The London West Hollywood is a luxury suite hotel located in a quiet neighbourhood in West Hollywood, not far from the Walk of Fame or Beverly Hills.

The hotel has excellent service — I’ve never been surrounded by so many bellmen when arriving the hotel. A couple of guys will take of your car, another pair handles your luggage, one escorts your family to the lobby — and brings cold water for all and cookies for children. The check-in is very swift and courteous, and you will find yourself in your room in no time.

And what a room we’ve got. The room was huge, there was a small kitchenette and a balcony on the other end, then very large sitting area, a luxurious and sizable bed, then a row of cupboards, and finally a bathroom with two showers and very plush robes. The amenities were top-notch — their shampoo was better than I’ve been able to find back home.

There is a pool area on the top floor with a heated pool, an open-air gym, a lot of places to lounge around, and a bar with excellent service. A few floors down, there is another spacious terrace for more peace and quiet.

The hotel restaurant is run by Gordon Ramsay, who has currently (2009) 12 Michelin stars. We didn’t try the restaurant, so I cannot say more about the food. Besides that, there are a few cafés, restaurants and convenience stores near the hotel. For other services, you need to take your car.

www.thelondonwesthollywood.com, 1020 N San Vicente Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA, USA, +1 310 854 1111

We have returned a couple of hours ago from Tallinn, and I’m enjoying a surprise slot to update Nomadig. Usually I have no way of writing here when the boys are awake, but now Aapo is busy with his Lego pirates set, and Niilo is helping Sanna downstairs.

Anyhow, the trip was good. The hotel was excellent, review can be found in earlier entries or from the reviews section, and we enjoyed most of our time. Having children with you adds more hassle to the trip, and there were some black moments — especially when children or adults were tired.

I went to buy a new pair of shoes, but we didn’t find any. Instead, Aapo got white Adidas sneakers that he is really proud of. Boys got also two boxes of Legos, pirate castle (as already briefly mentioned) to Aapo, and new Duplo roadster with detachable tyres.

When visiting the Tallinn old town and having children with you or just feeling playful, consider boarding on Toomas the train — a small tourist train that runs twenty minutes route around the old town. You can see plenty of landmarks while seated.

The train leaves on Kullassepa street, near Raekoja Plats. Cost of the ride is 70 EEK for adults and 30 EEK for children. Please note that there is no commentary on the train, so be prepared with your own map or a friend that knows the old town.

Toomas, Kullassepa street (near Raekoja Plats), Tallinn, Estonia

Rotermann Kaubamaja is the newest addition in Tallinn’s growing collection of consumerism shrines. It is located conveniently next to the Viru Keskus and Foorumi shopping centers, near the old town. Rotermann focuses on design and fashion.

The shopping center is built on a converted area, and there are also apartments on the buildings. The shops are located in several buildings that are intraconnected with a partially underground gallery — helps you to shop during rainy days.

The focus is on clothing, with brand stores from Adidas, Lacoste, Matinique and so forth. There is also a good home decoration store, a few multibrand fashion stores, and a good café. As the economy is swindling in Tallinn, some shops had been closed and new tenants were yet to be found. This is bound to change when the economy is growing again, the location is so good.

www.rotermannikaubamaja.ee, Rotermann 5 (ear Viru Keskus), Tallinn, Estonia, +372 626 4200

Swissôtel Tallinn is located on a prime spot next to Stockmann department store, and a few blocks from the city centre and the old town. The building is currently the tallest in Tallinn, and the top-floor restaurant has excellent views and good food.

We had reserved a “kids special” room, two inter-connected room, one normal hotel room for adults, and other kid-themed room for the children. There were Disney motifs on walls, beds, and also in the bathroom. A couple of smaller chairs and two toys complemented the offering. Both rooms were very spacious, and all amenities were top-notch. The bathroom was huge, and the rain shower excellent. Only bath-tub was missing — that can be found in grand rooms that cost a couple dozen euros more. Our room rate included an excellent buffet breakfast on Swiss café, on eighth floor.

There is also an excellent spa on the eleventh floor. One can find a good Finnish sauna, a decent Turkish sauna, a huge pool, and a big gym (that we didn’t try out). A bunch of treatments are available, too.

The hotel is quite expensive compared to most of Tallinn hotels, but during this summer (2009) there has been several very good offers.

www.swissotel.com, Tornimäe 3 (next to Stockmann Tallinn), Tallinn, Estonia, +372 624 0000