Beautiful Stay

Tallinn in Estonia features a range of hotels to suit every budget, whether you're a student on a study tour or a business executive in town for a conference or even a couple on their honeymoon. Families, too, will enjoy the range of activities, sights, and entertainment options available across the city. Each type of traveller has a different set of expectations and needs, and there are a number of hotels here that can satisfy them from luxury hotels to unique boutique hotels to spa hotels. There truly is something for everyone.

With so many choices in the city, it's easy to find one that suits your specific needs and interests best. This is why we consider each of these options and requirements individually when choosing the best hotels in town to present to you. All of the hotels we write about are among the best within their own service category, whether they serve business executives or families. We look for both individual services and offerings as well as entire packages. We consider the willingness of the staff to go the extra mile. Although it's possible that over time, some may have a negative experience for whatever reason, as occasionally things do go wrong, on the whole, we find that guests tend to be pleased with the services offered at the hotels we've chosen.

We also focus on how these accommodations add to your experience of the city of Tallinn, seeking out only the most memorable options that will keep you coming back and recommending the hotel to others. We've gone to some lengths to include hotels that serve a variety of budget ranges, where guests can choose to have extra services according to their needs, but it's quite rare to find a truly cheap accommodation that also inspires guests with lifelong memories, so only a few in the lowest price range have been mentioned here.

Luxury hotels, for example, serve a clientele with very high expectations of service quality, decor, and dining options and who are willing to pay top dollar for these, placing a high value on comfort and service. Five-star hotels are specifically defined, down to the last detail of amenities and facilities that should be available, compared with hotels with lower star rankings. The Estonian Hotel and Restaurant Association, under the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, adopted a classification system according to the Hotelstars Union system, which came to Europe in 2010. More than 22,000 hotels in the 13 countries following the Hotelstars Union system are in compliance, standardizing services across hotels, so guests can choose the right hotel to match their expectations. Swissôtel Tallinn is recognized as one of Tallinn's best luxury hotels for its exemplary service, attention to detail, and style.

The basic requirements to receive a 5-star rank are to provide a 24-hour reception desk with multilingual staff, a concierge and page boy, a doorman or valet parking, a large lobby with adequate seating and a beverage service, personalized greetings with flowers or a gift in the room (and not merely a welcome message on the TV), a minibar and 24-hour room service, a private safe, personal care accessories, turndown service, shoe polish service, 1-hour ironing service, a computer with Internet access in the room (by request), and scheduled visits from professional mystery guests or hidden internal controls by the hotel management. Despite being the capital city of Estonia, Tallinn doesn't have very many five-star hotels. However, the four-star hotels or boutique hotels, which also fall under the banner of a "luxury hotel," also provide exceptional service and memorable guest experiences.

While hotels can't possibly please everyone all the time while continually exceeding expectations, most luxury hotels touch on the most important details and attempt to stay abreast of their competition with small, thoughtful gestures and personalized service.

Boutique hotels pride themselves on unimpeachable quality of service, going so far as to memorize the names of repeat guests as well as their preferences. Since these hotels typically offer only a few rooms, they manage a far more intimate understanding of their client's requirements than other hotels do. They are also known for their unique, even unusual, design and decor, where each room may have something different to offer. In Tallinn, for example, one might find a guest room with a tiny balcony or an extra storey to split the bedroom from the living room.

Those on a budget can find clean, safe accommodation options with friendly staff. For instance, a guesthouse far from the crowds of the city may be the perfect place to kick back and avoid high fees. Guests who need a spacious self-service apartment away from the crowds can try the Baltic Boutique Apartments and Casa Kalamaja, both of which are very reasonably priced.

St. Bridget's Convent Guesthouse is a less obvious choice, but it offers many advantages, apart from being easy on the pocket. Since it is run by the Bridgettines, it offers a very different experience than a commercial hotel. It's also very quiet and peaceful in the neighborhood if there are no festivals underway in the nearby Pirita Closter. The guesthouse is a historic place in its own right and is right next to the ruins of an older building that guests may enjoy exploring.

