"Hotel Stepantsminda" Top 5 Page for this destination Kazbegi Hotel Tip by maykal

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.

Unique Qualities: 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.

Address: Main square, Kazbegi
Comparison: about average
Directions: As you get out of the minibus, it should be obvious...look for a three storey building with some shifty-looking characters smoking on the steps.
Price: less than US$20
Theme: Hotel