The small town of Põlva in South Estonia is home to the Pesa Hotel, which was one of the first hotels in Estonia to be renovated and equipped with all amenities after the country regained its independence.

At the end of the Soviet era, Margus Timmo, originally from Setomaa, and his partners decided to renovate the dormitory of the Mechanised Construction Group (MEK) in Põlva and turn it into a hotel, as they needed a place to accommodate Finnish hunting tourists. Together, they took out a loan from Tartu Kommertspank (Tartu Commercial Bank), brought over the necessary sanitary and kitchen equipment from Finland, hired a prestigious interior designer and set out to make their vision a reality.

The former MEK building was ideal because it was located in the centre of Põlva and large enough to meet two other criteria: it could host business people and accommodate groups travelling by bus.

As the hotel was designed primarily for hunters, the entire interior was designed with nature in mind. The walls of the rooms were decorated with nature drawings created by hunter and skilled draughtsman Tõnu Tulev, wild boar skins were put on the floors and the rooms were furnished with solid wood furniture. The hotel was designed to be a green establishment with respect for nature conservation, hence the name Pesa which means ‘nest’ in Estonian. On 16 November 1991, AS Kagureis put up the first tourist group travelling by bus at the Pesa Hotel.

34 years have passed since then! The years since then have been marked by excitement and enthusiasm, success and creativity, flexibility and personalisation.

From 1991–1995, the Pesa Hotel was mainly frequented by German and Finnish hunting tourists. The delicious foods of the Pesa hotel restaurant and bar were celebrated both near and far, but the hotel still had few overnight guests. It was important to find a way to stand out from other accommodation establishments.

In 1997, Kagureis built horse stables in Mammaste near Põlva. Timmo Stables' summer and winter horseback riding tours became so popular that in 1998, the company was named the best tourism company of the year. In 2001, the Kassioru Holiday Centre was completed on the banks of the Ahja River in Kiidjärve, which was particularly popular with nature lovers and those interested in recreational activities. Today, both sites already have new owners.

In 2003, the Tallinn office of Kagureis was established, which started to organise 3-day trips to South Estonia, North Latvia and the Petseri region. Interest in these trips was very high and over the years more than ten thousand people were brought to Põlva county.

It is unclear exactly when Pesa served its first off-site banquet party, but catering orders soon began to pour in. This is why Kagureis OÜ created the Pesa Catering brand years ago.

In 2008, the Pesa Hotel was awarded with the quality distinction “Märk kindlast arengust” (“Distinction of steady development”), which indicates that the company is prepared to continually work towards the well-being of its customers.
In 2008, the hotel was additionally recognised with the international eco label Green Key.

For years now, the chefs at Pesa have preferred to prepare their meals with produce sourced from local businesses, farmers, forests and lakes.

On the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia at the Estonian National Museum, the chefs of the Pesa Hotel restaurant served savoury snacks alongside some of the best chefs in Estonia.

The Pesa Hotel continues to value eco-sustainability and green thinking. In the spring of 2018, solar panels were installed on the southern facade and the roof of the hotel. In the autumn of the same year, the Faasan pub was replaced by the Sõstar minispa. The minispa, complete with saunas, a hot tub and a light therapy room, offers hotel guests new amenities and leisure options.

The Pesa Hotel is a member of the #kupland remote work network and is ready to provide both individuals and teams with a suitable place to work based on their wishes and needs.

Customer satisfaction is very important to the hotel. To make the hotel feel more cosy, the staircases and the foyer of the Pesa Hotel were renovated in the autumn of 2019, the hotel rooms on the second floor in 2023 and the Pesa hotel restaurant in early 2024. We will continue to strive for eco-sustainability while offering our guests a top tier experience.

The Pesa Hotel is always ready to welcome you!