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Society - Extraordinary
May - 2009 |
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6
Stars & 5 Stripes
Overall - 'Hotel & Service' |
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The Ultimate Award:
Seven Stars and Stripes® |
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| We landed in Tallinn, Estonia on the Baltic Sea, just
below Finland, at 7:30 pm and were surprised by the still bright, blue-skied
daylight at this late hour; the sun sets later here in the northern
hemispheres. Since Tallinn is located only about forty miles south of Helsinki,
across the Gulf of Finland, we had chosen that route to visit Estonia’s
capital city this time. Sweden is Estonia's western neighbor across the Baltic
Sea; Russia is to the east, with St. Petersburg just across the northeastern
border. To the south is Latvia with its capital city Riga. Helsinki, Stockholm,
Copenhagen, Riga, Moscow, St. Petersburg, or Vilnius can be reached within two
hours or less from Tallinn's international airport. City hopping might be of
interest for history buffs since Estonia’s strategic location as a link
between East and West has been highly in demand through the ages by gluttonous
kings and conquerors - while others swear by this highly flexible way of
shopping. |
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| Schlossle
- Arrival: GM Kay Peter Bischoff & Thorsten Buehrmann |
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| A solid welcome sign guided us towards friendly,
smiling faces welcoming us graciously. A shiny, precious, blue Bentley Arnage
was parked at the main entrance, already a collector’s item since Bentley
announced last fall that production of this model would cease during ’09.
For a brief period it was the most powerful and fastest four-door saloon on the
market. Our Rimowa luggage was handled quickly and carefully and moist towels
could be reached from each side of our own car door. A few light appetizing
canapés, and a little fruit were presented while our champagne flutes
were singing to our arrival. We were told that the check-in process would be
avoided entirely by filling out the arrival form during the ride to the hotel
that is in these modern days no more then a signature anyway. Our driver took
the route through the fascinating, oh so one-of-a-kind, historic city to the
hotel. Estonia, we were told was settled near the end of the last glacial era,
sometime around 8500 BC. |
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| Schlossle
Lobby |
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| We arrived at The Old Town Tallinn’s
Schlössle Hotel and stepped out on precious cobblestone streets, setting
the tone for our stay in a place already mentioned first in 1363 as a wealthy
townhouse. We entered the dazzling medieval hall of this expertly restored
small fairytale hotel. GM Kay Peter Bischoff and his staff welcomed us like
long lost friends and we were invited to have a seat and offered a glass of
champagne at the cozy but massive fireplace. Even in the middle of May, with
mild and almost summery temperatures, this makes a warm and welcoming
statement. |
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| We were guided to our
accommodations; I resided in suite 31 where Prince Charles slept under royal
sheets and beams that were hand-hewn sometime in the 1300s. We highly
recommended this particularly splendid and romantic suite to our Seven Star
travelers, since it not only has all the new-day amenities that we all expect,
but also a spaciousness that is rather hard to find in middle-age buildings.
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| Schloessle Suite |
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| The bath facilities were accordingly roomy and
delightful with a large Jacuzzi tub, a couple of gender friendly bath and spa
amenities to choose from, and the latest in professional blow hair drying that
should please even a professional coiffeur. GM Kay Peter Bischoff, who is
always looking for creative and innovative ways to improve the guest’s
experience, has really defined personal service in the most relaxing way.
Guests may choose from a ‘Medieval Bath Menu’ now and even
‘employ’ the services of a 'Bath Butler’, adding a middle-age
dimension to their bath experience. Mr. Bischoff had since his installation as
GM also added a new inner courtyard to the hotel facilities which functions as
summer terrace and allows guests to dine, linger and sip piña coladas
served in whole pineapples. |
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“The intimate Schlössle, which is actually
German that means 'Little Castle’, offers only 23 rooms and 6
well
appointed suites, is wireless throughout and is a dream of a small luxury
hotel.” ~ TB |
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| Schlossle
Lounge |
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Later that evening we had reservations for a
seven-course degutation menu prepared by a young, dynamic and aspiring chef.
The cuisine as well as the unique ‘setting’ of the restaurant is a
must. The amazing ambience might remind one of Disney World, except that this
here is all real and part of the history.
After a royal night’s sleep
in luscious linens, I felt like a prince, the wake up call came in to the
minute, and a female voice inquired charmingly if a second call was needed or
if I would care already for some freshly brewed coffee. I sure did and room
service arrived five minutes later, the coffee was hot and strong, just the way
I like it. After a quick shower I met with my colleagues for breakfast. A mini
buffet was nicely arranged and for anything else that our hearts might desire,
we were referred to look at the menu. I ordered an omelet and received a
perfect plate. The service was impromptu, warm and caring and at the same time
professional and gave us the base for an adventure that you should experience
with us. |
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| A driver arrived with a new Audi A 6 at the main
entrance: “With its capabilities always a step ahead of your
expectations…” – it’s a fine car, and brought us within
five minutes to the harbor. All what came afterwards we can highly recommend
for any team building experience or for a completely different kind of date.
