The Best Hotels to Book in Estonia

Estonias best hotels sit in beautifully preserved medieval townscapes and offer a bevy of spa and wellness facilities
Estonia's best hotels sit in beautifully preserved medieval townscapes and offer a bevy of spa and wellness facilities | © Sean Pavone / Alamy Stock Photo
Amar Grover

While the capital city of Tallinn may be the most popular destination for visitors to Estonia, this compact Baltic country offers more than beautifully preserved medieval townscapes. A practical, sleek and distinctly Scandinavian or Nordic cool tinges much of the accommodation and, for locals at least, sauna facilities in whatever form are almost as essential as a bathroom or TV. Spa and wellness facilities also lend a more holistic bent to the Estonian travel experience.

Schlössle Hotel

Hotel

Schlössle Hotel
Courtesy of Schlössle Hotel / Expedia
One for romantics, the Schlössle occupies a medieval merchant’s house in the gorgeous old quarter of Tallinn that harks back to the glory days of the city as a major trading port. Exposed wooden beams and mottled stone walls, tapestries, rustic fireplaces and arched cellar-restaurant ceilings conjure a beguiling old-world ambience. Modern amenities skilfully complement rather than compete with this heritage atmosphere, while the restaurant offers contemporary Nordic cuisine. The summer garden features live music on weekend evenings.

Lydia Hotel

Hotel

Lydia Hotel
Courtesy of Lydia Hotel / Expedia

In the old quarter of Tartu just below the hilltop observatory, Lydia Hotel has an austere-looking wing that almost wraps around the original 19th-century townhouse – something that will appeal to design types. Sober Baltic cool pervades the property, the sleek modern rooms bearing a muted palette of white, cream and beige brightened with subtly patterned carpets, wallpaper and headboards. Sporadic flourishes in public areas – potted plants in huge face-pots and lattice screens – lighten the mood, while the well-regarded Restaurant Hõlm revives traditional 1920s recipes.

The Three Sisters Hotel

Boutique Hotel

The Three Sisters Hotel
Courtesy of the Three Sisters Hotel / Expedia
Architects and designers might appreciate the lure of the Three Sisters in Old Tallinn, a handsome trio of gabled 14th-century merchants’ houses. Standing at the northern and quieter end of cobbled Pikk Street, one of the main thoroughfares, it has 23 unique rooms and suites. The clever sympathetic design makes a virtue of timbered beams and trusses, while oak floorboards and retouched frescoes are married to modern downlights and Persian-style rugs. Quirky wooden furniture includes items hewn from hefty stumps or remodelled from driftwood.

Hotel Palace by TallinnHotels

Hotel

Hotel Palace by TallinnHotels
Courtesy of Hotel Palace by TallinnHotels / Expedia

Overlooking Freedom Square, the Palace is a landmark building in Tallinn. Designed by prominent Estonian architect Elmar Lohk in the 1930s, the prized blend of Art Deco and Chicago School architecture has spurred several renovations, the last of which upped its game and now appeals to a mainly business clientele. Room decor favours clean simple lines and Scandi-style furniture; the so-called “garret floor” rooms have skylight windows and all feature reproduction landscapes by Estonian artist Konrad Mägi.

Arensburg Boutique Hotel and Spa

Resort

Arensburg Boutique Hotel & Spa
Courtesy of Arensburg Boutique Hotel and Spa / Expedia

Adopting the historic name for Kuressaare town on Saaremaa Island, the Arensburg appeals to the well-travelled wellness crowd. The converted 300-year-old manor house plus modern annex mixes old-world charm and uncluttered swanky rooms. An array of treatments utilise the famed island mud, juniper oil and organic hay, plus there are the usual saunas, jacuzzi and pool. Against such virtuous cleansing must be set the decadent cigar room.

Spa Hotel Rüütli

Resort

Spa Hotel Rüütli
Courtesy of Spa Hotel Rüütli / Expedia

Aimed at holidaying families, Rüütli has an enviable location opposite Kuressaare Castle and its splendid moat on Saaremaa Island. It’s a conspicuously unpretentious resort: straightforward practical rooms occupy a functional, almost motel-like, facade. For children, it’s probably more about thrashing about in the pools and zooming down a 52m (170ft) waterslide. The spa and treatments embrace an almost bewildering array of procedures, from multi-head showers to magnesium foot-baths, via serums, peeling, massages and mud.

Estonia Resort Hotel and Spa

Hotel

ESTONIA Resort Hotel & Spa
Courtesy of ESTONIA Resort Hotel and Spa / Expedia

The ESTONIA injects a bit of style into this long-favoured stretch of the Baltic coast at Pärnu and, though popular with families, is ideal for couples. Rooms and suites are distinguished more by size than style; all feature sensible uncluttered Scandi-like decor and have unlimited access to the adjoining SPA & SAUN complex. There’s a smorgasbord of therapeutics including nine saunas, an ultra-saline Dead Sea pool, herbal baths in two-person barrels, along with spa treatments ranging from hemp oil massage to magnesium and “home beer” baths. Be brave.

Art Hotel Pallas by Tartuhotels

Hotel

Art Hotel Pallas by Tartuhotels
Courtesy of Art Hotel Pallas by Tartuhotels / Expedia

The office-block exterior hardly suggests an arty-hipster hangout, but here on the edge of Tartu old town, the newly renovated Art Hotel comes close. “Pallas” derives from an eponymous early 20th-century arts collective that formalised the first art school in Estonia. Consequently, each room features at least one artwork ranging from demure landscapes in polite frames to raw Bacon-Esque figures and bold wall-creeping frescoes resembling urban cartoon-graffiti. Whether you find it bonkers or banal probably depends on your room and mood.

For some unique options, discover our guide to the most stunning historic hotels in Estonia and book now on Culture Trip.

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Winter Sale Offers on Our Trips

Incredible Savings

X
Edit article