and new 5-star stay

A22 Hotel Riga offers a dreamy stay for anyone appreciating fabulous style with a touch of history – this is a building where J.F. Kennedy once stayed. With a restaurant, bar, cellar-floor sauna, and rooftop terrace, A22 is a sleek base to explore Riga.***

Location

A22 Hotel Riga is located in the city’s Embassy district, also known as the Quiet Centre. Next to the hotel is Riga’s oldest green space, Viestura Park. A22 is a 15-minute walk from Riga’s main attraction, the UNESCO Heritage Old Town. Although A22 has its own Bar Jackie and Restaurant John, there are also great foodie spots in the area.

Riga’s bus and train stations are about a 10–15 minute taxi ride away from A22, whereas the airport can be reached in just under 20 minutes. The address is Ausekļa iela 22.

Style

Heavily varnished wood, dark pastel hues, and veined marble features, mixed with strikingly elegant Moooi and Bert Frank light fixtures, give the interior a touch of gravitas well-suited to its origins as a US Embassy. In fact, the building was once visited by the young J.F. Kennedy. Today, the floor that was built for him hosts A22’s Presidential Suite. I got a peek inside, and it comes with two bedrooms, a living and kitchen area, a walk-in closet, and a bathroom with a shower and bath. Fabulous!

A22 Hotel Riga has 20 rooms varying from Superior Rooms (18–25 m²) to the 111 m² Presidential Suite.

Are you interested in visiting all of the Baltic Capitals? Read my guide to this one-week bus itinerary to see the Baltic capitals!

My Visit to the A22 Hotel Riga

From the moment I stepped into A22, I knew I’d be happy there. I loved the mix of Art Nouveau features and mid-century moodiness. Walking down the dark green corridors, I kept finding intricate details – and continued to do so throughout my stay.

As I arrived late on a Sunday afternoon, the hotel restaurant John was closed (closed on Sundays and Mondays), so I dined around the corner with inventive ramen dishes at Shōyu (awarded with Michelin’s Bib Gourmand). After dinner, I enjoyed the sunny evening by strolling in the park before tucking in early to enjoy my luxurious room.

Here, I have to say that my room gave me a perfect night’s sleep. The bed and pillows were, naturally, 5-star quality, but I also appreciated the complete darkness guaranteed by the heavy curtains and the fresh feel of the room temperature.

So, after an amazingly restful night, the next day started well, aided by an elegant breakfast in restaurant John. There was a small buffet spread with breads and pastries, yogurts, chia seed porridge with mango jam, smoothies, and juices, as well as à la carte options varying from fruits to egg dishes and pancakes.

After a long day of sightseeing, I booked myself a sauna for the evening – a perfectly relaxing way to end my two days exploring one of my favorite Baltic cities, Riga.