We had three nights in Tallinn, and only after booking the flights did I realize we were going during a very challenging time hotel-wise. We were in Tallinn during the same time as the Super Cup, which some described as the country’s biggest event ever.
Hotels were really full over our dates. The Super Cup was taking place our first night there, so the rates would have been ridiculous. Most hotels were sold out, while the Hilton Tallinn was bookable for either 30,000 Honors points or 882EUR for the one night stay. So I redeemed Hilton Honors points, which was an exceptional deal, and my best use of Hilton points ever.
Then for the next two nights I booked a paid rate of 104EUR per night, because I value 30,000 Hilton Honors points at (marginally) more than 104EUR.
So we ended up with two separate reservations.
Anyway, on to the actual stay. One of the awesome things about Tallinn is that the airport is really close to the city. The drive from the airport to the Hilton took under 10 minutes, and cost under 10EUR. There aren’t many European cities where that’s the case.
Tallinn is a charming city with beautiful architecture (I shared my thoughts on our time here in this post), so by contrast the Hilton felt sterile, and looked like an office building.
Hilton Tallinn exterior
The inside of the hotel felt a bit warmer. Inside the lobby and to the right was the reception desk.
Hilton Tallinn reception
The lobby had plenty of seating, as well as a couple of iMacs you could use.
Hilton Tallinn lobby
Hilton Tallinn lobby
In the center of the lobby was a bar, which I thought was nicely decorated.
Hilton Tallinn lobby bar
Hilton Tallinn lobby bar
The Hilton has a casino, and the entrance to that was inside the hotel and to the right.
Hilton Tallinn casino
The check-in process seemingly took forever. There was only one person being checked in ahead of us, but it was almost 15 minutes until we were helped. Once it was our turn, it took about 10 minutes for us to be checked in, so I guess they just take their time with everyone.
The good news is that we had been upgraded to a suite, which is pretty incredible as a Gold elite member. However, as we later found out, that upgrade was only for the first night, which was pretty annoying since I specifically clarified at check-in that the upgrade was for the entire stay (since moving rooms isn’t ideal, and we would have rather had a standard room for three nights).
Anyway, we took the elevator up to the ninth floor, where the suite was located.
Hilton Tallinn elevators
I was impressed by the decor of the Hilton, which felt much higher end than what you’d expect for an average Hilton.
Hilton Tallinn hallway
The suite, room 921, was located at the end of the hallway. Just inside the entrance and to the right was a half bathroom.
Hilton Tallinn suite entryway
Hilton Tallinn suite half bath
Hilton Tallinn suite half bath
Then there was the large living room, which had a sofa, chair, and a desk, all facing a wall-mounted TV.
Hilton Tallinn suite living room
Hilton Tallinn suite living room
Hilton Tallinn suite living room
The room also had a Nespresso machine, kettle, and minibar.
Hilton Tallinn in-room coffee machine
Hilton Tallinn in-room minibar
There was a king size bed in a separate room, and that room also had a chair and TV.
Hilton Tallinn suite bedroom
Hilton Tallinn suite bedroom
Off the bedroom was the master bathroom, which had double sinks, a bathtub, a walk-in shower, and a toilet.
Hilton Tallinn suite bathroom
Hilton Tallinn suite bathtub
Hilton Tallinn suite shower
Hilton Tallinn suite toilet
There was also a separate closet.
Hilton Tallinn suite closet
The room had views of the city, and also of the port in the distance. Unfortunately the hotel isn’t right in the old town, so it doesn’t have views that are as amazing as you’d get elsewhere.
Hilton Tallinn suite view
Hilton Tallinn suite view
For the next two nights we were assigned room 912, a double bed guest room. This room also had an entryway with some closets on the left and the bathroom to the right.
Hilton Tallinn room entryway
Obviously this room was significantly smaller, though it was still nicely appointed. I liked the wall treatments, lighting fixtures, and carpet pattern.
Hilton Tallinn room
Hilton Tallinn room
The room had a desk near the window with a chair. There was another chair with a side table behind that.
