Looking for the perfect winter wonderland escape? Allow me to introduce you to OOD Mirror House Ihasalu, Estonia.
It’s been a few days now since my return from one of the most magical pre-festive escapes. After a couple of days at the christmas markets in Tallinn I spent two secluded nights at the ÖÖD Mirror House in Ihasalu Estonia.
These magical cabins that have mirrors externally wrapping the structures are a true winter wonderland escape and what’s especially great about them is the price!
If you are looking for a Once-In-A-Lifetime trip you’ll be pleased to hear that this Narnia-like film set won’t break the bank! More on the pricings later….
Watch my latest Youtube Video for a Full Tour & Review of the ÖÖD Mirror House.
Inside the Cabin
The cabins are self-catered but fully equipped for a ‘home from home’ escape. Inside the main cabin is a large memeory foam bed that is completely wrapped by windows in the corner of the cabin. There’s then a small kitchenette and dining area. The kitchen has an espresso machine, a kettle, a large fridge and a plug-in induction stove – there’s also the full works when it comes to cooking utensils, crockery and cleaning tools/products. There’s then a petite shower room with a toilet. The only sink is in the kitchen but the whole cabin is compact so you make do 😉
The heater is exceptional and warms the cabin up in a matter of seconds which is brilliant and absolutley needed on a snowy winter escape! It’s also an air conditioning unit if you are planning on staying here during the summer months.
The entire inside of the front of the cabin is glass, offering visual access to the mirage-like view of the towering trees that make up the forest surroundings. The mirror exterior means that you can’t see inside the cabin when you are outside but you can see outside when you are inside, it’s such a novel design but it does mean the interior is dark and moody. It makes for a really calming ambience inside no matter the time of day but at the same time it’s always a shock when you open the door and realise how bright it is.
The smaller additional building is a Sauna which providing you are a master fire starter is a real treat! The hosts provide lighter blocks, matches and fire wood but we had a few issues getting it started (we are not seasoned ‘campers’ though). The sauna is a really lovely size and only a few steps away from the main cabin, it also has a beautiful glass/mirror front so you can see outside when inside but no-one can see in.
The Location – By the Sea
The other incredible thing about this exact resort, OOD House Ihalasu is the truly unique location. These four cabins are just a few minutes walking distance from the beach.
The stretch of sand is a stunning recreational beach in the summer months so the resort would be such a wonderful place to enjoy a beach style holiday but as we were there in winter we thoroughly enjoyed having a blanket of white snow to wade through to the Baltic Sea. It was a truly unique experience.
Getting There
We took a direct flight to Tallinn, Estonia from Stansted, UK. It was a 2hr 50 minute flight, there are numerous routes a day from London. We flew out with Ryanair and returned with Wizz Air.
In Estonia BOLT is the prefered taxi/car service so it’s worth downloading that app before you arrive if you don’t already have it. We were able to get an immediate BOLT car from the airport to the resort, it took around 40 minutes and cost around 40 euros.
There are clear instructions on how to get to the actual resort itself on the Airbnb description.
How Much it Cost
This cabin is bookable via Airbnb and it was £382.00 for 2 people for 2 nights (5&6th December). We paid £105 for our international flights (return) and £90 to add luggage (daylight robbery!). We then spent 80 Euros each the BOLT fares to and from the airport & the supermarket (but please be clever and get food on the way instead!) plus food & drinks.
You can do this whole trip for less than £400pp, including all travel and food!
I would also advise staying one night in Tallinn itself and visting the Old town, I will share those details and all the best things to do in Tallinn in my next blogpost.
What you need to know
- There is no wifi in the resort so you need to rely on your network signal, my UK O2 mobile data was on & off. As a safety issue this did make us a little anxious!
- This is a self catering ‘holiday’ so make sure you take with you everything you will need for breakfast, lunch and dinner as the location is far from shops and restaurants. We took a bolt to the nearest supermarket which was 25 minutes away to stock up.
- The accommodation provided multiple towels so no need to pack them, there was also shampoo, conditioner and showergel in the shower.
- The heating system is amazing so you don’t have to worry about layering up when indoors, if you usually sleep in light clothing that will also suffice here!
- Check in is at 4pm and check-out is 12pm noon.
