Naughty Squirrel Hostel — Hotel in Riga

Naughty Squirrel Backpackers — The Place That Turned Riga Into Home||TL;DR: Clean rooms, spotless bathrooms and showers, welcoming staff, fun volunteers, and a social calendar that actually delivers (pub crawls, beer tastings, going out together). Not fancy—better: warm, safe, and organized. I stayed 3 days and left feeling like I was saying goodbye to family.||I arrived at Naughty Squirrel planning to “see Riga.” I left feeling like I’d lived it. From the first minute at reception, the tone was set: Monika (“the Kat”) with that calm, dialed-in welcome; Darta making check-in easy and handing me real, local tips instead of brochure fluff. Huge shoutout to the volunteers—Luca, Evi, Gabriel, Shaira, and Mayke—the crew who somehow keep the common areas buzzing, the events rolling, and the newcomers folded into the mix without any awkwardness. They’re the connective tissue here.||Clean, Comfortable, and Thought-Through||The dorms are what every traveler hopes for and rarely finds: solid bunks, personal space that makes sense, lockers with room to actually use, and a layout that doesn’t turn 10 people into chaos. The bathrooms and showers are genuinely clean—not just “for a hostel,” but clean, period. Hot water, good pressure, floors mopped, sinks wiped. The kitchen and common rooms stay tidy because the team sets the standard; you feel it, and you follow it.||Not Fancy—Exactly Right||Naughty Squirrel isn’t trying to be a boutique hotel, and thank goodness. It’s comfortable, well-run, and safe all around. The vibe is relaxed and social without crossing into messy. You can claim a couch with your book, or you can jump into a card game and a conversation that lasts until last call. Everything is designed to make it easy to join or recharge, whichever you need that hour.||The Social Engine (Where Strangers Become Plans)||This is where the hostel shines. They don’t just tack a “pub crawl” on the wall and call it a day. The volunteers lead the way—they’ll remember your name, your drink, and that you said you were curious about a certain neighborhood.||Pub crawls that actually bring people together (and get you to good spots).||Beer tastings where you learn a little and laugh a lot.||Group outings that keep the anxiety low for anyone traveling solo.||By sunset on day one, I had a squad. By day three, I had stories.||Location That Works for Real Life||Right in Old Town, you step outside into restaurants, markets, and side streets worth wandering. Transit is easy, but you’ll likely walk—Riga rewards that. And when you’re done, the hostel is a comfortable base to come back to: drop your bag, hop in a clean shower, and decide if tonight is a “chill on the sofa” night or a “one more bar” night.||Staff & Volunteers: The Heartbeat||Monika (“the Kat”) and Darta at reception set the tone—quick, clear, kind, and never rushed.||Luca, Evi, Gabriel, Shaira, and Mayke keep the energy welcoming, not overwhelming. They introduce people who should meet, they notice when someone’s new, and they’re the reason the social calendar works.||You never feel like an outsider here. The small gestures add up: a recommendation that actually fits you, a “welcome back” when you come in, a “you coming tonight?” at just the right moment.||Safe, All Day and Night||Security and comfort show up in a hundred small ways: a staffed desk that actually helps, eyes on the common spaces, doors that close the way they should, and a community that looks out for each other. I felt safe 24/7—in the building, on the street, and on the walks back after going out.||Three Days That Felt Longer (In the Best Way)||This was home for three days, and I’m sad to leave. Time stretched in that good way—morning coffee turned into a plan, a plan turned into a walk, a walk turned into new friends and another story. That’s the test of a great hostel: you arrive to sleep, and you leave having belonged.||Bottom Line||If you’re reading reviews to decide whether to book, stop scrolling and book Naughty Squirrel. It’s clean where it matters, social where it counts, and organized in all the ways that make travel easier. Come for a bed; leave with memories and people you’ll talk about later.||Five stars. To Monika (“the Kat”), Darta, Luca, Evi, Gabriel, Shaira, and Mayke—thank you for turning a visit to Riga into a chapter...

An absolute stay to remember…

Checking in here does not feel like dropping your bag at just another hostel. It feels more like finding your way back to an old friend, the kind who’s been waiting patiently for you to finally arrive and see what they’ve been talking about all along. There’s warmth from the very first moment, a sense that you’ve stumbled into something more than accommodation.

The walls themselves tell stories. Every poster, every scribble, every tucked-away detail feels like an easter egg in a film you’re watching for the second time. You catch things you didn’t expect, and each little detail feels worthy of its own feature film. The events are run with that rare kind of passion that never fades. You can tell the staff have done them many times before, but still there’s a spark, a joy that makes you want to lean in and be part of it.

And then there’s the people. The group cohesion almost feels accidental at first, but before long it’s something deeper. You’re no longer strangers orbiting each other. You’re part of a shared rhythm, a small community built over late nights, laughter, and stories that stretch until the morning light. Checking out feels like closing a chapter too soon. The kind of chapter you want to linger on, the one you reread because you don’t quite want to leave it behind.

If I zoom out on my Baltic trip, sure, Riga had its landmarks, its squares, its cobblestones. But when I think back years from now, it won’t be the tourist stops that come first. It will be the Naughty Squirrel, standing right at the peak of it all.

To get a little philosophical, it reminds me of Robert Frost’s "The Road Not Taken". Each of us is traveling our own winding path, headed toward different destinations, but for a brief moment those roads converged here. In this little pocket of Riga, I crossed paths with people whose stories I now carry, and in some ways I understand my own journey more clearly because of it. That’s the strange beauty of places like this, they show you why the road brought you here.

Now, for the practical side. The beds are clean and comfortable. The hostel itself is well kept and organized. The facilities are tidy, the showers hot, and there’s always a good energy running through the place. The events, from the gun range shooting to the pub crawl aren't just activities, they’re memories in the making.

In short: clean hostel, great beds, passionate staff, events that actually deliver, and a spirit of community that makes you forget you were ever a stranger.

If you take one thing away, let it be this. If you give this place the chance, it might just change the way you...

TLDR: Mostly friendly staff, great location/amenities, roommates and people that stay there are not too friendly or approachable, SUPER HOT rooms with loud noises throughout the night.

I stayed here for four nights. First night was so so hot I thought about sleeping on the balcony. They had some fans but it wasn’t enough with 8 people in one room.

The roommates were not the most friendly, some hellos and such but not much small talk. It was a big mix of Europeans, so that could be a result. some were a little rude in my experience. This is definitely a “party” hostel, my first night, I was the only one in the room until 2:00am, the majority came back at 4:00am so yes it is difficult to get rest.

The staff were mostly friendly and nice, some of the maintenance workers wouldn’t look or say hello, but that’s not a big deal. The main workers were very friendly and accommodating.

The location is great, it is walking distance to a lot of stuff and I didn’t really touch much public transport because you can just walk everywhere. The hostel also lets you leave your stuff in a cabinet past checkout time and you can come back and use their showers and toilets even after checkout which is amazing.

Overall, I wanted the leave the first night because it was so loud and super hot in the rooms! But the location, amenities and somewhat friendly staff made it a tolerable stay. But next time I would stay at different place in Riga, because there are plenty of other options nearby for the same price that might provide a...