The St. Petersbourg Hotel (Tallinn)

When visiting Estonia's Old Town of Tallinn, there are a number of hotels that travellers can choose to stay at but very few can complete with the St. Petersbourg Hotel.

The Schlossle Hotel Group runs two of the most popular hotels in the Old Town of Tallinn in the Schlossle Hotel and the St. Petersbourg Hotel. The St. Petersbourg Hotel brings together the ancient heritage of Imperial history and the modernity's of the 21st century to guests a great reflection of what it would have been like to live in a wealthy Russian' merchants mansion while being able to enjoy all the modern amenities that guests have become accustomed to using at home.

The Schlossle Hotel Group decided to invest into both its properties and give them a complete makeover. The Schlossle Hotel is still going through the final stages of its renovation process.

The renovation for the St. Petersbourg Hotel has been successfully completed and is now considered to be right up there with one of the most stylish and luxurious hotels in Tallinn. The upgrade has helped the hotel to win a 5 star recommendation from the Estonian Hotel and Restaurant Association. The Hermitage restaurant located at the St. Petersbourg Hotel has also been featured in the well known Flavors of Estonia list of the top restaurants in Estonia.

Hotel owners invest significant amounts of money to hire the best architects and interior decorators to ensure that they get the design and ambience of the hotel exactly as the owners want because they know that in order to impress their guests and turn them into repeat customers, they need to provide them with a unique experience.

This is exactly what the Schlossle Hotel Group had in mind when they decided to hire the services of U.K interior designing company Andrew Martin. The company had a big job on their hands because the historic St. Petersbourg Hotel had gone through a number of makeovers over the years. One of the designers who worked on the building back in 1850 was architect Christian August Gabler.

The designers from Andrew Martin did a brilliant job with the makeover creating a nice balance between old and new and ensuring that while the St. Petersbourg Hotel still maintained its medieval charm, it also embodied contemporary designs and amenities of the 21st century to give guests a week into history while enjoying modern comforts. The designers maintained a balance in customising the hotel rooms as some of them reflect Imperial times while others have been upgraded to be more modern. Both the suites and the hotel rooms have great wooden floors, furniture designed by local designers, a number of modern amenities and faux fur bed covers.

Guests can also visit the dining room area at the Kuldse Notsu Kõrts restaurant which hasn't been modernized and still has old Estonian style furniture along with a warm hearth. Guests who go up to terrace in summer to try out the cafeteria will experience a modern ambience which has some amazing Estonian flowers spread across to add beauty to the terrace.

Andrew Martin has done a great job with the entire makeover by giving the interiors a new spin based on the interpretation of how the old culture of the Russian Empire would feature in modern society. The St. Petersbourg Hotel gives you a feel that you are staying in a mansion of a wealthy Russian Merchant who built his mansion years ago but has stayed abreast of the times and furnished his mansion with the benefits of modern technology.

The investment and upgrade made by the Schlossle Hotel Group has firmly established the St. Petersbourg Hotel as one of the best boutique hotel in the Old Town of Tallinn.

The Hotel is situated at the center of the Old Town and hence guests will find it very easy to visit some of the popular landmarks on the tourist trail.

Cats Well

Back in Medieval times, this wheel well located at the corner of Rataskaevu and Dunkri was an important source of water for the Old Town. Legend has it that a water spirit lived in the well and required animal sacrifices on a regular basis in order to not to dry up the well. The residents took upon themselves the responsibility of regularly throwing down cats, which were sometimes alive to satisfy the water spirit. The method seemed to satisfy both the locals and the water spirit as the well never ran dry but the quality of water was certainly a concern.

Hence the well became known as 'Cats Well' but since the mid 19th century has not been used.

Rataskaevu 16

The building has become popular due to the myth of the 'Devil's wedding' which supposedly took place at house number 16. The house is strange and has one of its windows built up from the inside with false curtains painted.

Legend has it that the landlord of the property was once suicidal due to the amount of debt he accumulated. One night he was approached by a strange man in a cloak who offered the landlord a huge sum of money for renting out number 16 for a party. The only criteria was that he must be assured of completely privacy to which the landlord readily agreed.

That particular evening there was a huge commotion as if thousands of people were marching up the steps and having a loud and boisterous party. At 1 am, the party stopped and all of the guests just vanished. The landlord's servant was apparently using the keyhole to spy on the strange party and he fell mysteriously ill the next day and would eventually die. However before he could die, he told people that he had witnessed the Devil himself getting married at number 16. This story was spread and over the years has gained a lot of notoriety.

