Kazbegi Hotels

• ellielou
• Reviews: 229

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Vano's Guesthouse: the first guesthouse listed in the LP

This place was listed in the Lonely Planet (which, if you read my warnings and dangers page for Tbilisi, I do not trust), but I was told by a VTer that it was a great place to stay. It was an interesting place to stay, in the least, but not only was there no hot water, there was no running water. There was also no heat.

However, we got there, tired, hungry, cold--huddled masses that we were--and used the non-flushable toilet, had a hot tea, and was fed bread with sour cream. We talked to Vano. He seemed like an interesting guy (he was fascinating, actually), and decided, hey, we could rough it for one night. It was also very, very cheap, under $3 per person.

Also, we had heard that food was included. Vano's mother, the cook, was away in Tbilisi, and we ended up eating at the neighbor's house. (Frankly, we didn't relish just eating bread and sour cream.) That was an adventure in itself. We were fed bread, cheese, soup, and hot tea. We sat in the center of the living/dining room, while the family sat on the sofa against the wall and silently watched a Mexican soap opera dubbed into Georgian. Now, you don't get that at the Four Seasons now, do you?

No running water. No heat. Picture of Stalin on the wall, near the stereo, and starring at us while we watch BBC World News. Go figure.

• Opinion of Price: least expensive
• Related to: Architecture, Backpacking, Budget Travel
• Written October 20, 2006

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• MalenaN
• Reviews: 4272

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Vano's Homestay

Venera is a very kind woman and she takes care of you while you are there. When I was in Kazbegi I had a terrible cough. Both evenings Venera brought me a bucket of hot water for my feet, and a blanket, before going to bed.

• Opinion of Price: N/A
• Related to: Budget Travel, Backpacking
• Written May 22, 2006

Venera is doing the washing up

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• MalenaN
• Reviews: 4272

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Vano's Homestay

Vano and his mother Venera are very nice, helpful and welcoming. Their homestay is great. Venera cooks and breakfast and dinner is eaten downstairs. No one leaves the table still hungry.
There is no running water but several buckets of water outside the bathroom. One of the buckets contain drinking water.

A bed, breakfast and dinner was 5 dollars (June 2003). When I was in Tbilisi in 2006 I heard the price was 10 dollars. That is still a good deal as all meals are included.

When I was there Vano had got a job at the Mariot Hotel in Tblisi, as a door man. So he might not always be in Kazbegi.

• Opinion of Price: least expensive
• Related to: Backpacking, Budget Travel
• Written May 22, 2006

Nigel and Vano

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• maykal
• Reviews: 1290

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Hotel Stepantsminda

In 2005, I was surprised to find a fairly large modern hotel in the corner of Kazbegi's main square. At first sight, it looked far too expensive for me, and I went in search of an alternative. On the door to a nearby house, I spotted a rough and ready sign saying "Hotel", but knocking on the door got no response. More walking around got me nowhere, so i returned to the big hotel (well, not that big...maybe around 25 rooms on three storeys, but it seemed big in Kazbegi). The girl at reception spoke very good English and showed me to a room...one with a view in fact. It turned out not to be nearly as expensive as I first thought, with a single room for 30 Lari (US$1 = 1.8 Lari), which was roughly the same as in Akhaltsikhe, but this room was of a much higher standard. If I had wanted meals, room and boards would have cost US$30, but according to another guest, meals weren't up to much, so I opted out.

The room had a functioning bathroom (i.e. one where you don't have to hold your nose, play around with the plumbing, or run the risk of being electrocuted when turning on the shower) with permanent hot water, central heating (even in summer, I needed this on), a television (Georgian channels only, but one can't be picky...) and a balcony with a stunning view.

• Opinion of Price: about average
• Related to: Arts and Culture, Mountain Climbing, Hiking and Walking
• Written February 18, 2006

View from hotel balcony, Kazbegi

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• maykal
• Reviews: 1290

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Homestay

In 2001, things were quite informal when it came to staying overnight in Kazbegi. The large former Intourist hotel stood deserted at the back of the village, so the only option was to find a local homestay. I was told beforehand to ask the old ladies who run the little kiosks on the main square, but I didn't have to do this myself, as on the minibus journey from Tbilisi, a local started chatting. On arrival, I was taken to her friend who had a guestroom in a simple house in the centre of the village.

Conditions were quite basic, with only cold water from the river available to wash with. Electricity went off early in the evening, but my friendly hosts gave me enough candles for me to look at pictures in their huge book of "Soviet Georgia". Meals again were basic, and quite unusual. Spaghetti with cold raw fish was one evening meal, which probably won't count as my favourite dish of all time, but the memory will stay with me!! My hosts couldn't speak anything but Georgian or Russian, so conversation was limited to whatever I could find in my Georgian Conversation Booklet and hand signals, but they were warm and welcoming, giving me enough blankets at night to keep out the cold. Even in summer, evenings can be extremely chilly, so I can't imagine how it is during the winter when Kazbegi is cut off from the rest of the country by heavy snow on the mountain pass.

• Opinion of Price: least expensive
• Related to: Hiking and Walking, Arts and Culture, Road Trip
• Written February 18, 2006

Typical houses, Kazbegi (not the homestay!)

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• Tobias_Plieninger
• Reviews: 336

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• Intrepidduck
• Reviews: 595

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Nonna's House: Homestay

Two large rooms, 250m from the centre of town. Hot water and a cosy friendly environment. 15 lari per night per person, plus dinner.

You stay in the home of a large family with the friends and all the relatives comming and going. A real Georgian homestay this is. They can organize a reliable Mercedes and driver to take you on tours of the sarounding valleys and historic sites. 50 lari for one day or 120 lari for 3 days all exclusive.

• Opinion of Price: less expensive than average
• Related to: Budget Travel, Backpacking
• Written August 16, 2004

Holy Trinity Church

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