The Three Sisters Hotel

Rooms and decor

Imagine walking into a carefully restored 600-year-old Hanseatic merchant house and being handed a key to a room unlike any other in the world — that is the charm The Three Sisters Hotel sells without having to advertise it. These three connected houses were built in the late 14th century as the homes of major merchants, back when Tallinn was a member city of the Hanseatic League. Their three gables stand in a row on Pikk street, which earned them the local nickname Kolm Õde, or three sisters. None of the 23 rooms and suites repeats, because the restoration team chose to keep the originals rather than paper over them. So one room has dark oak beams cutting across the ceiling, another reveals pastel frescoes that archaeologists uncovered under old plaster, some put a white clawfoot tub in the middle of the bedroom, and a few suites keep an original stone fireplace and old oak doors polished to a shine. The linens are good quality, the bedding is soft, and the amenities come tucked in a small leather pouch. The overall feel is not flashy luxury but something quiet and dignified — like staying in a museum you can actually live in.

Food and amenities

Dinner here centers on Bordoo, the main restaurant that has held a Michelin Guide listing for several years running, serving contemporary Nordic food that retells seasonal Estonian ingredients — wild mushrooms from the northern forests, pickled herring, lamb raised on Saaremaa island, venison from the forest edge. It all comes under stone vaults beneath the building, with old red-brick walls and dim candlelight, like eating in a medieval merchant's wine cellar. Next door is the Sister's Cigar & Cocktail Lounge, an underground lounge with vaulted ceilings and soft leather sofas for a cocktail after dinner or a quiet afternoon read. Breakfast is served a la carte in the same room with fresh ingredients and bread baked every morning; many reviews rate the soft-boiled eggs and berry pancakes among the best of their trip. There is also a small sauna and steam room in the basement (Estonia pairs with the sauna the way Japan pairs with the onsen) to warm up after a day on foot. Free bicycles are there to take around the Old Town, and the attentive concierge runs private Old Town walking tours, telling the building's history in fine detail — a highlight many reviewers single out.

Location and getting there

The hotel stands on Pikk street on the corner of the Fat Margaret gate, the thick round cannon tower that has guarded Tallinn's harbour since the 16th century, and across from St Olav's Church, whose 124-metre tower was once the tallest building in the world during the 16th century. It is the best starting point for exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Old Town that locals call Vanalinn. About 6 minutes along Pikk street brings you to Raekoja plats, with its 600-year-old medieval town hall and outdoor cafes. A few more turns reach Toompea, the old high hill with the Russian-domed Alexander Nevsky Cathedral and a viewpoint over the city's red roofs. For those who like things easy, it is a 7-minute walk to Tallinn Old City Harbour, where the ferry crosses the Gulf of Finland to Helsinki in 2 hours. The main Balti jaam station is an 8-minute walk (the creative Telliskivi district market sits opposite), and Tallinn Airport (TLL) is just a 15-minute drive away. If you come to Tallinn to soak up a World Heritage city, no location is more convenient or atmospheric.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk before you decide: the unavoidable limit is the age of the building itself. The corridors inside wind up and down stairs in sections, the floors sit at slightly different levels in the medieval style, and there is no lift to every floor. Staff will help carry bags, but anyone who struggles to walk or uses a wheelchair may find it awkward. The stone walls are thick in many stretches, yet some rooms — especially those facing Pikk street — may pick up the sound of small tourist groups passing in the evening, or the St Olav's Church bells in the morning. Light sleepers should tell the hotel at booking that they want an inward-facing or upper-floor room. There is also no pool, and the small basement fitness room has only a treadmill and light weights, so serious exercisers may need a gym outside. Finally, the suites with beams, frescoes, or clawfoot tubs cost noticeably more than the standard deluxe rooms — to get the most out of a stay, book a suite, or half the "no two rooms alike" charm slips away.

Our take

After reading through hundreds of real guest reviews, our take is that The Three Sisters Hotel sells the charm of three 600-year-old Hanseatic merchant houses in the middle of Tallinn's Old Town without any dressing up. The location by the Fat Margaret gate and St Olav's Church, the 6-minute walk to the central square, rooms that all differ, the Michelin Guide-level Bordoo restaurant, and staff who remember guests by name leave most reviews very impressed. If the trip in your head is winding stone lanes through a World Heritage city, then back for a sauna and a cocktail in the Sister's Lounge before sleeping under 600-year-old oak beams, this is the answer that fits best. But if you expect new-build luxury with a big pool, a full gym, and every room to the same standard, Three Sisters may not be your path. Overall we give it 9.0/10, best for couples and history-minded luxury travelers who come to Tallinn to soak up the Old Town in full.