Hotels

Our role in a hotel booking

We book the room with the hotel directly or through a trusted partner, and you receive a confirmation with every detail. If anything changes, we are the ones who contact the hotel.

Throughout your stay we are your single contact: a room change, a late check-out, a taxi from reception or lost luggage - we sort everything out with one call.

Who a hotel suits best

A hotel is best when you change places every two or three days and need stability every night. Packing, arriving and resting take the least energy here.

It also suits anyone in Georgia for the first time who does not speak the language. At reception they almost always speak English or Russian.

Boutique hotels

Tbilisi's boutique hotels are often restored old houses: brick walls, wooden balconies, a courtyard with a vine. Each is different, and that is their main charm.

Their weakness is size: rooms are sometimes small, there is not always a lift, and a pool or spa is rare. We always check this before suggesting one.

Staff in a boutique hotel are usually few and attentive. If a personal touch matters to you, it is the right choice.

International chains

Tbilisi and Batumi have hotels from several well-known chains. Their advantage is predictability: you know what the bed, the bathroom and the breakfast will be like.

A chain is better for a business visit, a large group or anyone collecting loyalty points. In that case we book in a way that keeps your points.

A chain hotel tells you less that you are in Georgia. If that matters to you, we recommend one night in a boutique hotel or a guesthouse.

The quirks of an old building

In a historic building every room is different - one spacious with a balcony, another small with a window onto the courtyard. Even within one category the difference is large.

Wooden floors carry sound, walls are not always thick, and hot water on the top floor sometimes takes its time. That is the price of charm.

So in a hotel like this we request the room by number or description, not just by category. That way you know exactly where you will wake up.

Room types

"Standard", "superior" and "deluxe" mean different things in different hotels. In one, deluxe is just the view; in another, a room twice the size.

So we do not rely on the category name; we check floor area, bed size, the bathroom - shower or bath - and the floor.

If the difference between two categories is small and the price difference large, we tell you so directly. Sometimes the cheaper room is quite enough.

The view from the room

In Tbilisi a view of the Mtkvari, Narikala or the old town transforms a room. But the room with a view is often on the street side, and the street is noisy at night.

Hotels usually accept a view as a request, not a guarantee, unless it is part of the room category. So if the view is the point, we book the right category.

In a mountain hotel the view is the main reason for being there. Here we choose the room by direction - facing the mountain or facing the road.

Breakfast

Breakfast is included in most hotels, but not all. Some city boutique hotels offer rooms without breakfast and recommend a café nearby.

Breakfast usually runs from seven to ten in the morning. If you leave early on a tour, we ask for a breakfast box the evening before.

A Georgian hotel breakfast is often a buffet with local cheese, pickles and hot khachapuri. In an international chain the menu is more European.

The hotel restaurant

In the city a hotel restaurant is rarely the best choice for dinner - there are many better places around. In the evening we recommend a few restaurants nearby.

In the mountains and at resorts it is different: the hotel kitchen is often the only one, and dinner is included or charged separately. We clarify this in advance.

If you have special dietary needs, we let the kitchen know ahead, so that you are not left with only a salad on arrival.

Pool, spa and gym

An outdoor pool usually works only in summer, sometimes May to September. An indoor pool and spa run all year, but not in every hotel.

Spa treatments are often paid separately, and at popular times a slot has to be booked in advance. We do that before you arrive.

Large hotels have a gym; boutique hotels rarely do. If you need to train every day, we take it into account as a criterion.

Seaside hotels and the beach

Batumi's beach is pebbly, not sandy - that surprises many people. Water shoes make getting into the sea easier.

Some hotels have their own beach area with sunbeds; others send you to the public beach. In the middle of summer that difference is very noticeable.

If you are going with children and sand matters, we recommend Ureki or another beach. We explain how it compares with Batumi.

Mountain hotels: the road in

Some mountain hotels lie off the main road, up a steep or unpaved track. In an ordinary car that can be a problem, especially after rain.

So we check whether your car can get there and whether there is parking. If needed, the hotel will bring you up from below in its own vehicle.

In winter some access roads close with snow. The hotel then usually arranges a transfer, and we confirm this before booking.

Ski hotels

In Gudauri and Bakuriani the main question is how close the hotel is to the lifts. A five-minute walk versus a taxi ride every morning is a big difference.

A good ski hotel has ski storage, a boot dryer and a place to change into your gear. We always check this.

New Year and the February holiday weeks are the busiest. For those, booking several months ahead is better.

