Any Estonians here? Re: Tallinn in February.

[Colophon]

I've managed to get some time off work in February, which coincides with the school half-term week (my girlfriend is a school teacher, so this is important). We want to go away for a short wintry break, and have pretty much settled on Tallinn. I've been there before, in May of 2001, and loved it, and thought it would be nice to go back.

So, I know basically what to expect, what to see etc; my main questions are about the weather, and how much closes down in winter. I know it'll be pretty cold. Can we confidently expect a nice covering of snow in town? Is the sea likely to be frozen? I didn't think it would be, but reading a guidebook this morning I saw the line "Catamarans only run when the sea is free of ice (usually mid-March to late December". (Not that we need to take a catamaran - last time, I flew to Helsinki, but EasyJet now fly direct).

Do any of the attractions shut up shop over the winter, when visitor numbers are down? Also, what would the hours of daylight be, roughly in mid-February? I know that when I was there in late May it hardly got dark at all.

Finally, if anyone has any good hotel recommendations, I'm all ears. (I know a lot has changed there since 2001). I am currently looking at the Unique Stay or Skåne hotels.

Thanks for any tips.