Bob W, the tech and AI-powered hospitality operator, has signed a long-term deal to join Krulli Kvartal, the landmark 10.2-hectare regeneration of Tallinn’s historic Krulli industrial quarter, further expanding its presence in the Estonian capital, where it opened its first property in 2019.
Bob W Tallinn Krulli Kvartal is scheduled to open in Q1 2028 and will comprise 1,900 sqm of design-led accommodation, including 34 studios and 29 one-bedroom apartments.
The property will become Bob W’s fifth in Tallinn and forms part of Krulli Kvartal, an ambitious regeneration of a former industrial district in North Tallinn with a history stretching back more than 125 years.
Spanning 20 buildings and being delivered in four stages through to 2035, Krulli is being transformed into a major new car-free quarter for Tallinn. Its 34,200 sqm first phase is being delivered between 2025 and 2028, while plans for the wider neighbourhood include more than 600 apartments, 3,000 office jobs – rising to more than 5,000 including neighbouring Wise – more than 50 shops, services and commercial spaces, and an event venue with capacity for 1,200 people, alongside pocket parks, gardens and a kindergarten.
The Bob W property will be built next to Kasvuhoone, Krulli’s future hub for technology and creativity, bringing together startups, creative businesses, coworking, food, retail and cultural uses. The wider district sits close to some of North Tallinn’s most established creative and cultural destinations, including Telliskivi Creative City and Noblessner, while remaining within easy reach of Tallinn Old Town and the city centre.
Preserving Krulli’s industrial character is central to the regeneration, with five of its 20 buildings heritage-protected and existing structures and materials being incorporated into its next chapter. That approach will extend to the new Bob W property, with three of the building’s facade panels coming directly from the site’s future Kasvuhoone building.
Karli Luik, Chief Architect at molumba, said: “For this project reuse wasn’t a constraint, but the starting point. Three of the building’s facade panels come directly from the site’s former mechanics workshop, carrying that history forward rather than erasing it. We wanted the building to read as a continuation of Krulli’s industrial past, not a replacement for it.”
The signing further demonstrates Bob W’s ability to work with landlords and developers across different asset types and stages of development, from office and hotel conversions to purpose-built hospitality projects.
Taavi Pettai, the Vice President of Real Estate at Bob W, said: “Tallinn is where Bob W opened its first property, so continuing to grow here is particularly important to us. Krulli is exactly the kind of neighbourhood we want to be part of: it has a strong identity and history, but it is also evolving into a genuinely mixed-use part of the city where people will live, work and spend their time.
“This is also a great example of why getting involved in projects from the ground up matters. Working with our partners early allows us to create a building around how guests actually stay, while making thoughtful decisions about design, operations and the materials that go into it.”
Indrek Hääl, CEO of Krulli Kvartal, said: “With Bob W as operator, Krulli gets a partner who understands what makes an aparthotel work in a neighbourhood like Krulli. The building already carries the site’s history, and Bob W’s approach fits that same idea: building on what’s already here, not over it.”
The signing comes as Bob W continues to expand across Europe and the UK through a combination of conversions, leases and ground-up developments. Its portfolio now comprises more than 100 assets and 8,000 apartment units and hotel rooms.
