In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Stay in the Old Town for the medieval streets, in the city centre for Freedom Square and the Old Town’s edge, or in Kalamaja for Telliskivi and Balti Jaama Turg. The Old Town is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and Telegraaf and Schlössle are the 5-star hotels inside it. Estonia has no tourist tax on accommodation. Book through the Hotels.com links below.
⚠️ Old Town streets are cobbled. Take a taxi or a Bolt to your hotel’s door rather than wheeling luggage from the tram stop; see Tallinn Airport to the city for how to get in.
Neighbourhoods at a glance
| Area | What it is | Hotels below |
|---|---|---|
| Old Town (Vanalinn) | UNESCO-listed medieval centre, mostly 13th to 16th century buildings | Telegraaf, Schlössle, Savoy Boutique |
| Harbour side | A self-service hotel beside the Old Town | Citybox |
| City centre (Kesklinn) | Freedom Square, the Rotermann Quarter and the glass towers around Maakri; theatres and cinemas | Swissôtel, Radisson Collection, Nordic Hotel Forum, Mövenpick, Sokos Viru |
| Kalamaja and Telliskivi | Wooden houses and converted factories next to Balti jaam station | Hestia Ilmarine |
How each area connects
| Area | Nearest trams | From the airport |
|---|---|---|
| Old Town | Viru and Hobujaama stops on its edge; lines 3, 4 and 5 pass Viru | T4 to Viru, about 19 minutes |
| Harbour side | T2 stops at the Old City Harbour (Reisisadam A-terminal) | T2, about 22 minutes |
| City centre | T4 to Vabaduse väljak; Hobujaama and Viru for the east side | T4 to Vabaduse väljak, about 21 minutes |
| Kalamaja and Telliskivi | Lines 1, 2, 5 and 6 stop at Balti jaam and Telliskivi | T2 to Balti jaam |
The public transport guide has the full tram table, and the Old Town itself is small enough to walk.
No tourist tax
There is no tourist tax on hotel stays in Estonia, so the rate you see is what you pay. See money in Tallinn.
Which hotel for what
| You want | Hotels |
|---|---|
| A pool or spa | Telegraaf, Swissôtel (Pürovel Spa & Sport), Nordic Hotel Forum, Mövenpick |
| A Michelin-listed restaurant | Telegraaf (Tchaikovsky), Swissôtel (Horisont) |
| A rooftop restaurant | Radisson Collection (ISSEI, 24th floor), Mövenpick (ROOF) |
| A Soviet-era museum in the building | Original Sokos Hotel Viru (KGB Museum, guided tours at €20) |
| Self-service check-in and a guest kitchen | Citybox Tallinn |
| Medieval stone buildings | Schlössle |
1. Old Town (Vanalinn)
Tallinn’s Old Town has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997, and its medieval buildings and street network date mostly from the 13th to 16th centuries, according to Visit Tallinn. The heart of it is Town Hall Square.
Hotel Telegraaf, Autograph Collection
A 5-star hotel in the building of Tallinn’s old telegraph office, more than 100 years old. The Telegraaf SPA has saunas, a swimming pool and a jacuzzi, open 15:00–22:00 Monday to Thursday and 08:00–22:00 Friday to Sunday. The hotel’s restaurant is Tchaikovsky, a modern French restaurant in the Michelin Guide’s selection.
- Location: Vene 9, Lower Old Town
- Booking: Hotels.comad
Hotel Telegraaf, Vene street. Photo: Matti Blume, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Schlössle Hotel
A 5-star boutique hotel in medieval merchants’ houses, 100 metres from Town Hall Square. It is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, and its restaurant is Stenhus.
- Location: Pühavaimu 13/15, Lower Old Town
- Booking: Hotels.comad
Rixwell Collection Savoy Boutique Hotel
A hotel with 44 rooms decorated in Art Deco style, on the line between the Old Town and modern Tallinn. It has a restaurant and bar on the ground floor and the reception is staffed 24 hours.
