Gudauri Lodge/გუდაური ლოჯი — Hotel in Mtskheta-Mtianeti

A Mixed Bag Experience

Our stay at Gudauri Lodge had it's highs and lows.

I'll start with the positives. Our check-in experience was IMPECIBLE thanks to the assistance of Tamari, who went above and beyond to accommodate us, even providing complimentary hot drinks when we arrived early for check-in. She also provided us with a Whatsapp number for queries throughout our stay which we utilised once or twice.

The reception staff, particularly Giorgi Bekeladze, were helpful and attentive during our interactions. He helped on several occasions by booking us taxi's, recommending restaurants and advising us on how to get the most from our stay.

However... unfortunately, the competence of the remaining staff left much to be desired. Throughout our stay, we observed ENDLESS instances of neglect and inefficiency. The restaurant was a prime example, with dirty tables and staff seemingly idle instead of attending to customers. They spent most of their time aimlessly "TRYING" to look busy.

For instance, on one occasion, our table was covered with plates stacked high from the previous party that had been sat there before our arrival. A waitress came over and, as crazy as this sounds, picked up a single tiny yogurt jar. She then continued on a walk around the entire restaurant, around at least 10 other dirty tables piled high with dirty crockery, before heading back into the kitchen with the single glass jar in hand. We were baffled!

Adding to the peculiarity was the choice of music during breakfast, which created an unnecessarily anxiety-inducing atmosphere rather than enhancing the dining experience, as you would expect.

Service at the bar was equally disappointing, as we waited over 45 minutes for a single bottle of Coca-Cola despite the minimal crowd and several reminders to staff. Reminders were necessary to prompt staff to fulfill our orders on various occasions throughout our stay. Despite these drawbacks, the food selection was of a high standard over breakfast and a satisfactory level for lunch and dinner. Side note: they don't offer room service.

The ski rental service was another let down, with staff displaying disinterest and prioritizing personal activities over attending to customers. One clear example was the gentleman sitting playing games on his phone, with his back to us, while we were waiting in line to speak about ski lessons. The equipment provided was dated and worn, with clothing offerings resembling items from a lost-and-found rather than proper rental gear. I would also like to point out that these were in no way at a discount, as we rented brand new clothing in New Gudauri for the same price.

In conclusion, while Gudauri Lodge has some redeeming qualities such as the commendable check-in service and decent breakfast options, improvements are needed in various aspects of staff competence, service efficiency, and equipment quality to provide a more enjoyable and satisfactory stay for guests.

This hotel has SO much potential! The rooms are small, but clean and inviting. The entire place is nicely decorated, with a warm feel throughout. If all the staff were as hardworking and helpful as Tamari and Giorgi, I likely would've had very little to moan about. I really wish I could give a...

My stay at Gudauri Lodge was a colossal disappointment, challenging its claimed 5-star status – a generous 3 stars would be an overestimation. The reception was shockingly unwelcoming, marked by staff displaying rudeness and a palpable eagerness for us to leave.

Upon arrival, the lack of usual hospitality was striking. No one greeted us or offered assistance with our luggage, leaving us to navigate the hotel on our own. Surprisingly, there was no guidance about the room, and crucial details, such as the absence of a mini-bar, were not communicated.

When we requested a basic iPhone charger or adaptor, the dismissive response offered only a slow, non-original charger at the reception, setting the tone for a dismal experience.

Language barriers further exacerbated the problem, with staff demonstrating shockingly poor English skills. The only positive aspect was the housekeeping staff, who were the lone pleasant individuals in the hotel. This experience was beyond disappointing, especially considering the considerable amount spent for such abysmal service.

On day one, the live cooking station proved an appalling experience. The chef's limited English proficiency was evident when, despite ordering a single omelette with specific ingredients in English, he prepared two omelettes, incorporating only one specified ingredient. Worse still, he deliberately refused to speak Russian, which I attempted to use for communication. Regrettably, I would have preferred to speak Ukrainian or English, but the chef's language barrier extended to these languages as well.

The chef's distressing behavior reached an uncomfortable climax when he expressed his frustration by discarding the extra omelette right in front of us. This unnecessary scene, coupled with a general lack of inquiry into our needs, created a negative impression that even the breathtaking view and ambiance couldn't compensate for.

On the second day, promised 8 am breakfast turned into a disaster by 8:30 am. A significant portion of the breakfast items, including the live cooking station for omelettes, remained unavailable. Instead of attending to their duties, employees casually chatted in the middle of the restaurant. Addressing the issue with the responsible person yielded a vague commitment to starting breakfast at 8:30 am, devoid of explanation or apology.

My pleas for a solution were met with indifference, as if the readiness of breakfast was inconsequential. Despite being asked for our room number twice, no one seemed to care that we would be departing without breakfast. To compound the issue, my husband faced hostility due to an erroneous assumption about his nationality, leaving both of us feeling thoroughly unwelcome.

I sincerely wanted our stay to be memorable, but the hateful, rude, and disrespectful behavior overshadowed any positive aspects. First impressions proved pivotal, and sadly, the initial encounter set the tone for the...

An awful experience.

Not worth one star, but still if I have to would give it to the guy at the restaurant who made this stay bearable for us by being generous.

Let’s start with the location, it’s highly doubtful you will get any restaurants nearby and you will be stuck with their limited food menu. The slope to reach or leave the hotel felt like a hike, even our car couldn’t come up in one go. Thankfully some tourists on their way up gave a hand and we were out of that place.

The next thing I would mention is the lousy front desk service especially at night (between 11 pm to 8:30 am). Please note that every time you call the reception they will repeat in a parrot-fashion - we don’t have a room service, we can’t help you in this, the water bottles are chargeable, call restaurant for help and then they will endlessly transfer your calls without any assistance.

How inhospitable can it be for a person to stay in such a place especially when you are uneasy because of the climate change and a long journey! My husband fell sick and we both got dehydrated in the middle of the night due to lack of water in the room. Even after asking for water three times in the night from the front desk, their rude staff laughed on the phone but didn’t help. I had to get down to reception at 8:30 in the morning myself and bring water for us.

When I confronted the person, he repeated the same no room-service policy and said he can’t help even if it was something else. How unempathetic and unprofessional staff who can’t sense the urgency of the situation and help or even sympathise. We were ready to pay for the bottles obviously, after paying this much for the hotel it becomes insignificant to pay for the bottles.

I would say that the amenities were also overrated and overpriced. Rooms were very very small, lack of balconies, outdoor jacuzzi wasn’t enjoyable in winter and breakfast was also average (limited vegetarian options and was same for both the days). The lobby and bar were the best of all in terms of view but there was a lack of wine collection.

I don’t think this place is worth a visit again. Would definitely recommend to stay at some other hotel where the staff is...