Vihula Manor is named the best historic hotel in Europe
The historic 4* Superior Vihula Manor, which is a part of the Unique Hotels group, was awarded the distinguished title of the “Historic Hotel of Europe 2020” at the prestigious European Hotel Awards gala, which is a great honour for the local travel trade.
“Vihula Manor has already secured a reputation as a highly valuable destination in the European tourism landscape. It had previously received recognition as the “Best Manor Accommodation 2018” for preserving cultural heritage, bold minimalism in design, high customer service standards, innovative cuisine, conservation of the surrounding natural environment and fostering sustainability,” Heigo Vare, the CEO of Vihula Manor, explained.
“This year’s award is a major token of appreciation for the sustainable work we have done, and it brings the entire Estonia, not only Tallinn, even more into focus as an attractive holiday destination,” Vare added.
The European Hotel Awards (EHA) gala is an event held to recognise excellence in the hospitality sector. The annual awards are handed out by the magazine Référence Hôteliers Restaurateurs to single out the best of the best in the industry.
Over the 12 years after changing ownership in 2008, Vihula Manor has been completely restored to its former beauty and glory, becoming a location where guests from Estonia and beyond love to stay or hold receptions, seminars and other events.
“The award-winning restoration project preserves the historic concept of the Baltic Manor while transforming it into the first full-service manor resort in the Baltics, a cultural centre and an important tourism magnet,” the owner of Vihula Manor, Hans-Henrik Kjølby, explained. “However, we will be continuing the development process: the restoration is still in progress, and 8 additional luxury rooms as well as a 700 m² state-of-the-art sauna and pool area, appropriate for the superb establishment which the manor is, will be completed in the spring of 2020”.
The first written record about Vihula Manor dates back to 1501, when Vihula (Vyoll back then) was owned by Baron Hans von Lode. A family of Danish descent, the von Lodes were one of the oldest noble families in Estonia. During the Great Northern War, which lasted from 1700 to 1721, the manor and its surrounding buildings were demolished and burnt down in September 1703. In early 19th century, Alexander von Schubert acquired the manor, and it was in von Schuberts’ ownership that Vihula as we see it now was built. Its main sources of income during the period were producing alcohol and selling timber.
In the 19th century, Vihula Manor was one of the largest and most prosperous manors in Estonia. Nowadays, the manor complex comprises two main buildings and 25 restored historic buildings surrounded by 50 hectares of beautiful parks and woods. The period buildings of the manor are the home of 75 luxury rooms and suites, tavern Kaval Antsu Kõrts, café Vesiveski, a modern conference centre and Eco-SPA. In addition, the manor provides numerous opportunities for holding receptions, sporting or artistic events and leisure activities, for example, a thrilling game on the largest minigolf course in the Baltics, a visit to the Vodka Museum and café Vesiveski, the exhibition of unique automobiles, the concert stage and many more.
Unique Hotels is an Estonian chain which operates five hotels: City Hotel Tallinn with affordable prices, the business hotel Kreutzwald Hotel Tallinn, the dramatically modern Centennial Hotel Tallinn, and the historic boutique hotel von Stackelberg Hotel Tallinn.
Further information is available on www.vihulamanor.com and www.uhotelsgroup.com
Marketing Manager
Posted: 10.02.2020
Categories: News