Raekoja Plats or The Town Hall Square

This is the heart of the Old Town and was once the political center of Reval. The square is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Tallinn. The Town Hall building has been around since 1322 and till 1970 was used as the political center. It is still used by the Town Council for ceremonial purposes on rare occasions but the officials have been re-located to another location. The medieval Town Hall is now open for visitors.

In summer for a few occasions the square hosts a Medieval-themed Fair, where you can buy various souvenirs, local food and home amenities by Estonian artisans. In 2016 this will be on two occasions. The first fair will be held during the Tallinn Old Town Days starting from 1 June and ending on 5 June. The second fair will be held during the Medieval Days starting from 7 July and ending on 10 July.

If you are visiting the Old Town during the Christmas season, then the Raekoja plats will be a great place to visit as the town square has followed an age old tradition since 1441 of displaying a large Christmas tree. There will also be a Christmas market held in the town square and the entire even will more or less have a theme of a white Christmas as the full town square will be covered in snow.

That being said, there was hardly any snow during the 2015 edition and if Global Warming does not have its way, then the 2016 season will once again bring back the snow.

This pharmacy on the Town's Square has been around since 1422 and is considered the oldest pharmacy in Europe. It has now been taken over by a mega Estonian pharmacy chain store. They also have a small medical-themed museum opened in the store.

Niguliste or St. Nicholas' Church

This church has been turned into a museum that displays the medieval art from the Art Museum of Estonia. Historical records show that the church was constructed somewhere between 1230 and 1275. Back then the city had no walls and the church was used by refugees during times of war as a place to hide and take refuge.

Niguliste remained untouched by the Bildersturm so its High Altar of Niguliste has been preserved and is part of an impressive collection of art.

Adamson Eric Museum

The Adamson Eric Museum is situated not very far from the hotel and is run by the Art Museum of Estonia.

This museum is one of the smaller museums and gets a lot of visits from the local population. They display a nice painting collection including paintings by Adamson Eric. The museum promotes a number of small exhibitions and often displays some amazing work of art.

The best museum for paintings and art lovers will be the biggest museum which is located outside the Old Town. The museum is called the Kumu and is also run by the Art Museum of Estonia.

Toompea Hill

Toompea hill is also very close to the hotel and you can take the Pikklalg, which is longer, or the Luhikejalg, which is shorter. Both will get you straight to Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

The cathedral is dedicated to Russian saint Alexander Nevsky, who was a politician and a military leader who led the Novgorod army on various occasions and fought a significant battle against the Teutonic Knights on the territory of Estonia. The cathedral was set to be demolished, when Estonia first gained its independence, but the building survived and nowadays is one of the tourist landmarks.

While it appears that guests in the Old Town of Tallinn are spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a restaurant or cafe, it is also difficult for tourists to know which are the good ones and which are the not so good ones to go to. The Flavors of Estonia is one way for guests to decide which restaurants to visit and which ones to skip.

The Hermitage restaurant is featured as one of 'the best restaurants in Estonia 2015' on the Flavors of Estonia page. While the Kuldse Notsu Kõrts is not as popular as the Hermitage, it is a great place for breakfast and has a more relaxed atmosphere than the Hermitage, which is more in line with a fine-dining restaurant.

Some of the other spots to visit for a quick bite include the popular Olde Hansa which is not exactly a foodie spot but is an interesting place to visit if you are in Tallinn for the first time. The new Rataskaevu 16 restaurant is also a great place to have a bite as it serves modern cuisine with a homemade touch. The restaurant is not very costly and located very close to the St. Petersbourg Hotel. Families with young children might enjoy trying out Korsaar, which is a pirate themed restaurant that will give your family a unique dining experience. Those looking for a nice cold beer with some snacks; can head over to the popular Beer House.

The Old Town of Tallinn thrives a lot on tourism and as a result there are loads of cafes, restaurants and bars that serve up a wide range of international cuisine to tourists. Since the St. Petersbourg Hotel is located within the Old Town, guests will be able to easily visit any of the nearby restaurants and have a bite.

However if guests prefer to eat at the St. Petersbourg Hotel, then they can try any of the two restaurants situated in the hotel. The Kuldse Notsu Kõrts which means Golden Piglet Innis known for serving up authentic Estonian cuisine and is considered to be one of the best restaurants serving local cuisine. The hotel website also features a full menu of the different dishes available, allowing guests to take their time in researching the menu and deciding on what they would like to order. Guests who visit Estonia must try a popular Estonian desert known as Kama.

The hotel serves up some delicious appetizers such as fried farm bread, and homemade cumin cheese. If you are adventurous ask for the meat jelly, although be warned it is a dish that he would either love or completely detest. There are also quite a few local soups on the menu that have a real homemade taste to them and include a lot of local vegetables.

