A review of the Grand Hotel Kempinski, Vilnius

I concluded writing about my Baltics road trip last year, and then realised I’d completely forgotten to write a review of one of the best hotels I’ve ever stayed at during the trip. So to right that wrong, I’m back in Vilnius again! Better later than never.

Anyone who follows this blog knows I’m quite partial to a nice hotel. The Grand Hotel Kempinski in Vilnius was no exception – in fact it was one of the highlights of my Baltic road trip. It was the perfect base from which to explore, and I’d absolutely recommend it to anyone visiting the city.

Location

Oh Kempinski, how perfect you are. Situated in central Vilnius, right on the main square, it couldn’t be more ideally located.

You can walk to all the attractions, including the Old Town, Gediminas Hill and Cathedral without so much as breaking a sweat. Wonderful.

Accommodation

We opted to stay in a suite and wow was it beautiful. There was a large living area, topped up with fresh fruit every day and cakes on arrival. There were two bathrooms – one with a large shower in it, and the other with a glorious soaking tub. There was also a huge bed which was the most comfy I’ve ever had in a hotel, and it was finished off with post card perfect views from the room out across the square. 5 nights went by far too quickly.

Food & Drink

This is where the hotel starts to set itself apart. Firstly, breakfast was delicious and served in a big, airy and light room overlooking the square. I really loved the daily ‘breakfast shot’, like carrot and ginger or another healthy little start to the day. The food was super tasty, and I really enjoyed the Crepes Suzette which were delicious.

Now to the super special part. The hotel has its own wine bar, Atelier, where even if you’re not staying you could visit for wine tastings. They can tailor the tastings for everyone individually but it’s a great opportunity to sample wine from all across the world – local and far afield. The sommelier, Martynas, was AMAZING and so knowledgeable. We had the absolute BEST time tasting the Explorer’s Menu. Martynas was so committed to his work, and it was clear that being a sommelier was way more than a job to him, it was a part of him. He’s travelled the world learning and despite being a master sommelier who could work anywhere, he’s chosen to bring that knowledge back to his home country which I really admired.

What I also really liked is that there was a cocktail to start – and the hotel encourage the junior members of staff to try new ideas and combinations for this part of the menu. A very nervous young man came to present his cocktail to us and it was DELICIOUS. I love that the hotel encouraged him to try because the end result was tasty for us and probably confidence building for him. I liked that.

Finally, we also had a tasting menu in the restaurant Telegrafas, which again was just a bit mind bogglingly good. Everything from the beef to the fish was cooked perfectly, and we couldn’t have asked for more.

Amenities & Experiences

Aside from the wine tasting and tasting menus, the hotel also offers a number of other amenities. It has a Gastrobar for laid back dining, a summer terrace for cocktails with an Old Town view, and a coffee station in reception – so there is plenty of choice.

There is also a wonderful spa, which we chose to use one evening for a swim and then some traditional massages. They really don’t muck about with massages in Eastern Europe, I could barely feel my muscles (in a good way) by the end!

The hotel also offers a private car, which was perfect for our airport arrival in the middle of the night, and has a good concierge service which provides maps, recommendations and can make bookings for guests.

I know sometimes people wonder if you ever get an authentic travel experience staying in luxury hotels. Of course I think that depends on your definition of authentic – but would a Holiday Inn equivalent have made my experience more authentic? No, of course not. But I do think you can easily fail to connect with people or a place if you hole up in a nice hotel.

That’s why I loved this one so much – to see Martynas’ talent and the investment in people being made by the team was just amazing. We loved talking to the people that worked there and hearing their stories, views of the Ukraine war and about their families. Of course, the hotel was amazing, but its people were what set it apart.