Castle Street Retreat, 19

Castle Street Retreat, 19 Overview

You know what caught me off guard about Castle Street Retreat, 19? It’s tucked right into this narrow stretch of Pilies Street where the cobblestones actually make your wheeled luggage sound like a freight train – but honestly, that’s part of the charm. I mean, you’re literally sleeping in the heart of Vilnius Old Town, and I kept having to remind myself that those medieval church bells weren’t just atmosphere piped in through speakers.

The building itself has that lived-in European feel where nothing’s perfectly square, but everything works. My room was on the second floor (no elevator, fair warning), and the floorboards had this gentle creak that somehow felt reassuring rather than annoying. The windows face different directions depending on which room you snag – I lucked out with a view toward the cathedral spires, though my friend got stuck looking at the building next door. The beds are actually comfortable, which surprised me for a 3-star place, and there’s decent WiFi throughout, though it gets a bit spotty during evening hours when everyone’s streaming Netflix.

What I really appreciated was how the staff – there’s usually just one person at the small front desk – actually knew the neighborhood. When I asked about grabbing coffee early in the morning, they didn’t just point me toward the tourist spots but mentioned this little place on Stiklių Street where locals go before 8 AM. Parking’s tricky (it’s Old Town, what do you expect?), but they’ll tell you exactly where the nearest garage is and how much it’ll cost. The whole operation feels refreshingly unpretentious – no fancy lobby with marble floors, just clean rooms and people who seem to genuinely want you to enjoy Vilnius. I stayed there during late September when the tourist crowds were thinning out, and you could hear the city settling into its quieter rhythm. The location means you’re within a five-minute walk of basically everything worth seeing, from Gediminas Tower to those winding streets where you’ll stumble across amber shops and tiny restaurants that don’t even have English menus. Honestly, for the price point and that 8.7 rating, it delivers exactly what it promises – a solid base for exploring one of Europe’s most underrated capitals without breaking the bank or feeling like you’re staying in some corporate chain hotel.

Castle Street Retreat, 19 Accommodations

Reviews of Castle Street Retreat, 19

• Vilnius is definitely worth a visit and you couldn't find a better location to experience the city. – Philip from United Kingdom – August 14, 2025 (10/10)

  The location was excellent and Vilnius was our favourite of the Baltic State cities.
  The old town was meticulously restored and the whole city had a vibrant buzz about it.
  While most areas are quite chic….do go to the more bohemian 'arts area' which calls itself the independent state of Uzupis. Get your passport stamped and buy some artwork to support the people working in the area.
  
  What could be improved: To be honest I don't remember asking for a quiet room so, the fact that it was humming outside with street musicians performing and people going past until late we loved it!

• Great place, location can’t be beat, very kind and attentive staff. – Ezra from United States – August 13, 2025 (9/10)

  Amazing location and the room is bright and spacious with a kitchen, fridge, and washing machine for clothes.
  
  The kitchen sink wasn’t draining and so I messaged the host and they had someone come fix it within two hours. Great service.
  
  What could be improved: The stairs are steep and slanted down slightly, which makes getting luggage up and down a little challenging.

• Exceptional – Izabela from Poland – August 8, 2025 (10/10)

  The breakfast you can eat in the same buliding in the restaurant.
  Very easy way to get the keys.
  In the centre of the city but the street was quiet in the night

• Exceptional – David from Ireland – April 29, 2025 (10/10)

  Centre of town, close.to shops and nightlife
  
  What could be improved: Loved the place

• Exceptional – Cheryl from United States – April 4, 2025 (10/10)

  Excellent

• The most stressful travel experience I’ve ever had! – Anastasija from Lithuania – July 3, 2025 (1/10)

  The apartment is located in a beautiful historic area.
  
  The cleaning staff are very nice! They helped deliver the keys at night, and I had also forgotten my camera in the room — they informed me about it and sent it back to me!
  
  What could be improved: This was the worst night of my life.
  Around midnight, the door to our room accidentally slammed shut, and we ended up locked out on the internal staircase — barefoot, without a phone, money, or documents. We couldn’t even get outside or call a taxi because the outer gate was locked with a key. All our belongings were left inside, including my phone.
  
  We had to make a new reservation just to find the host’s phone number. When we finally reached her, her response was shockingly cold: “It’s already 1 a.m., what do you expect?” She said she couldn’t help because she had no spare keys and advised us to “knock on neighbors’ doors.” We even contacted the police, but they couldn’t assist without the host’s permission.
  
  Eventually, the host managed to reach the cleaner, and only by 2:30 a.m. did we receive the keys through a taxi driver — at our own expense. We spent most of the night sitting on a cold staircase in complete despair. I cried out of stress and helplessness.
  
  Instead of resting after a late flight, I woke up swollen, exhausted, and sleep-deprived.
  
  Also worth noting: the toilet doesn’t flush properly, and hot water takes a long time to come (the host does warn about this, but after everything that happened, it was just the last straw).
  
  Absolutely unacceptable behavior from the host and a complete lack of basic safety measures. I sincerely hope no other guests will experience this, and that the host provides a second set of spare keys in the future.

• וילנה – הפתעה לטובה – Yossi from Israel – June 9, 2025 (8/10)

  מיקום מיקום מיקום. מצוין למטיילים כדי לגלות את וילנה העתיקה. אהבנו את העיצוב של הדירה. אהבנו את המיטה הנוחה.
  
  What could be improved: הגיע הזמן לשפר את איכות הכריות. כמו כן לעשות משהו כדי שהוילון יסתיר אור השמש ב 4 בבוקר. תודה 🙂

• Very Good – Nini from Italy – June 8, 2025 (8/10)

  Bell'appartamento, originale, curato, in super centro, tutti i servizi vicini a tre passi dalla cattedrale, decine di cafè e ristori

• Exceptional – Zivile from United Kingdom – August 18, 2025 (10/10)

• Exceptional – Tsdas from Lithuania – May 25, 2025 (10/10)

Surroundings