After a few months off (that turned into almost four years), I've got back into the swing of things....
After a few months off (that turned into almost four years), I've got back into the swing of things... concentrating mostly on travel reviews this time around.
Member since:28.07.2000
Reviews:155
Members who trust:38
When I found out recently that I was to head to Vilnius on a business trip, I have to admit to being prey to some misapprehensions about what awaited me. For some reason, I had matched the capital of Lithuania in my head with visions of some dull, grey Eastern bloc city with little to recommend it - but I'm happy to admit that I couldn't have been further from the truth. I'd heard and read a lot about Riga and Tallinn, but the extremely well-preserved centre of Vilnius came as a very pleasant surprise. The Shakespeare Boutique Hotel was also the perfect place to dispel any misplaced notions I may have had about the standard of accommodation in this Baltic capital.
Hidden away in a quiet side street just off the main tourist drag, and only two minutes' walk from the main square and the cathedral, the Shakespeare is perfectly placed for exploring the city centre on foot. The street itself (Bernardinu gatve) is only accessible from one end by car, and this means that there is no through traffic to disturb you even if you have a ground-floor room facing the road (as I did). There is a car park in the courtyard behind the hotel building to provide secure parking if you do drive there yourself, however.
The main entrance to the hotel is also found in the entrance to the courtyard, and from the outside it is clear that a lot of care and attention was spent on renovating this 17th-century residence before it opened as the Shakespeare Boutique Hotel in 1999. The staff are courteous and friendly and all speak English, so the language barrier is no problem here. Once checked in, you will be accompanied to your room by a member of staff, who shows you all the facilities and explains one of the main features of this hotel: there are no room numbers. Instead, the rooms are named after famous literary figures, such as James Joyce, Thomas Hardy and of course William Shakespeare.
Each room is decorated to represent its own author - the walls in my room were adorned with portraits of Hardy and scenes from his novels, and a selection of his books (in English, Russian and various other languages) were available to peruse on a shelf above the desk. The décor in general is very subtle, and suggests a style from centuries past - dark wooden furniture, comfy chairs and elegant floor-length curtains all adding to the general effect. That is not to say that the rooms are stuck in the past, however, as the en suite bathrooms are furnished to a very high standard, with under floor heating, and the hotel provides free wireless internet access for all guests (including the free loan of a laptop if required), air conditioning, and TV channels from all over Europe of course.
Breakfast is served in the first-floor lounge area, which doubles as the dining room each morning. The plush sofas are rearranged to make space for the tables, but unlike so many hotels nowadays, there is no standard breakfast buffet in sight. The Shakespeare still serves an a la carte breakfast menu, so remember to leave plenty of time in the mornings - this is a hotel to be enjoyed at a relaxed pace, especially so if you want to fully enjoy the coffee brewed to order and the range of hot breakfasts on offer (the 'Lithuanian Style Eggs' come highly recommended).
A standard single room works out at just over 100EUR / 75GBP per night (including breakfast), but various suites etc. are also available at prices up to 200EUR per night. However, booking well in advance and checking out the usual travel and hotel sites can turn up special offers that bring the price down to around 55GBP per night. And, although the standard prices are a little more expensive than other hotels in Vilnius, I would say that it is well worth the extra few Litas to enjoy a night in such great literary company.
For more information, see the hotel website: www.shakespeare.lt
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