WHAT’S IT LIKE? Opened in December 2007, the Swissotel Tallinn is the city’s first international five-star hotel and with its sleek black-glass exterior and 30 floors (making it the tallest building in the capital) it is hard to miss. Inside, the lobby is light and airy and has an unusual glowing alabaster and wood veneer wall on one side reminiscent of giant rounded honeycomb, which sets the tone for the creative but understated modern décor in the property.
WHERE IS IT? Located in the city’s financial quarter on the “Wall Street of Tallinn”, it is ten minutes’ walk from the walled medieval old town and a 15-minute drive from the airport.
HOW MANY ROOMS? 238, including 14 suites on floors 12-29. The Swiss Executive Club rooms are on floors 27-29, with the Executive Lounge on floor 28. (Levels two to five are offices and do not belong to the hotel.)
ROOM FACILITIES All the rooms in the hotel are equipped with free wifi and wired internet access, a Lavazza espresso coffee machine, tea-making facilities, workdesk, safe, minibar, air conditioning, three telephones and an LCD TV. The décor is neutral, with parquet floors, and funky ottomans and armchairs add a splash of colour, while the floor-to-ceiling windows afford great views of Tallinn and the Baltic Sea from the upper floors. Executive Club rooms are the same size (29 sqm) as Swiss Advantage rooms (the lowest category) but also include wireless phones, a daily newspaper, MP3 docking and larger rain shower-heads. Executive Club and higher tier guests can also make use of the Executive Lounge, which offers free breakfast, drinks from 7pm and a choice of 600 different newspapers from around the world. Bathrooms are screened by a smoked-glass wall and are fitted inside with black marble heated flooring, bronze mosaic tiling, a separate bath and walk-in rain shower, Swissotel-branded toiletries, a hairdryer and overhead speakers so you can listen to the TV. All guests are also supplied with robes and slippers and free mineral water in-room.
RESTAURANTS AND BARS The 76-seat fine-dining Horisont restaurant (open 7pm-11pm Tues-Sat) is located on the 30th floor and has sweeping views of the city and port on the Baltic Sea in the distance. It serves international, French and local cuisine and also features two private dining rooms, a cigar lounge (where you can have your own personal bottle of whisky stored in a locker) and a bar (open daily from 5pm) specialising in Martini cocktails – try the house favourite made with cucumber. On the eighth floor, Café Swiss (open 6.30am-11pm) offers international breakfast buffets with a chef on hand to cook eggs to order, lunch and dinner buffets and a limited à la carte menu, while in the lobby on the ground floor, guests can have a drink or simple snack from No 3 Deli Lounge and Bar (between 6.30am and 12am).
BUSINESS AND MEETING FACILITIES The hotel features Estonia’s largest ballroom (455 sqm). Located on floor six, it has a capacity of 500 for a reception and is fitted with the latest conferencing and presentation technology, integrated translation booths and a media room. There are also two meeting rooms (130 sqm) with natural daylight and a boardroom with a capacity for ten people, which guests can use for two hours on the day of arrival. (Rooms can all be divided into smaller ones if necessary.) The Swissoffice business centre is next to the front desk and has a fax, printer, scanner, copy machine and two workstations.
LEISURE FACILITIES Coming out of the lifts on the 11th floor, watch out for the built-in scales on your way to the spa and wellness centre (open 6.30am-10pm) – standing on them may well motivate you to do a few more laps in the 20-metre pool. The Amrita spa has two treatment rooms, a gym, a studio, a small traditional Finnish dry sauna (with views of the city below) and a steam room.
VERDICT A conveniently located property featuring elegant design, polite and welcoming staff and first-rate business and leisure facilities.
PRICE Internet rates for a midweek stay in May started from E123 (£98) for a Swiss Advantage King room.
CONTACT Swissotel Tallinn, Tornimae 3; tel +37 2624 0000; tallinn.swissotel.com.
Jenny Southan
