Our Story
“To offer and receive positive emotions and to live in the moment, not in the distant future” is the answer to the question we have been asked so many times: “Why did you do this?”
For most people, life passes in similar stages. In terms of career, it starts somewhere low and gradually rises, taking on more responsibility, filling pockets with money, gaining respect, confidence, and burdens on one’s shoulders. But one day, every self-respecting person becomes fed up with this, and if they have a supportive partner and family, they find a solution for what to do in order to avoid drowning in the cycle of “respect and wealth.”
Move or not move to Haapsalu?
In our family, everyone agreed on the idea of moving to Haapsalu, except for the youngest member, Lukas, who at the time was finishing fourth grade, 9 years old. The older child, Joosep, had graduated from high school and moved to Tartu to continue his medical studies. When we introduced Lukas to the Haapsalu school and sports activities, teachers and coaches often asked, “Why Haapsalu?” Lukas then looked deeply into his parents’ eyes and asked, “Yes, BUT why?”… Honestly, we couldn’t answer that question ourselves: a midlife crisis? Do parents try to fulfill their own wishes and dreams by trying to overcome the feelings of their child and their lost friendships?
A career change was needed most by Daire
Daire, who has earned her living all her life as a middle manager in large companies. For Veiko, nothing changed in his life as a private entrepreneur, except that today he has built a hotel that fully complies with the highest standards of accommodation regulations and has changed his daily work rhythm, respecting Tallinn with his visits just once or twice a week…
The beginning was physically hard
Daire did all the work in the hotel, from cooking, cleaning the kitchen, to cleaning the rooms and maintaining the garden. We consciously aimed our service at business clients, quickly realizing that Haapsalu only attracts tourists in the summer months. Our goal was to keep the business open year-round, so all services and products were designed by Daire with the business client in mind. Soon, a helper was hired, allowing Daire to focus on product development and social media marketing, which is the only channel, besides word-of-mouth marketing, for the hotel.
Uniqueness, distinction, constant development
Daily learning and self-development are important details for the entire OHH hotel business. Every year, Daire spends at least one month (sometimes longer) in a foreign country, learning about local food cultures. Daire has practiced in Greece, India, Japan, Mexico, Thailand, Italy and France, working in various eateries. The dishes offered in the hotel and the joint cooking sessions are always inspired by the countries where Daire has personally experienced the local culinary culture.
Former Calculation Station, now Old Hapsal Hotel
Red brick walls, rusted window bars, empty rooms with peeling paint from the ceiling, a dying large willow tree in the garden… The Calculation Station, built in 1969, with massive giant computers on the second floor that helped calculate salaries for workers in collective farms and state farms. The building’s thick, strong walls are still standing and support the Old Hapsal Hotel.
The hotel is furnished with inspiration from different countries
As enthusiastic hikers, we have walked through several countries. A map showing our hiking paths is located on the second floor of the hotel, where every guest can compare their own hiking routes. The hotel rooms are also decorated inspired by the countries that have touched our hearts the most. Fabrics, photos, pictures, and other details are brought from these countries…
The hotel has 10 rooms, representing 10 countries… but who knows when a new country will touch our hearts and the next room will get a new look…