Popular British blogger Wanderlust Chloe wrote a great review of her experience at the restaurant's breakfastsaying the "cold buffet gave a flavour of Estonian cuisine with a large platter of salmon, herring, pickled fish and more".

The Kuldse Notsu Kõrts serves a great breakfast that consists of a variety of bread that Estonians are proud to make and known to love. There is a wide range of cold meats, cheese, cereals, porridge, tea, coffee and fruit juices.

Guests who would like to try out the eggs can request for an omelette or scrambled eggs. Pancakes are also served on request and come in the form of both sweet and non-sweet pancakes that have a wide range of fillings including cheese, ham, mushrooms and freshly sprinkled herbs.

The Hermitage featured on the list of the 50 Best Estonian Restaurants in 2008 and in 2015. The restaurant has proven to be a big hit with both tourists and locals who keep coming back for more.

While the chefs serve up international cuisine, they also serve traditional Estonian and Russian dishes but use their own twist on these age old recipes to give it a more modern flavour. The restaurant is generally opened from 5 pm to 11 pm from Monday to Thursday and from 12 pm to 11 pm from Friday to Sunday. During the peak tourist season, guests are advised to make their reservations to ensure they have a table ready when they arrive for dinner.

There is a nice list of starters for guests to choose from and feature classic dishes such as beef stroganoff,chicken Kiev and borscht. The menu here mostly consists of French and Russian dishes. A list of cold starters include bruschetta and red onion jam,parmesan chips and croutons, homemade duck liver paté with cedar nuts, tiger prawns, Romanian lettuce, lemon caviar,ramson aioli or choosing a mix of Hermitage starters for two.

A list of hot starters includes broccoli cream soup with white fish and scallops, scallops baked in garlic butter with parmesan cheese and parsley;horseradish mousse, pickles and Siberian dumplings with sour cream.

If the starters weren't enough, the main course will definitely fill you up. For the adventurous, there is also a six-course dinner available that comes with or without the inclusion of wines. The Hermitage has a nice selection of wines and cocktails for guests to choose from.

To finish your meal at the Hermitage, you can end with some great deserts such as lemon-rosemary mousse with raspberry filling; Syrniki with blueberry jam and buttermilk ice cream and chocolate fondant with sea buckthorn mousse and vanilla ice cream.

Travel blogger Miriam who lives in Denmark visited the Old Town of Tallinn and stayed at the St. Petersbourg Hotel. She wrote that her best meal in her travels in Estonia was at the Hermitage.

If you want to venture out of the hotel and visit some of the nearby bars and restaurants, then you will have a wide range of choices. Rataskaevu 16, is one of the popular establishments that is situated right across the street and is promoted as a restaurant that has no name. This establishment is a little less expensive than the other nearby restaurants and attracts a lot of tourists.

Not too far away from are two restaurants called V located on Rataskaevu 12 and Aed located on Rataskaevu 8. The restaurants are owned and run by the Von Krahli Theatre. Restaurant V is unique in that it serves vegetarian food while restaurant Aed is popular with the locals as the chef serves up some authentic Estonian cuisine with a modern twist to it.

The road leading to the Raekoja plats is called Dunkri street and houses a large building called Dunkri 5. This is where you will find the popular Beer House that has a large list of beer including its own brewed beer which is a big hit with the locals.

This building is also home to Korsaar, the pirate themed restaurant which shares the same lobby as the Beer House. It is important to note that the Korsaar shares the same door as the Beer House, as otherwise it can get a little confusing to find. Once you open the door to the Beer House, you need to go right to access the Korsaar.

There are also a number of restaurants located in the Town Hall Square and the most popular one is definitely the D.O.M which also features on the Flavours of Estonia list.

Do keep in mind that this is a fine dining restaurant and it is best that guests reserve a table in advance, especially if they plan an evening visit during weekends. Since the restaurant is located in the Town Hall square it gets a lot of tourist traffic and hence serve up a menu that mostly consist of French and modern European dishes. The restaurant has live bands playing during Friday's and Saturday's.

Balthasar, another popular restaurant located in the Town Square was once featured in the list of top restaurants on the Flavours of Estonia website. While it is no longer listed, it is still considered to be one of the best restaurants by the locals. Kevin & Sarah Duncan who stayed at the St. Petersbourg hotel visited Balthasar and gave the place a great review.

Olde Hansa is a medieval themed restaurant that can be a bit expensive but is definitely worth a stopover as it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience medieval times and try dishes that were served from the 13th century till the early 19th century.

The restaurant takes its ambience very seriously and there are no lights only candles, just the way it was in ancient times. The entire menu is based on what was served centuries ago and you will not find popular modern dishes such as pasta, pizza and burgers. However the food is sumptuous and they serve a great own brewed beer.

