Vilnius Lithuania may not have the extensive offering of luxury and boutique hotels that neighboring Estonia’s Tallinn has, but there are some quaint and historical properties that will bring visitors back in time. I stayed at The Shakespeare Hotel, which is located in the very heart of Vilnius old town during my visit there this Spring.
Originally part of a palace, it was was built in the 18th century in the late baroque style. The noble families of Lopachinsky, Kosakowsky, and Olizars were the owners of the palace, and some sources hint that the palace was used for secret gatherings of the mason fraternity.
The guests of Shakespeare hotel in Vilnius have precious opportunity to experience two ages at the same time: on the one hand, it’s cozy old England, on the other hand, it’s luxury modern hotel, situated in the old town “oasis”, surrounded by modern business centers. Each room has its own name, usually a famous literary great or a Shakespeare play, such as the Romeo & Juliet room, which has a small hot tub. Others include Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickins, The Tolsoy, Queen Elizabeth I, Hemingway Room, Mark Twain, Voltaire, the Hugo and others.
While I wouldn’t call it a luxury hotel, it is quaint, historic and charming. A few examples of the rooms below.
My favorite part of the place was its ideal location in old town and the restaurant, which is located upstairs and touts more charm than any of the rooms combined. In addition to dinner, they serve breakfast and snacks as well, which include scrambled eggs with ham, smoked salmon or mushrooms, Lithuanian style eggs, which apparently are roasted eggs, ham, onion, mushrooms and greens and omelettes. You can also get Scotch pancakes, crepes with curd cheese, porridge, fruit salad or a variety of cereals.
For more on Lithuania in general, visit our Lithuania travel page. For more on Lithuania and lodging, visit the Lithuania Hotels / Lithuania Lodging page.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