We
boarded (CLICK HERE) a rustic looking boat at the pier. No matter
what the plan for the day was, this was going to get interesting. We arrived an
hour and a half later on
Naissaar
(Ladies island), we will never fully understand how we got there, but the
mission was accomplished. So far. Supposedly on this island live only five
people year-round and or at all. |
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Now we boarded a
small,
old train that brought us to a hidden place in the woods, with a fireplace
already burning and the aroma of grilled salmon in the air. What we experience
here most men would consider a guy thing with guy cuisine, though I can see
girls enjoying this adventure too. Under a radiant blue sky we were sitting at
an open fire while being offered white wine, shrimp and
freshly
grilled salmon. |
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| Then we got to experience for the first time in our
lives a
railroad
‘handcar’. A handcar (also known as a pump trolley, pump car,
jigger or Kalamazoo) is a railroad car powered by its passengers, and we were
the passengers. Handcars are nowadays used by enthusiasts at vintage railroad
events, but here in the middle of the woods on ‘this island of
Naissaar’ it seemed to be part of a way of living. Our ‘jigger’
allowed us to discover an old, abandoned church in the woods and see the island
from a perspective of a time long gone. It was a neat experience until …
we had returned on the old train to the harbor. The rustic boat was gone!
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| “Well what are we going to do now?” We
looked at each other more or less speechless until Kay asked something like:
“What the heck, why don’t we take the helicopter?” You should
have seen our faces, insecurity and finally surprise and relief written all
over our faces. We
boarded
the chopper that had been hidden from our eyes on the beach and took of in
minutes. From up here we circled our fire pit and the old church and then we
discovered the many little hidden
white
sandy beaches of our ‘island of Naissaar’. Closer to the mainland
we watched the ferries that are connecting countries going back and forth and
we finally stared in pure admiration at the towers and red roofs of the amazing
city
of old Tallinn. Back at the landing field we were welcomed with a nicely
chilled glass of Moet and we all toasted to one of the most surreal and
surprising excursion this Seven Star team had the great pleasure of
experiencing so far. |
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| After another dinner
wonderfully executed dinner at the Stenhus restaurant the same evening, we
skipped the nightcaps and went right to bed. The next morning we had only a
quick breakfast and off we were on the way to a guided
walking
tour to discover Tallinn (CLICK HERE). Since the Schlössle
Hotel is right at the center of Tallinn's beautiful medieval old town and only
steps away from the historic Town Hall Square and shopping streets, one can
easily walk to the Palace of feudal lords and barons dating back to the Danish
King Waldemar II and the Czars and then some. |
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| Mister Eduard Kohlof had us follow quaint, narrow,
often interlacing
cobblestoned
streets and showed us some of the most historical and culturally
significant landmarks as well as other interesting places we might had missed
otherwise, like a 600 year old
marzipan
factory, a
pharmacy
museum and a
14th
century toilet that still works today. Tallinn’s Town Hall is
internationally recognized for its EU-Award Prize for Cultural Heritage, as
well as a medal for the conservation of Architectural Heritage. Imagine sipping
on a cup of coffee in a café with walls dating back to the 13th
century? |
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| While staying at Schlössle Hotel we experienced a
highly dedicated management who is guiding a coordinated team with grace and
eloquence. We were impressed by the outstanding service this team has generated
during the time of our visit and the exquisite quality of all interior and
exteriors of the overall facilities. GM Kay Peter Alexander Bischoff speaks
five languages - German, English, French, Estonian and Latvian for beginners.
He learned the hospitality trade from the bottom up, and is a true professional
of his trade, definitely hands-on, he gets the job done. Mr. Bischoff also
consults in hotel portfolio and investment questions and has directed or
managed other luxury hotels all over Europe in the past two decades. Mr.
Bischoff joined the Schloessle group last fall and once again Schloessle Group
Director Bernard Loew has proven to select the right person for the
position. |
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| 2009
Seven Stars and Stripers® Award-Hand-Out at the Schlossle Hotel |
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by Thorsten & Edmund Buehrmann
Editor: Ingrid
Lemme
Editor-in-Chief: John Lomitola |
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| © 2009 ~ Seven Stars and Stripes,
Inc. |
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