You can't accuse the Tallink Spa & Conference Hotel of false advertising: the emphasis placed on both services is so balanced that visitors who step outside their rooms at any given moment are likely to catch suited businesspeople roaming the halls alongside guests in bathrobes and swim caps. In addition to four hotels in Tallinn, the behemoth Tallink franchise owns a branch in Riga, Latvia as well as a taxi service and cruise line. 
 
Located by the harbor  outside Tallinn's Old Town, the Spa & Conference center provides a quieter alternative to its sister hotel in the city center. Its main attraction is a magnificent swimming courtyard, a 3-pool affair complete with waterfall, pool bar, and cheesy lighting, the latter naturally coming in handy in the event of a DJ night (what every vacationer hopes to encounter when trying to relax). A heated outdoor pool operates year round for anyone tough enough to brave the Baltic cold come winter. The small spa and beauty salon are unimpressive despite the hotel's name, although the spa's special treatments for pregnant women are a thoughtful touch.
 
To call the Tallink unique would be an understatement. Its postmodern façade and half-mod, half-futuristic interior are pure tacky fun, brightly colored lights illuminating rugs patterned with images of sea anemones. Somewhat ironically, the interior designer intended the décor to recall the history of mankind, and the result looks like something from another planet. Epicures who've tired of the local Estonian fare can dine at Nero, where meals are experimental above all else (Chef de Cuisine Andrus Laaniste recently served live maggots to a party of business travelers). Conference-goers who might have hoped to avoid the Tallink's eccentricities take heed: nowhere is safe.