On 17 June 1937 at 18:00, one of the most luxurious hotels in not only Estonia but in the whole of Northern Europe at that time, the Pärnu Rannahotell, opened its doors.

“There is no hotel like it in half of Europe!” the newspapers announced. The editor of Copenhagen’s “Extrabladet” wrote about his visit to Estonia in 1938: “I stayed at the Rannahotell, the likes of which cannot even be found in Denmark!”  

Construction of the Rannahotell got underway thanks to President Konstantin Päts. “My summer holiday is not complete unless I have visited Pärnu and refreshed myself here before winter,” said the Head of State in July 1936. Rannahotell was completed by the spring of 1937. The Pärnu Rannahotell, designed by architects O. Siinmaa and A. Soansi, was the hottest thing in hotel construction at the time.

The building is considered one of the ten most beautiful architectural gems in Estonia even today. At the time of its opening, the hotel had 70 rooms with 102 beds and 35 sofa beds, including six two-room apartments and one three-room apartment.  

The design of Rannahotell was inspired by a ship. The coastal aesthetic was emphasised by the use of nautical design, for example, the saloon looked like a steamer with the Captain’s Suite on top depicted as a captain’s bridge. The partition fabrics between the balconies fluttered like sails. The hotel’s furnishings and room layouts were tasteful and simple.  

Before the Second World War, Rannahotell was one of the main tourism magnets of the Pärnu resort town, attracting both the Estonian social elites as well as wealthy foreign visitors. Members of the government of the republic, foreign diplomats staying in Estonia, high-ranking officials from neighbouring countries, millionaires from the US, etc. stayed here. Bookings already came in during the middle of winter, and during the summer the number of registered visitors to Pärnu increased considerably, mainly thanks to Swedish tourists. Rannahotell brought foreign currencies to Pärnu.  

1940 Rannahotell was converted into a workers’ holiday home. Rannahotell was renamed the Estonian Trade Union Confederation Holiday Home.

1941 Rannahotell was turned into a German military holiday home

1944 With the successive change of power, Rannahotell became a sanatorium that operated under different names until 1992. From 1992 onwards, Rannahotell went back into private ownership.  

Renovation work that started in 1992 was completed in 1994 and Pärnu Rannahotell was reopened.

The first guest of the hotel was the President of the Republic of Estonia Lennart Meri. All Estonian presidents so far have visited Rannahotell. The last renovation of Rannahotell took place in 2015-2016. Today the hotel has a total of 55 rooms, 11 of which are double suites. Pille Lausmäe is the interior architect of Rannahotell.   Rannahotell is an Estonian architectural gem to this day.

The hotel and the restaurant follow the elegance and interior design trends of 1937 and are inspired by the original 1937 menus. The hotel is a favourite among summer vacationers for its ideal location, rich history and wonderful views.