Spa resorts and recovery

In Borjomi and Tskaltubo a hotel is often linked to a medical or spa programme: mineral baths, massage, a consultation.

One night in such a hotel rarely has an effect. Three to five nights is more realistic, and we agree the programme before you arrive.

If you have a specific health goal, we arrange a consultation with the hotel's doctor in advance, so that the treatments suit your condition.

Hotels for families

For families we check the terms for an extra bed and a cot, by age. In one hotel a child stays free up to six, in another up to twelve.

Connecting rooms or family suites are few and sell first. For four or five people, two separate rooms are sometimes more convenient.

A children's menu, a playroom and a children's pool are not everywhere. If that matters, we only suggest hotels that have them.

A long stay in a hotel

Sometimes people stay in a hotel for two or three weeks - during a business project or medical treatment. In that case the nightly rate often drops if we ask in advance.

For a long stay we check laundry, a kitchenette or microwave in the room, and how often the linen is changed.

If you are staying more than a month, an apartment is often better. We compare both options and tell you which makes more sense.

Business visits and meetings

For a business traveller a desk, fast internet, an early breakfast and a lobby where you can hold a meeting all matter.

If you need a room for a meeting, we book the hotel's conference room by the hour, with coffee and equipment.

We arrange the invoice in the company's name, and every expense appears separately. For accounts departments this is the simplest format.

Arriving at night

Many flights land at Tbilisi airport at night. It is then important that the reception is open, that the room is held for you and that the booking is not cancelled.

So we tell the hotel your arrival time in advance and confirm it. If the flight is delayed, we pass on the new time too.

If you arrive early in the morning and want to sleep straight away, we book the previous night as well. It is the only reliable way to find the room ready.

Parking

In central Tbilisi hotels rarely have their own car park. Some use a paid car park nearby; others suggest the street.

If you are hiring a car, we take parking into account when choosing the hotel, not after you arrive.

In Batumi, the mountains and the resorts, parking is more often available. But in summer even that fills up in Batumi, and we request a space in advance.

Payment and deposit

At check-in the hotel often blocks an amount on your card for extras. That is not a payment - the amount is released after check-out, although the bank needs time.

Some small hotels prefer cash or local currency. We tell you in advance so there is no surprise on arrival.

The minibar, spa and restaurant are charged separately. Check the bill at check-out - that is normal practice, not distrust.

Valuables and safety

Georgia is generally a safe country for travellers, and theft in hotels is rare. Even so, your passport, money and expensive equipment are better kept in a safe.

Most rooms have a safe; in a small boutique hotel it is sometimes only at reception. We note this in the suggestion if you carry valuables.

If you lose something, hotels usually keep found items for a long time. Even after you have left the country, we help find it and send it on.

Early check-in and late check-out

Standard check-in is in the afternoon and check-out before midday. Early check-in and late check-out depend on availability and sometimes cost extra.

We request them in advance, because asking on the spot is the weakest position. In low season it is often free.

If you have a late flight and do not need the room, you can leave your luggage at reception and explore the city freely.

A special occasion

A honeymoon, an anniversary or a birthday - we let the hotel know in advance. Often they prepare wine, flowers or a cake in the room.

If you are preparing a surprise for your partner, we agree the details with you and explain it to the hotel so that the secret is not given away.

Sometimes in such cases the hotel also offers a room upgrade if one is free. There is no guarantee, but it is worth asking.

When something is not right

If the room does not match the description, is noisy or something does not work, tell reception first, then call us. Often they change the room the same evening.

If the hotel cannot fix the problem, we step in: we ask for another room, for compensation, or look for another hotel.

We record every such case. If a hotel repeatedly spoils a guest's stay, we stop suggesting it.

Group bookings

For more than ten rooms a hotel offers group terms: a block of rooms, a fixed rate and a deadline for sending the list of names.

After that deadline unused rooms are often released or cancelled with a penalty. We keep track of those deadlines.

Room allocation, special requests and arrival times are in one list for you. The hotel receives that list from us.

What we need from you

Dates, cities and number of guests, with children's ages. Your bed preference - one large bed or two singles.

The level and style you want: boutique or chain, historic or modern. If a particular hotel interests you, tell us its name.

And anything important: allergies, sensitivity to noise, the need for a lift. With this information we request the right room.

Price and transparency

The suggestion shows the nightly rate, what is included (breakfast, tax) and what is added on site. You know the full amount in advance.

Our service is either included in the price or shown as a separate line - we always show this plainly.

If the same room is clearly cheaper on the hotel's website, tell us. Sometimes it has different terms - a non-refundable rate, for example - and we explain that.