Wellness trip to Tallinn
Hello!
We are a group of young students from Haaga-Helia Porvoo Campus.
We are studying for a bachelor's degree in hospitality management which is called "restonomi" in Finnish.
We spent three lovely days in Tallinn 28.11.2016 - 30.11.2016 learning about wellness business there in hotels, spas and restaurants.
This project was really different from our regular school, but very informative and it was lots of fun to be a part of it. Now you can take a good seat and read about what we experienced in Tallinn during our trip…
First day
Our adventure began on the Monday ( 28.11.2016 ) morning 9 o’clock from the West harbor of Helsinki. Most of us arrived there by buss from the Porvoo Campus. However, some students came by their own. So, after our project manager Eva had checked that all of us had found there, it was time to move into the ship with our luggage.
At the Tallink Superstar we had a guided tour operated by the program team. We got to see the a cabin for the disabled, some restaurants of the boat and the business lounge. They were modern and clean. For business men it is a great way to save time for other activities by keeping a meeting during the cruise. Our guide was really friendly when she took us around different places. After the tour most of us had a lunch and sooner than expected we arrived to Tallinn.
In the spirit of wellness we walked half an hour from the harbor to the Meriton Spa hotel where we stayed in for the next two nights. Taxi wouldn't have been very expensive option either, but we preferred to get some fresh air. We left our stuff to the rooms quickly before going to visit the Estonian Business School that was located quite near our accommodation.
Two women from the Baltic Travel Group gave us a presentation about their jobs in the company and also introduced what the tourism business is like in Estonia. Usually tourists visiting Tallinn are just passing by so they want to see the main attractions. Spas and new hipster restaurants are becoming more and more popular among foreigners.
During the Christmas season Tallinn’s old town is filled with warm atmosphere. There are lots of small stands selling various Christmas treats and Estonian hand made goods.
Our second guided tour started from the old church. With group M1A there was a guide named Igor taking us for a tour. It was freezing cold to be outside that evening. However, we learned interesting facts about history and luckily there was a free spa in the hotel where we could go melt our toes that had turned into ice cubes and relax. There is a small glimmering deer statue in the Old Town we heard a story about. It is said to be the origin of the Tallinn's German name "Reval".
After a long day it felt so luxurious to float in the hot water. It was a perfect wellness experience. Also the three different saunas: Finnish Sauna, Salt room and Steam sauna were really nice. We tried spreading the salt gently on the skin and then sat in the Salt Room for a couple of minutes. Surprisingly the salt started to tickle on skin a little bit, so it had to be washed off. In the Spa you can also try that fish treatment where little fishes eat the dead skin off your hands or feet making them very soft afterwards. How exciting is that!
Second day
Next morning we went to the breakfast buffet. There was everything from porridge and fruits to sausages and small pastries, so probably something for everyone. We had to wake up super early, cause the groups M1A and M1B had business visits to the Meriton Spa hotel’s beauty salon. They told in the salon that they put a lot of effort to the customer’s experience and have planned it well. There were many small details such as fresh flowers and calming mandala paintings that made the atmosphere relaxing and healthy.
Something more extreme on that day: after the business visits we went to a trampoline hall called Zelluloosi park. There we could play some games and spend time together and of course jump on the trampolines! The main target group of the place was probably families and children, nevertheless we enjoyed our time there.
Tuesday’s lunch was in a mostly vegetarian and organic restaurant Mamo which has a few locations in the Tallinn. The food was delicious. People had ordered different dishes such as pumpkin curry and chicken in wine or falafels. We had more free time on the second day, so after lunch we were allowed to explore the city with friends.
The dinner was in a trendy new restaurant called F-Hoone and the food, drinks and the place were all amazing! Dining in the old loft building with a good company was very fancy and the bruchettas with different toppings tasted awesome. Perfect and affordable restaurant that we totally recommend.
The last day
One more business visit before heading back to Finland. Last but not least was the famous Swissôtell Tallinn which has five stars and 30 floors. The picture above about Tallinn was taken from the top of the hotel where you can look over the whole city trough the window. This was the most inspiring visit of our trip, cause we learned a lot about possible occupations in the hotel industry which is useful for the future. As an example being a concierge sounded really cool. You have the keys to the city in that profession and got to help customers with their special needs.
A huge Christmas tree in the hall, beautiful rooms, own gym etc. made think that this is not a cheap place to stay in. Luckily for Finns it’s not impossible sometime pay 125e for one night in Tallinn as we go there so often and the cruise is almost free.
Then it was time to come back home. I want to thank everyone who was making the trip such a lovely experience for all of us. Let's see where we’ll find ourselves next time we have a trip with school?
Photos by: Paula Johansson, Tiina Vigelius, Petra Ålander
Text by: Paula Johansson
Credits:
Paula Johansson, Tiina Vigelius, Petra Ålander