I stayed here for 3 nights at the end of January. I also stayed in Swissotel so I am able to compare this hotel. I would suggest that both hotels are very good - in different ways.
I noticed 2 recent reviews. One complained about the fact that the Spa was shut and this wasn't advertised on the website. Perhaps that reviewer booked on another website - the Hotel Telegraaf website definitely informed me that the Spa would be shut for one week. This was impossible to miss!!!
The second recent review 'very disappointed' is also a bit questionable. Location 5 stars, Rooms 3 stars, Value 3 stars yet overall rating 1 star?! Hmmmm.... My girlfriend is a cleanliness freak and she never found anything wrong with the room or hotel as a whole. This sounds like bad luck for the reviewer and I'm sure this is the exception.
Service:
This is where the hotel excelled. I told reception I was leaving for Helsinki really early - and I was offered a 'breakfast box' to take away. I didn't have to ask - nice touch. I was also recommended a really nice restaurant for my birthday (no not the hotel's own!). Staff would smile, say hello and were attentive.
Rooms:
The room did not have the 'wow' factor like that of Swissotel. However, the bed was very comfortable, and the room had character. This included a unique old fashioned phone which was a nice touch.
Spa:
This was lovely. The jacuzzi was bliss, the swimming pool a bit cold for my liking. There was also a steam room and sauna. The spa is small, but most of the time we had it to ourselves.
Breakfast:
This is served in the restaurant 'Tchaikovsky'. The setting was lovely and the food was good. There was a good selection.
Value:
I paid roughly £80 per night - an almost identical rate to Swissotel. The rates can vary hugely depending on which website you book with. I also stayed for 3 nights which brought the price down, whilst I only stayed at Swissotel for 1 night. Look very carefully for some good deals - don't rush into booking.
Overall:
This is a lovely hotel. I think if you book it you will enjoy it. It is a romantic hotel - though I also noticed that businesses tended to use it too. If you are thinking of, or have already booked this hotel, don't worry about what looks like one isolated bad review.
- Telegraaf Hotel Tallinn
