Hyatt adds another European country to its hotel map

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Hyatt continues to have a noticeably smaller footprint than most of its major competitors,  but recent years have seen it working hard (through acquisitions, brand conversions, and new openings) to give customers a greater number of choices when planning their next trip.

To that effect, Hyatt recently opened a new property in a European country where, previously, it had no presence and where, a little surprisingly, there is a limited offering from the other major miles & points chains.

Specifically, Hyatt has recently opened the Hyatt Place Tallinn in Estonia, and for readers who aren’t too sure where Estonia is, here’s a map:

It’s approximately 55 miles (88km) south of Helsinki across the Gulf of Finland.

The Visit Estonia website has these facts to share:

1. The population of Estonia is 1,373,101(presumably as of the last census).
2. Estonia covers ~17,500 sq miles/45,335 sq km.
3. The country uses the Euro as its currency.
4. Estonia is a member of the European Union, its part of the Schengen Area and has been a member of NATO for over 20 years (probably just as well given that it shares a border with the Soviet Union Russia).
5. The power outlets in the country are of the 2-pin European type.
6. Estonia has some of the cleanest air in the world.
7. Tallinn may be Estonia’s capital, but it has strong historic links with Denmark.
8. Estonia has one of the most digitally advanced societies in the world.
9. Estonia has five seasons. The “fifth season” sits between winter and spring and is created by a temporary rise in the water levels after the winter snow thaws which leads to annual flooding (maybe don’t visit at this time?!)
10. You can go snowshoeing without snow because, in the summer, you can use them to walk across waterlogged bogs (the locals call them bog shoes in the summer).
11. Saaremaa, Estonia’s biggest island, is larger than the entire country of Luxembourg.
12. Estonia is a nation of seafarers (unsurprising for a nation with 2,317 islands and over 2,150 miles/3,500 kilometers of coastline.

The Hyatt Place Tallinn opened its doors on 1 August and is located within the city’s harbor district.

Having never been to Tallinn I’m going to have to take the press release at face value when it says that the harbor district is “dynamic”, but Google Maps can confirm the claim that the location is very close to the city center and that it’s only a short walk from the hotel to the city’s “Old Town” neighborhood (UNESCO-listed) “known for its cobblestone streets, vibrant cafés, and medieval charm”.

The property offers 169 “spacious and thoughtfully designed” rooms which “blend modern Scandinavian-inspired design with sleek, functional décor, combining clean-lined, modern furnishings to create a warm and stylish retreat for every guest”.

Interestingly, there seems to be quite a bit of variation in the size of the rooms on offer (even within the same room category).

• 1 King Bed (entry-level room): 215 to 301 sq ft
• 1 King Bed High Floor: 226 to 301 sq ft
• 1 King Bed Deluxe: 236 to 322 sq ft
• 1 King Bed Deluxe High Floor: 236 to 322 sq ft
• 2 Twin Beds Deluxe: 247 to 322 sq ft
• 2 Twin Beds Deluxe High Floor: 247 to 269 sq ft
• 1 Bedroom Suite: 484 sq ft

Given that during the off-season (colder) months, the price difference between an entry-level room and the suite can be as little as €32/$37 per night, anyone wishing to guarantee themselves a spacious room would do well to check the cost of a suite before they commit to booking one of the regular rooms.

Moving on …

As is often the case with Hyatt Place properties in Europe, the hotel’s restaurant is called “Zoom” but, a little confusingly, the property’s website lists its hours as 12:00 – 22:30 (Monday to Friday) and 12:00 to 21:00 (Saturday – Sunday) which leaves me wondering where breakfast is served.

The property is already offering rates which include breakfast, so, presumably, there’s a typo in the opening hours.

Another area that this Hyatt Place shares with its sister properties is the “Market” in the lobby which offers fresh coffee, pasties, salads, and snacks 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

For guest wishing to keep up their fitness levels, the Hyatt Place Tallinn offers guests access to a “state-of-the-art fitness center” which is open 24/7.

We’re also told that the hotel’s location also provides “direct access to a scenic seaside promenade ideal for running and walking, as well as a nature reserve featuring a picturesque hiking trail, offering guests varied outdoor fitness options”.

I’m going to go ahead and guess that, given the nature of the winters in this region, the outdoor running may be best reserved for the warmer months!

As things stand, the property’s bar – 6 Cocktails – isn’t yet open (it’s scheduled to open before the end of the year), but we’re told that it will offer “sweeping views of the city and harbor” which would indicate that it’s probably on the top floor of the building.

That sounds promising as I love a bar with a view.

The Hyatt Place Tallinn is a World of Hyatt Category 2 property meaning that awards will cost 6,500/8,000/9,500 in off peak/standard/peak seasons, but you should probably check the cash rates before committing to an award booking.

At the time of writing, advance purchase nightly rates seem to start from just €82/$95 and the cost of a suite can be as low as €114/$132 in the colder months, and those prices make award bookings look poor value (you would be getting under 1.5 cents per point if the room cost $95 and an award cost 6,500).

Even in the middle of summer, the nightly rate for a standard room can start from just €107/$124 while an award booking can cost 9,500 points/night (giving you just 1.3 cents for every point used), so this doesn’t look like it’s going to be a property at which awards will offer great value.

As a place for a reasonably priced stay in what a friend called a great city to visit (you can even catch a ferry across to Helsinki from Tallinn), this property shows promise.

Bottom line

Tallinn isn’t a city that full of hotels at which you can earn and burn the more useful hotel currencies (Marriott has just one property in the city, Hilton has three, and IHG has none) so it’s great to see Hyatt opening up a promising looking property close to a lot of what the city has to offer and giving World of Hyatt fans a new European city in which they can earn and burn their points.

Related: Review: Hyatt Place Kraków (a great base from which to explore the city)

All renderings courtesy of Hyatt