- Location: Suur-Karja 17, between the Old Town and Viru Square
- Booking: Hotels.comad
2. Harbour side
Citybox Tallinn
A self-service hotel: guests check in at a terminal, and there is a basic guest kitchen, free Wi-Fi and a Green Key certificate. It is beside the Old Town.
- Location: Laeva 1
- Booking: Hotels.comad
Rotermann Quarter. Photo: Liilia Moroz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
3. City centre (Kesklinn)
The city centre starts at Freedom Square, on the edge of the Old Town. Visit Tallinn counts the Rotermann Quarter, a former industrial district of restaurants, bars and shops, as part of it; see where to eat in Tallinn. Trams T2 and T4 connect it with the airport.
Swissôtel Tallinn
238 rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows, a 10-minute walk from the Old Town. Pürovel Spa & Sport has a heated indoor pool, sauna and steam room, and the hotel’s Horisont Restaurant & Bar is Michelin-listed.
- Location: Tornimäe 3
- Booking: Hotels.comad
Radisson Collection Hotel, Tallinn
287 rooms. ISSEI, a Japanese-Peruvian (Nikkei) rooftop restaurant and bar, is on the 24th floor.
- Location: Rävala pst 3
- Booking: Hotels.comad
Nordic Hotel Forum
A 4-star superior hotel 150 metres from the Old Town. It has a pool and saunas and a restaurant, Noho; its breakfast uses honey from its own rooftop.
- Location: Viru väljak 3
- Booking: Hotels.comad
Mövenpick Hotel Tallinn
A hotel with 125 rooms and suites on the edge of Lembitu Park, with a spa and relaxation area, a wine and tapas lounge and the restaurant ROOF on its top floor.
- Location: Lembitu 12
- Booking: Hotels.comad
Original Sokos Hotel Viru
A hotel in the building that opened in 1972 as a hotel for foreign visitors, with a shopping mall under the same roof. Its KGB Museum runs guided tours only; tickets are €20 and must be booked in advance on the hotel’s website or by phone.
- Location: Viru väljak 4
- Booking: Hotels.comad
Freedom Square, Tallinn. Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
4. Kalamaja and Telliskivi
Visit Tallinn describes Kalamaja as a former fishing village that became a factory workers’ district and is known for its well-preserved wooden houses. Telliskivi Creative City and Balti Jaama Turg are here, and Noblessner and the Kalamaja seafront is the waterfront.
Hestia Hotel Ilmarine
105 rooms in a building with an industrial past, at the foot of the Old Town and on the edge of Kalamaja. The hotel gives 0.5 km to the Old Town and 0.6 km to the port, and its restaurant is Wiegand.
- Location: Põhja pst 21B
- Booking: Hotels.comad
Plan the rest
- Arriving: Tallinn Airport to the city and public transport in Tallinn.
- Eating and drinking: where to eat in Tallinn and Tallinn craft beer and bars.
- Itinerary: 3 days in Tallinn.
Common questions
Does Tallinn charge a tourist tax on hotel stays?
No. Estonia has no tourist tax on accommodation, and local authorities cannot introduce one without a change in national law. The rate you book is the rate you pay.
Where should first-time visitors stay in Tallinn?
In or beside the Old Town, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Telegraaf and Schlössle are inside it, and Nordic Hotel Forum, Original Sokos Hotel Viru and Swissôtel are a short walk from it in the city centre.
Which Tallinn hotels have a pool?
Hotel Telegraaf has a spa with saunas, a swimming pool and a jacuzzi. Swissôtel's Pürovel Spa & Sport has a heated indoor pool, sauna and steam room. Nordic Hotel Forum has a pool and saunas.
Which hotel has a rooftop restaurant?
Radisson Collection Hotel, Tallinn has ISSEI, a Japanese-Peruvian rooftop restaurant on the 24th floor. Mövenpick Hotel Tallinn has the restaurant ROOF on its top floor.
Is there a hotel with a Soviet-era museum in Tallinn?
Yes. Original Sokos Hotel Viru, which opened in 1972, houses the Hotel Viru KGB Museum. Entry is by guided tour only, tickets are €20, and they must be booked in advance.
