Blue Bird capsule hostel — Hotel in Riga

Amazing location, attractive prices and super clean. From here on it goes downhill.

On my second night I came back to the hostel only to find that the anex to the ground floor bar "Sloshed" (same building), was being used for a party. This is a 2 floor annex with glass windows and no soundproofing. There were strobbo lights and a DJ playing loud eletronic music, to the point of making the windows of the whole building tremble. I went in and could hear the music inside my 5th floor bedroom. I could feel the trembling of the bass on my bed frame with the occasional window rattle. I could not sleep the whole night. Next morning I went to complain and the manager/owner denied any parties taking place and veemently said that nobody else had complained and that I was the only one that had issues. Completely bizarre and dismissive reply, but potentially true as the place was empty. I was sleeping alone on a 6 bed dorm. Be as it may, I left pretty much gaslighted by the owner, with no solution whatsoever to my issue.

Other issues: They turned the heating off, my room was consistently about 13-15 degrees throughout my stay. I had to sleep with long johns, thick socks and jacket. There was a funky smell in the room that I cant put my finger on. No mirrors, no curtains, nada, bare bones. White hospital lights on my bunk. The bunk curtain was some 3 inches short, so it wouldnt give you the privacy that the "pods" are meant to give anyways, and without curtains that meant sunlight waking you up. The mattress was horrendous, my back is in tatters. Common areas had a weird smell, sometimes resembling a mortuary. Common areas are small, super tacky and empty at all times. No atmosphere whatsoever, no common activities, nobody around, multiple raging stickers in the the fridge about food theft from a disgruntled patron, the mural with recommendations tell you Costa Coffee is one of the best coffee houses in town (to give you an idea). The self check in instructions say that you will be provided with a towel, but it is actually a tiny hand towell. I went to reception to rent an actual towell by 1600 hrs. Nobody there, couldnt shower the first night. Someone then told me they left around lunch time. So forget about reception being manned till 1730 hrs as they claim. Finally, its only 2 showers inside a tiny room (no privacy) for a whole floor, which wouldve been an issue if there were any one else satying there.

To sum it up, this place is being run in a rather unprofessional way as a piggy bank to folk that dont seem to care about their customers. My only regret about going to Riga was staying at this hostel. I am a seasoned backpacker with 70+ countries on my belt and this will be one of the worst hostel experiences I ever had. Cant stress this enough, stay away! Dodgy management through...

I stayed three nights over the weekend in a female dorm on the third floor. It was a little noisy earlier in the day and evening because of the restaurant downstairs, but I had no need for ear plugs when sleeping at night. I do, however, hear the beds creaking at night when other roommates toss in their sleep, but I had known this beforehand and it was bearable for me. The individual sleeping pod was very comfortable, with ready-made bed and a fluffy pillow. There is a huge locker under the bed, where you find your blanket and pillow in a bag (I find this really hygienic!). Perhaps it was because I was in a lower bunk facing the window, but I didn’t find the pod to be stuffy even with both curtains drawn at night. There is a small terrace attached to my room and it offers a great view of the cathedral and the dome square. Pretty decorations in the room, common room, and kitchen.

There were two toilets and two showers on the third floor (and I believe there should be more on the fourth and fifth floors), and hygiene was very well-maintained considering the period of my stay. The kitchen on the third floor was also kept neat and clean.

Check-in and check-out was simple, and keys are colour-coded so it was easy to remember which to use for which door. There is also a board with clear instructions that you can take a photo of at reception. Very friendly team at the property, both reception and housekeeping staff alike. Reception is on the third floor of the building and there are a couple of flights of stairs up. I did not notice an elevator, which is perfectly fine for me, but may be important for...

Blue Bird Hostel has its pros and cons. You need to analyse your preferences. Pros: If you prefer a hostel without partys, this is the one in Riga for you. The location couldn't be better — Blue Bird is literally in the Old Town, just a few steps away from the cathedral and close to all the other tourist attractions. The hostel is cheap and has capsule-shaped beds which provide more privacy at bedtime, and roommates can turn on the light whenever they want. The bathrooms and showers were clean and looked fairly new for an old building. The receptionist was very friendly. Cons: Because of its location, the hostel building is very old and has no lift (they are not allowed to change the building, as you will learn on a guided tour). The reception is on the third floor, and if you're lucky like me, your room will be on the fifth floor. This is not a place to come with a huge, heavy suitcase. The rooms have no air conditioning, and although it wasn't as warm as in the height of summer, the room was always hot and stuffy. At least one window needs to be left open, which leads to another negative point: the windows face a street full of bars and restaurants in the old town. It's very loud until dawn. There is no 24-hour reception, so if something happens at night, there is nobody to help. There is no safe place to leave your luggage if you need to check out but still have time to...