Hotel St. Petersbourg

Rooms and decor

Picture walking along a medieval cobbled street in the heart of Vanalinn, through the big wooden doors of a cream-coloured building with St. Petersbourg spelled out in brass above the entrance — that's the first impression of a hotel that has welcomed guests since 1850 and still holds the title of Tallinn's longest continuously operating hotel. The building is a restored medieval structure run by Schlössle Hotels, a small Estonian luxury-boutique group that specialises in looking after historic buildings. None of the 27 rooms here is the same; each one works with the old bones of the building. Some have old wooden beams across the ceiling, some open onto the tiled roofs of the Old Town through old wooden windows. The look is vintage cream-and-gold — thick classic-patterned curtains, crystal lamps, dark wood furniture — closer to a northern-European noble house from a century ago. Beds are soft, bathrooms have tiled tubs and the usual kit, and what many reviews single out is the quiet once the door shuts: traffic and tourists fade out as if the medieval stone walls are doing their job.

Food and amenities

The heart of a stay here is Tchaikovsky, the classic Russian restaurant in the building next door, also run by the hotel. The dining room is done in emerald green and gold, early-20th-century Art Nouveau, with live piano on Friday and Saturday nights. The menu leans on imperial Russian plates — Beef Stroganoff, caviar, sturgeon, blini (Russian pancakes) and desserts like Pavlova. Plenty of reviews call it one of the most memorable dinners of a Tallinn trip, and some people book a stay here specifically for it. The buffet breakfast is served in a warm dining room with fresh-baked bread, Estonian cheese, smoked salmon, bacon, made-to-order eggs and fruit — not the all-out spread of a big chain, but good quality and an easy place to linger. A small Lobby Bar rounds it off, good for a wine or a cognac after a full day in the old city. The overall feel isn't a luxury hotel shouting about itself; it works on the small details — scented candles, church bells at 7am, and staff who know your name from day one.

Location and getting there

Location is this hotel's strongest card. It sits on Rataskaevu street in the heart of Vanalinn (Old Town), a UNESCO World Heritage site with one of the most intact medieval street plans in northern Europe. Step out the door and it's about a 2-minute walk to Town Hall Square (Raekoja plats), the heart of the Old Town, with its 1404-era town hall and the old Olde Hansa restaurant serving medieval food. Another 5 minutes up Toompea hill brings you to Toompea Castle, seat of the Estonian Parliament, the Russian onion-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, and the Patkuli viewpoint that takes in the red tiled roofs of the whole Old Town. The medieval city wall and the Kiek in de Kök tower are a few minutes away too. From Tallinn Airport (TLL) it's about a 15-minute drive since the airport is close to town, and the D-Terminal ferry port for the Helsinki boats is roughly 10 minutes by car. In short: if you want to wake up and walk straight into the old city with no car at all, this location nails it.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide — the most common gripe is room size and shape. Because it's a restored medieval building, rooms come in irregular shapes; some have slanted ceilings following the building's layout, and some run smaller than a modern 5-star. Two people with one big suitcase may feel boxed in, and a few reviews say the bathrooms in some standard rooms are fairly old and tight — if you value space, upgrade to a Junior Suite or higher. There's also no pool, gym, or spa, since this is a small boutique in a historic building kept close to its original structure; if you expect a full set of modern-chain facilities, it may not fit. Rooms facing Rataskaevu street can pick up noise from restaurants and tourists in the Old Town on evenings and weekends, especially in summer, so light sleepers should ask for a room facing the inner courtyard. Finally, the lift is small in the way old buildings are — big suitcases may need more than one trip — and there's no parking at the hotel, so you'll use paid public parking nearby.

Our take

After reading through hundreds of real reviews, Hotel St. Petersbourg is a hotel that sells history, an Old-Town location, and a vintage feel you won't find anywhere else in Tallinn. If the trip in your head is a morning walk on medieval cobbles, a climb up Toompea to see the onion domes of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, a soak back in a room with old wooden beams overhead, then dinner at Tchaikovsky with live piano — this is about as good a fit as it gets. But if you're after a modern 5-star with a pool, spa, full gym, and big square-cornered rooms, the boutique-in-an-old-building design here may not be the answer. Overall we give it 8.8/10, best for couples and history lovers who want to sleep inside a medieval building in the middle of a World Heritage quarter, and who rate atmosphere and location over resort-style facilities.