Guests will not find black tea or green tea but only coffee on the menu and it will not be an espresso or a cappuccino as they were not invented back then. The Olde Hansa also have a great gift shop that have a number of fantastic medieval style amenities including jewellery and household items that were crafted by local Estonian artists.

DM Baar is located on Voorimehe street and has a Depeche Mode theme style to it. Those growing up in the late 80s and early 90s may recognize the band and the bar has been visited by some of the current and ex members of the band. The DM bar is considered to be one of the most happening bars in the Old Town and is popular amongst locals and tourists.

A fully equipped business centre provides meeting rooms and banqueting services.

Businesspeople will find the hotel ideal, given its location in the middle of town, placing it well within reach of local transport hubs. Connectivity with the rest of the business world is not a problem with the easy availability of the Internet, phones, voicemail, and fax machines. Conference facilities are also available with advance notice.

At 04'th november 2014 St. Petersbourg hotel hosted the World Bank meeting in Tallinn with the President of Estonia Mr. Toomas Hendrik Ilves.

Three spaces are available for meetings: Restaurant Golden Piglet Tavern, a private meeting room, and an outdoor terrace. At the restaurant, up to 80 people can be accommodated. The private meeting room is in the same space but includes technical equipment, such as a flat screen TV for presentations, Wi-Fi Internet, and flip charts. Some 24 people can be accommodated here in a theatre style setup, while up to 16 people can be hosted in a boardroom/classroom style arrangement.

Sightseeing around the Old Town of Tallinn can prove to be quite exhausting. There are a number of ways one can relax and unwind at the hotel and one of them is enjoying the sauna. Guests who stay at the hotel have free access to the sauna from 7 am to 11 am provided that they reserve a slot in advance.

The sauna has a television and a radio in its recreation area and can host up to 6 individuals at a time. The sauna at the St. Petersbourg hotel has a European touch to it and offers complimentary bottled water, essential oils, shower gels and bathrobes. Usually when you book the sauna in advance, you tend to get it all to yourself. However guests who would like a private group sauna can also avail of the same by booking in advance.

The sauna is relatively small when compared to many other saunas in Tallinn and while the sauna offers beauty therapies and massages, the number of treatment and massage options are limited. Guests who are trying out a sauna for the first time might need a couple of tips to help them get accustomed to the sauna.

You will find a small bucket with what looks like a large spoon. Fill the bucket with either cold or lukewarm water. Do not fill the bucket with hot water. Once you have done this, use the ladle to scoop some water and gently splash it on the rocks. When doing so, please make sure that you stand away from the rocks so the water does not splash on you. The cold water will emit steam from the rocks and it is advised to pour a small quantity of water so that you can initially test out the amount of steam you can bear. If you find it okay, you can repeat the process.

Internet savvy users always look at guest reviews to size up a hotel before they finalize and make their reservation. The Booking.com website has a number of positive reviews on the St. Petersbourg hotel and the majority of reviews always point out the fact that the staff are polite and helpful, breakfast is great and the rooms are nice. Guests have stated that they would love coming back to the St. Petersbourg hotel and highly recommend the hotel.

Mirian who lives in Denmark stayed at the St Petersbourg hotel and wrote a nice piece about her experience. She felt that if you wanted to be transported back in time and experience the old Russian way of life, staying at the St Petersbourg hotel was a great way to do so. She has also posted a number of great photos.

Many people often say this hotel is "almost like being in St. Petersburg." It surprises its guests with its imperial designs and decor.

Scottish travel blogger had great things to say about her experience at the St Petersbourg hotel and rated it as one of the best hotels she has ever stayed at. She though the food was fabulous, loved her room and was extremely happy with the staff at the hotel.

UK Blogger Wanderlust Chloe has a great reputation as a travel blogger and rated the St Petersbourg hotel as one the best luxury hotels she has stayed in so far. While Chloe emphasises the fact that her room was flooded with beautiful sunshine, it is important to note that the weather in Estonia does not really permit a lot of sunshine and most of the locals tend to crack a lot of jokes about the Estonian weather as you can see from this write up.

Chloe also made mention of the iPad in her room and found it extremely helpful in booking taxis and gaining useful information on the local cuisine and places to visit. You can find her detailed review here.

The British Berliner took the time to write a great review that covers Estonia, its history and staying at the St. Petersburg Hotel. She travelled with her son who loved the hotel as it provided him with so many options to keep busy including a billiards table, traditional board games, the iPad and free Wi-Fi. She stayed that after her son stayed at the St. Petersburg Hotel, he finds most of the other hotels disappointing as they do not provide as many options for a youngster to stay busy. She was also happy with the complimentary sauna access but emphasised that she made it a point to wear her swimsuit while using the sauna.