Hilton Tallinn room
Hilton Tallinn room
In this room there was a welcome amenity consisting of some bottled water, chocolates, and some liqueurs.
Hilton Tallinn welcome gift
For a standard room I thought the bathroom was quite nice, as it featured a walk-in shower, bathtub, sink, and toilet.
Hilton Tallinn bathroom
Hilton Tallinn bathtub
Hilton Tallinn shower
Hilton Tallinn toilet
This room had views of downtown, and also of the old town in the distance.
Hilton Tallinn room view
Thanks to my Honors Gold status we had access to the hotel’s executive lounge, which is located on the 11th floor. The lounge is open daily from 6AM until 10PM.
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge
The lounge is a nice space with a variety of seating options, including dining tables and couches.
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge business center
The lounge has nice views as well.
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge view
Breakfast is served daily in the lounge from 7AM until 10:30AM, though really there’s no reason to have breakfast here, since anyone with access to the lounge can also have breakfast in the restaurant at no extra cost.
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge breakfast
Still, I decided to check out the breakfast selection here one morning, which was pretty simple.
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge breakfast
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge breakfast
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge breakfast
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge breakfast
The lounge has soft drinks, coffee, and light snacks available throughout the day.
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge drinks and coffee
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge evening selection
Then in the evenings from 6PM until 8PM the lounge has evening snacks and drinks, including a selection of beer, wine, and liquor.
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge evening drinks
The spread was all right, though wasn’t a dinner substitute. There were olives, cheese, cold cuts, and a couple of types of salad.
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge evening selection
Then there were three hot options, all of which were fried.
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge evening selection
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge evening selection
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge evening selection
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge evening selection
There were also a few types of desserts.
Hilton Tallinn executive lounge evening selection
As mentioned above, you can also have breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant, located on the second floor.
Hilton Tallinn restaurant
Hilton Tallinn restaurant
Hilton Tallinn restaurant
Hilton Tallinn restaurant
The breakfast selection was quite good.
Hilton Tallinn breakfast buffet
Hilton Tallinn breakfast buffet
Hilton Tallinn breakfast buffet
Hilton Tallinn breakfast buffet
Hilton Tallinn breakfast buffet
Hilton Tallinn breakfast buffet
Hilton Tallinn breakfast buffet
Hilton Tallinn breakfast buffet
Hilton Tallinn breakfast buffet
In addition to the buffet, you could order custom made eggs, so I had a well done veggie omelet.
Hilton Tallinn breakfast omelet
The restaurant is open all day, and also has a nice terrace where you can enjoy dinner or drinks.
Hilton Tallinn restaurant patio
As far as the hotel’s other features go, there’s a spa, gym, and pool located on the second floor. I had the chance to use the gym once, which was on the basic side.
Hilton Tallinn gym
Hilton Tallinn gym
Overall I found service at the hotel to be reasonably good. My only complaint is that at times service was a bit slow, like during check-in, and also in the restaurant, where it often took 15 minutes to get coffee at breakfast.
As far as the hotel’s location goes, it’s about a 15-20 minute walk from the old town, or a roughly 5EUR and five minute taxi ride. In Tallinn most of the charming stuff is in the old town or on the opposite side of town of the hotel, while the Hilton is near a quiet park.
There’s a lot of construction going on around the park, so while a 15-20 minute walk wouldn’t usually bother me, it’s an especially not-nice walk at the moment, as many areas are fenced off as work is being done.
Bottom line
All things considered the Hilton Tallinn impressed me. It’s a beautifully designed hotel with nice rooms, and I also found the elite recognition to be good, between the suite upgrade for one night, and the lounge access with the option of having breakfast in the restaurant.
For this trip this hotel was the perfect option, given that just about everything else was sold out, so I could redeem points here. However, if returning to Tallinn I’d do everything I can to stay directly in the old town. The 15-20 minute walk isn’t a huge deal, but we found ourselves going to the Old Town 2-3 times per day, and in those cases the time adds up. So next time I’d probably try to stay at Hotel Telegraaf, which is a Marriott Autograph Collection property.
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