Business executives will prefer to stay at hotels that are equipped to meet their need to be in constant contact with their company or clients. Many business hotels also feature conferencing facilities, offering a range of meeting rooms with banqueting services, free WiFi, a projector, a whiteboard, stationary, and so on. It is quite common for business hotels to have a full-fledged business centre, where guests can request secretarial, photocopying, and faxing services. At some hotels, a free laptop is provided for the duration of the guests' stay. Location is also a significant factor when choosing a business hotel, since executives will want to stay close to the city's popular meeting venues. Tallinn has its own conference centre, which is extremely popular for both the locals and out-of-town guests. The Nordic Hotel Forum is a 4-star business hotel in Tallinn that is very popular among executives. Offering 250 rooms, a world-class business center, and a fine-dining restaurant managed by a chef who has served numerous VIPs including the Estonian president, the hotel is one of the best that Tallinn has to offer. Radisson Blu Hotel Tallinn is also an extremely popular business hotel for its conference facilities and location within the city's business district.

Families too will want to be close to town, so they can spend less time on travelling to activities and events and more time enjoying them, especially when they have young kids in tow, who dislike being cramped up in vehicles so much of the time. Hotels especially soliciting families tend to offer a range of excellent options, including children's menus at the restaurants, special services and activities for children, babysitting services, and so on. In fact, Swissôtel Tallinn even offers kids' rooms that are specially decorated with Pixar and Disney themes, attached to their parents' rooms. When it's time for bed, room service brings up some milk and cookies as part of the turndown service.

Some guests come to Tallinn seeking an experience or an adventure. Tallinn's Old Town is filled with hotels that specifically honor its medieval past, creating an authentic old-world atmosphere that guests can really immerse themselves in. However, you'll want to be careful about which hotel in Old Town you choose, since not all of them live up to their claims online. We have only picked hotels that are sure to provide a high standard of service and add to your experience of the town. Some of these hotels are truly unique, boasting an interesting design and architecture. Among them are buildings that date back to the 14th century and earlier. Each of these hotels provide excellent restaurants that rank among Estonia's top dining establishments, where some have even earned awards.

If you're looking for a spa experience, there are many hotels that are essentially spa resorts, where everything from aromatherapy and massages to beauty treatments are available. Spa packages can give you a fully-rounded experience that will keep you coming back for more over and over again. Many spa hotels tend to also make their facilities available to the locals. In this case, though, such guests tend not to have complete access to all parts of the spa, while hotel guests have unrestricted access. Use of the pool or fitness equipment may require membership or a special day pass if you're not a hotel guest. Some spa hotels offer loyalty programs for the local residents, and discounts are typically advertised during the off-peak season.

A spa hotel usually goes to great lengths to offer creature comforts against a backdrop of stylish decor intended to set a relaxing but luxurious mood. Many spa hotels provide premium services including unique, signature spa treatments or an individual tea service. Customer service is considered extremely important since guests pay both for the experience and for the facilities and expert beauty technicians and masseurs. The products are chosen with great care to avoid allergic reactions and to promote relaxation or to enliven the body, depending on the therapy required. Spa hotels are not the same as spa resorts. The resorts offer outdoor recreational options, such as golfing, tennis, or swimming. Spa hotels and resorts both differ from health or destination spas, as these focus more on offering a complete spa experience. Here, the guests' itinerary covers everything from particular exercises to specially designed meals that must be taken in accordance with a strict schedule. The emphasis is placed on mental and physical detoxification.

In Tallinn, several spa hotels are available to meet each of these requirements. Some offer only basic facilities within a luxurious space, while others offer a whole menu of options for treatments and healthy food. For guests with families, Kalev SPA Hotel & Waterpark is an excellent choice, featuring a highly popular waterpark and spa facilities. It is located close to Old Town and has a park nearby. The prices are very reasonable for very comfortable rooms.

In general, Nordic Hotel Forum, Radisson Blu Hotel Tallinn, and Swissôtel Tallinn are typically chosen by travelers who don't want surprises. These three hotels have an excellent location, close to the shopping malls and to Old Town, and provide top notch business facilities for business guests. They are also great options for a family vacation. Each of them has their own spa and fitness facilities, as well as popular dining options and a varied breakfast menu. Several other hotels offer similar benefits, but we believe these three are among the best in this category of offering something for everyone. Based on the happy reviews, their customers seem to agree.

Dublin has many excellent hotels spread across the city, so there's something for everyone depending on where you need to stay.

Southwest Dublin, which is the area surrounding Dublin Castle, has the distinction of being the first settlement area in the city. Today, it features all manner of cultural establishments and entertainment options. You can have your fill of pubs and cafes. The historic Temple Bar is here as well - a must-see area for any trip to the city. History lovers will also want to check out Dublinia museum.

As a result of the area's popularity, you'll find some great hotels here. For instance, the Morgan Hotel is a stylish hotel with contemporary décor, located in the Temple Bar area. It is frequented by those who want to have fun in Dublin and be close to the action.

