It was once said to be the finest mansion in Vilnius; now the Hotel Pacai has a chance to make a new name for itself. This just-opened hotel has taken over a renovated courtyard building dating to 1677 Inside, it has the feeling of somewhere long lost, and then rediscovered: remnants of frescoes and other historic details poke through between marble surfaces and contemporary grey furnishings. It’s the first member of the Design Hotels group in the three Baltic states – tribute to a city that has lagged Tallinn and Riga in visitor interest, but is gaining fame thanks to its Unesco-listed Baroque Old Town and a playful spirit that comes through in the ‘breakaway’ Republic of Užupis quarter. The Church of St Peter and St Paul, built by the Hotel Pacai’s original architects, proves that pared-back colour schemes are no modern design fad: its interior is a riot of Baroque stucco ornament, all in heavenly white.