New century, new spa

  • 1998-10-22
  • Kairi Kurm
Come the 21st century, Estonians may start spending their holidays in Estonia rather than in some warm, southern country. That, says Toomas Niinemae, CEO of the Kristiine Kinnisvara real estate company, is because his company will open a spa/hotel in the seaside resort town of Parnu that should be operating shortly after the turn of the century.

The spa would be the only one of its kind in the Baltic countries, Niinemae said, and would be perfectly situated in Parnu, referred to by locals as the summer capital of Estonia. The city has 55,000 permanent residents, but the number swells to more than twice that when the weather gets warm.

Toomas Undusk, project manager at Kristiine Hotels, which along with Kristiine Kinnisvara, is a subsidiary of Kristiine Center, said this kind of recreational zone, which also accommodates a health care facility and a hotel, will be active throughout the year. The complex will be geared toward people from all three Baltic states and will be similar to spa/swimming complexes in Finland. The Finnish resorts are popular among Russians, another group Undusk says Kristiine Hotels would like to attract.

"Why shouldn't they like to visit our country for a change?" said Undusk.

The 132-hectare development area will include a service center, a golf course, a fitness center, an athletics field and a stretch of sandy beach. The golf course will be only the second of its kind in Estonia.

The price of the project is not set, but a spa/hotel on a 3.5 hectare tract of land should run about 150 million kroons ($11.5 million), said real estate manager Marek Maasik.