For my stay in Tallinn I chose the hotel Telegraaf, of the Autograph Collection chain, located in the heart of the medieval city.
Booking
As usual I used the Marriott Bonvoy mobile app to make my reservation. As I still had some “Suite Night Awards” under my belt (possibility to request and “secure” my upgrade before my trip without waiting for the “surprise” at check-in) I decided to use it for this stay.
A few days before my departure I received a message from the hotel informing me that my request was accepted. My standard room became an executive suite.
Arrival at the hotel
I arrive at the airport from Frankfurt on Lufthansa. The exit is quick, cabs are waiting in front of the door so no need to book a driver. The trip to the hotel will take less than 20 minutes for 15 euros. One thing to know, on the way back I will take a Bolt (no Uber in Tallinn in the city where Bolt was born) and it will cost me half. The part of the journey that will take the longest will be the one located in the medieval city because of the narrowness of the streets. Nothing dramatic though.
The Telegraaf takes its name from its building, a former post office converted into a hotel.
Very nice building.
I enter the hotel to do my check-in.
The protocol of the loyalty program is totally skipped: no mention of the subject, no thanks for the loyalty and no mention of the upgrade.
I am asked if I want to be accompanied to my room, I say yes. A staff member takes my suitcase, leads me to the elevator and tells me “it’s on such and such a floor at the very end on the left”. ah well ok. Friendly welcome on the form but very light on the substance.
The excecutive suite of the Telegraaf Tallinn
So I discover my room. It opens with a vestibule in which there is a beautiful closet.
To the right is a bathroom with a bath/shower combo and a single sink. Neither big nor small, clean, new. Nice but not much more.
The toilets are not separated.
The bath products (and spa) are by Elemis. So quality.
Then here is the room.
It is in a “modern” wing of the building that was added recently but the style is consistent with the rest.
A large bed:
And a day area with sofa, table and desk.
It’s modern disguised as a fake antique but it’s quite nice and tasteful.
The mini bar is well stocked.
However, they forgot to put the frames in the right position after cleaning.
Maybe it’s a detail but when you’re 5* it’s precisely on details that you’re judged.
Oh, but I was supposed to have a suite, right? Well, at the Telegraaf they consider a large room as a suite, as long as they can fit in a small day area. Clearly I would not have used a Suite Night Award for this if I had known because I could have had this room as a “natural” upgrade.
Very disappointing, not for the product but for the commercial policy.
We will finish with the visit in video.
Bar and restaurant at Telegraaf Tallinn
The hotel has a highly rated Russian inspired restaurant. It is true that the menu is appealing.
Very affordable considering the dishes. I really almost gave in to the temptation but in fact I’ll find delicious restaurants just as affordable in town so I’ll regretfully not try the Tchaikovsky. Maybe another time? In any case, I will talk more specifically about the two restaurants I tried in a few days, thus inaugurating the Travelguys Restaurants section that we wanted to test for a long time.
I will nevertheless immortalize the room of the restaurant.
There is also a bar in the lobby.
The menu is very interesting…and the prices are low compared to Paris.
I’ll have an aperitif and a drink on my way back from dinner every night. The service is impeccable, the cocktails impeccably proportioned and the staff adorable. A negroni at 8 euros, it was a long time…
There is also an outdoor restaurant/bar that I will not try because it is not always open.
The facilities at Telegraph Tallinn
No gym. The hotel simply recommends one nearby for its guests. Same remark as for the Fontecruz Lisboa of the same chain: today a 5* without a gym is a professional fault.
That leaves the pool and the spa, or rather the spa and its pool as it is an integral part of the installation.
It is indoor (in these regions it is better) and quite small considering the size of the hotel.
And the water will be too cold for my taste.
Next to it there is a very nice jacuzzi.
Then right next door the immaculately clean and well maintained sauna and hammam.
It all looks new or recently renovated.
It’s very nice, pleasant, cozy, but I’m afraid that it’s quickly saturated in seasons when people don’t linger too long before returning to the hotel.
I also tested the spa treatments. Excellent service but it is clear that the spa suffers from its small size. It is not easy to find a free slot and if the duration of the treatment is respected we are quickly thrown out of the room to make room for the next client. In my opinion, there should be only one treatment room, which implies a somewhat industrial management of the schedule and the client.
Check-out
The mobile check-out will not work and I will have to go to the reception where only one person was in charge of both check-in and check-out.Paperwork and time uselessly wasted, I hate that.
Bottom line : a bit disappointed
We can’t say that the Telgraaf is a bad hotel, far from it. But there are still too many imperfections, lightnesses and even shortcomings to say that I got my money’s worth. At 250 euros per night and a 5* promise I expect more.
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