Hotel Pacai opens in Vilnius’ Old Town

(Image credit: TBC)

last updated 21 July 2022

The rehabilitation of historic piles into modern hotels often results in slick modern interiors with absolutely no sense of the building’s storied past. A round of applause then for architect Saulius Mikštas and YES.design.architecture studio for their admirable work on turning this grand 17th-century baroque mansion into Hotel Pacai in Vilnius’ Old Town.

Anchored by a dramatically proportioned 500sqm courtyard, the public spaces and 104 rooms all feature a handsome palette of deep grey walls and drapes, tufted leather finishes, marble benches and slender-limbed midcentury furniture, but what catches the eye are the mansion’s textured old bones which peek out like an architectural palimpsest at unexpected moments – a wall of exposed original bricks and barn timber here, cracked pilasters and a patch of ancient frescos there.

The best room in the house is the Pacai Suite with views of the Old Town, but we’re equally impressed by in-house brasserie 14 Horses, which harnesses local produce in its Lithuanian- and Baltic-inspired menu.

Bedroom at hotel Pacai in Vilnius, Lithuania

Another interior bedroom of the hotel Pacai in Lithuania

Freestanding bath behind the bed at hotel Pacai

Restaurant area of hotel Pacai in Lithuania

ADDRESS

Didzioji str. 7

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Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.