Radisson Blu Royal Hotel Dublin is sandwiched between Dublin Castle and St. Patrick's Cathedral, two distinctive landmarks.

Those on a limited budget should consider Harding Hotel, which is a small B&B style hotel found in the heart of the city, right beside Christ Church Cathedral.

The Merchant House is another gorgeous, stylish guesthouse found in the Temple Bar district. If you're on your honeymoon, this hotel should top your list of choices. They don't permit kids though, so this is a venue for the couple who just want to focus on each other.

Southeast Dublin came into being when Trinity College was founded here in 1592. Over the course of the 18th century, the area came to life with a construction boom. Grafton Street, Merrion Square, the National Museum of Ireland, the National Gallery, and Trinity College itself are all points of interest for tourists.

For accommodation, the contemporary, posh Marker hotel found alongside the Grand Canal is worth a look. Another great hotel is the Merrion Hotel. Considered one of the best Irish hotels, it can be found near Merrion Square and the National Museum. A few government buildings are located nearby as well.

O'Callaghan Davenport Hotel is found right around Trinity College, next to the School of Cosmic Physics.

The Ballsbridge area is one of the best developed districts in the city, featuring vast posh properties and beautiful landscapes. It's not hard to see why it's favored as the official site for several embassies and diplomatic residences. It gets its name from the stone bridge, built by one Mr. Ball in the 18th century, spanning the River Dodder.

From the InterContinental Dublin's rooms, you have wonderful views of this scenic area. While the InterContinental brand itself needs no further introduction or recommendation, given its worldwide standard of service, it's interesting to note that the building was previously occupied by the Four Seasons Hotel, which also provided excellent service in its time.

The Schoolhouse Hotel, found at the other end of Ballsbridge, is within walking distance of Merrion Square. It offers large rooms, and the service is impeccable. The price of the rooms is also very reasonable.

The Roxford Lodge Hotel and Waterloo House, also found in this area, are B&Bs, offering very comfortable rooms for those on a tight budget.

The area north of River Liffey first saw development in the 18th century. Here, you'll find O'Connell Street, which was easily one of Georgian Dublin's most fashionable areas. Unfortunately, it suffered severe damage in the Easter uprising of 1916. However, many of its historic buildings have been rebuilt from their ruins since then. Custom House, which overlooks the river, is one of the area's major landmarks.

The Spencer Hotel can be found only a few blocks from Custom House and offers comfortable, stylish accommodations.

Kingfisher Townhouse, meanwhile, is a small B&B found further inland, near Parnell Square, which also houses Rotunda Hospital and the Gate Theatre.

Clontarf, its name taken from the Irish phrase Cluain Tarbh, which means "meadow of the bull," is found on Dublin's north coast. The name references the sound of the wind on the beach, which is sometimes likened to the panting of a bull. The Battle of Clontarf took place here in 1014, where High King of Ireland Brian Boru scored a victory over the Vikings and their Irish allies from Leinster. This widespread battle officially marked the end of the wars between the Irish and the Vikings.

Clontarf does not have a singular village centre. Historically, it has always maintained two population centers: one along the coast and the other in the fishing village of Clontarf Sheds.

Clontarf Castle in this area has been converted into a beautiful hotel, with the addition of new wings. Unlike many other Irish hotels, this building is not medieval; its current structure dates back to 1837, though the original castle dates back to 1172. At one time, it was owned by the Knights Templar. Apart from being a hotel, over the years, it has also been a regular bar and a cabaret bar.

Santry is a business district, found near Dublin Airport. Its current atmosphere is very different from its private property to sleepy village origins of only a hundred years ago. The village is now long gone, and the woodlands and fields have given way to housing estates, a shopping complex, a stadium, and industrial parks. Bookworms will be excited to note that the Trinity College Library manages a depository here that holds 3 million books.

In this area, you'll find the Crowne Plaza Hotel Dublin-Northwood, which is the perfect base camp for those in Dublin on business because it is close to both the city and the airport.

If you need a hotel just beyond Dublin, possibly for the wedding of a lifetime or the ideal conference venue, you should consider Radisson Blu St. Helen's hotel, located in Booterstown. Found along the coast, Booterstown is only 7km south of Dublin and accessible by the DART system. There's also a frequent Aircoach service to Dublin Airport. In ancient times, Booterstown lay on the route between the high king's residence and his outlying lands.