Dome Hotel & Spa

It wasn’t the first city in Europe to embrace the boutique-hotel concept, but Riga is home to some real gems. Among them is the Dome Hotel, a 17th-century residence in the city’s picturesque old town that’s been transformed into a luxury boutique hotel that celebrates Riga’s joyfully unique architectural heritage alongside modernist design furniture and contemporary boutique-hotel comforts.

The 15 rooms and suites are thus a heady mix of contemporary cool and classic upper-crust gentility. In the larger suites, the integration of elements becomes less harmonious but far more interesting, with classical ceilings and ancient frescos presiding over minimalist furniture that seems culled from a variety of mid-century living rooms. And the service is reassuringly old-world, offering assistance with securing everything from theater tickets to a flight on a private plane.

While providing such compelling avenues of escape (and don’t discount the lure of the Old City just outside the door) Dome Hotel has plenty of leverage to entice guests to stay put. The sensibly named LeDome Restaurant offers French-accented fine dining and a first-class wine list. Guests who prefer to sip cocktails outdoors should take advantage of the roof terrace, with its view of the nearby Dome Cathedral, a landmark that’s also visible from the spa’s Finnish sauna.