Pirita Marina Hotel & Spa

Pirita Marina Hotel and Spa sits on the waterfront at Pirita, the seaside district on the north-eastern edge of Tallinn. It is a very different stay from the Old Town. Here the setting is the open Baltic, a yacht harbour and a long beach, with pine woods and a convent ruin close by, and the pace is slower and greener. The hotel is large, with more than two hundred and sixty rooms, and it is built around leisure: a spa, an indoor pool, a restaurant with views of the water, and enough recreation to keep a family busy on a wet day. For visitors who want a resort feel within the capital, this is the best choice in the city. Rooms are arranged in two styles, spa class and marine class, and in a wide range of sizes. The standard twins and doubles are compact, simple and good value. Family rooms sleep four and some have sea views, and there are large family rooms of more than five hundred square feet with a double bed and extra sleeping space, which suit a family with several children. At the top of the range are the Marine Deluxe rooms and the Marine Suite with its own sauna, a good choice for couples. Rooms have free wifi, a safe, a private bathroom with a shower, a television and a desk, and many have balconies. Daily housekeeping is provided. Facilities are the strength of the hotel. The spa offers treatments such as hot stone massage, aromatherapy and body scrubs, and the indoor pool is a pleasant refuge in cold weather. The Regatta Restaurant serves international cuisine from breakfast to dinner, with views over the water, and there is a cafe for lighter bites and a terrace for sunny afternoons. For recreation there are mini golf and tennis courts, and a casino and on-site shopping for the evening. Free self parking is a major advantage over the Old Town hotels. Breakfast is available for an extra charge, an airport shuttle can be arranged for a fee, babysitting is available, and pets are accepted for a fee, with a limit of two per room. Pirita is a place for sea air and gentle outings. The marina is a minute away on foot, a waterfront restaurant is five minutes along the quay, and the ruins of the Pirita Convent are about nine minutes' walk. Pirita Beach, the city's best-known stretch of sand, is around a twelve-minute walk, and the Maarjamäe Palace, which houses part of the Estonian History Museum, is about three minutes by car. The airport is around twenty-two minutes away by car, and the centre of Tallinn, including the Old Town, is reached by bus or taxi in around twenty minutes. The TV Tower is also nearby, in the same district. This hotel suits families, groups, couples who want a spa break and travellers with a car. It is less suitable for those who want to step straight out into medieval streets in the evening, because the Old Town is a short journey away. Rates are among the more moderate for a hotel with this level of facilities, and the best prices tend to be outside summer. In midsummer the beach and marina are at their liveliest, so book early for those weeks. Check when you book what breakfast and cancellation terms apply, and whether spa access is included in your rate.