Hotel Justus

Hotel Justus occupies a building on Jauniela, one of the quietest streets in Riga's Old Town, a few steps from the Cathedral and within the UNESCO-protected area. The plot was part of the land chosen in 1210 by Bishop Albert for his Baltic residence; the medieval wooden houses burned down in the 17th century and the street was rebuilt in the 18th. The present façade dates from an 1874 remodelling. In the early 19th century the building housed a tavern, then a printing and lithography works; in the 20th century, craft workshops, pharmaceutical laboratories and offices. Jauniela was also a recurring set for Soviet cinema.

Empty for years, the building was restored in 2009 by a small group of friends who still run it. The interiors combine exposed brick, stucco and antique and contemporary art. The hotel has 45 rooms, a restaurant with bar, a sauna and a 24-hour reception. The central station is about 1.2 km away and the international airport around twenty minutes by car.

The hotel is run directly by its owners, with staff speaking English, Latvian and Russian and a reception open day and night. The sauna, with a small relaxation area and shower, can be booked for private use. Laundry service, luggage storage, a lift and airport transfers on request, for a fee, are available.

Pets are allowed for a supplement. The hotel has no parking of its own: the nearest partner garage is about 500 metres away, for a fee. The hotel is non-smoking, with a designated outdoor area. City tax is paid at the hotel.

The 45 rooms are spread over several floors and each is furnished differently: exposed brick alongside stucco walls, wrought-iron beds, wooden furniture and artworks. Room types are Single, Standard Double or Twin, Superior Double or Twin, Junior Suite, the Family Suite for families, and the Executive Suite, the largest.

All rooms have air conditioning, a safe, minibar, flat-screen satellite TV, desk, free Wi-Fi and a private bathroom with hairdryer and toiletries; some have a bathtub. Hypoallergenic bedding and extra beds are available on request.

Restaurant Justus, with its brick walls and bar on the ground floor, serves Latvian and international cuisine based on local produce, with a European menu and some vegan options. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner; booking is recommended for dinner.

The buffet breakfast is included in the stay: dark bread, cold cuts, cheese, fish, muesli and cakes, with a corner dedicated to Latvian honey. The restaurant also hosts small events and meetings in the hotel's two function rooms.

Riga is the capital of Latvia and the largest city in the Baltic states. The Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a web of medieval streets, Gothic churches, Hanseatic merchants' houses and squares; beyond the old walls lies the Art Nouveau district, with one of the highest concentrations of such buildings in Europe. From the hotel, the Cathedral is about 100 metres away, the House of the Blackheads and Riga Castle less than 500 metres, and the Central Market around ten minutes on foot.

Nearby: the beaches and wooden villas of Jūrmala on the Gulf of Riga (about 25 km), Gauja National Park with Sigulda and Turaida Castle (about 55 km), and the baroque Rundāle Palace designed by Rastrelli (about 80 km).