march-2012

THE BUZZ | TRAVEL NEWS
HOTEL REVIEWS | NEWS & OFFERS
sleep easy
Telegraaf
TALLINN
Set within the walls of Tallinn’s pretty
Old City, the Hotel Telegraaf was
once home to a telegraph company.
Now its 86 rooms are fi lled with plush
furnishings, fi ve-star luxuries and huge
beds. The setting is charming, both
inside and out: the rooms have their
original fl oorboards and shutters; the
latter open onto views over quaint,
cobbled streets. A recent renovation has
40 | TRAVELLER
The Dylan Thomas suite,
with interior design by
Anouska Hemple,
provides garden views
added more rooms to the hotel, along
with an Elemis Spa and Restaurant
Tchaikovsky, which offers Russian
cuisine in the darkly opulent cavern of
the grand dining hall.
In summer, diners can sit on the
garden terrace. Dishes such as roasted
deer fi llet with rowan berry and
beetroot sauce have earned the venue
the title of Estonia’s second-best
fi ne-dining destination; while the hotel
has been named Estonia’s number one.
From €149, book at hotels.easyJet.com
The Dylan
AMSTERDAM
While you might not guess it
from the über-modern in-room
facilities, The Dylan has a long and
colourful history. Dating back to the
1600s, this 40-room boutique hotel
was one of the fi rst buildings on the
Keizersgracht canal and it’s had a busy
existence since, housing fi rst a theatre
and then a Roman Catholic poorhouse,
before taking up its current role.
Much of the joy of a stay here stems
from the tasteful modernisation, which
has preserved many of the original
features. Heavy wooden beams, rickety
staircases and building inscriptions in
old Dutch take guests back to an older,
simpler world, providing an interesting
counterpoint to the modern, eyepleasing
features of British designer
Anouska Hempel’s interiors. Each of its
rooms are individually styled and cosy.
Located near the trendy De
Negen Straatjes (The Nine Streets)
shopping district, and with views over
the canals, The Dylan’s warm, skilful
service and Michelin-starred restaurant
mean that this historic hub is a brilliant
base from which to explore the city.
Indeed, it’s a destination in its own right.
From €325, book at hotels.easyJet.com