If you plan to drive the Georgian Military Highway whilst you are in Georgia, the chances are that you will head to Kazbegi as part of your trip. The town of Kazbegi sits in a stunning location in the High Caucasus mountains, and so, it naturally follows that the town should have its own destination hotel, Rooms Hotel Kazbegi. A former Soviet sanitorium, the building has been ‘reimagined, to capture your imagination’.
This blog is not sponsored by Rooms Hotel Kazbegi, and other hotels and guest houses are available. The blog is simply a review based on the experience of our recent stay.
Kazbegi is the main town in the small mountainous province of Khevi in north eastern Georgia.
It sits in the River Tergi valley beneath towering Mount Kazbek, the third tallest mountain in Georgia at 5,054 meters high, and part of the Greater Caucasus Mountains.
Kazbegi is the last town on the Georgian Military Highway, just 10 km shy of the Kazbegi-Verkhniy Lars border crossing into Russia.
The original Georgian name for the town is Stepantsminda (‘St Stephan’), named after a Georgian Orthodox monk who built a hermitage in the town.
Kazbegi is the name given to the town by the Russians during Georgia’s annexed Soviet era; the name came from a Russian Nobel and poet, Alexander Kazbegi.
Although the name Stepantsminda was restored in 2007, both names are used interchangeably for the town. When entering the town from the Georgian Military Highway, you will see the official sign announcing Stepantsminda.
Rooms Hotel Kazbegi sits at the top of the village, at 1800 meters, with unobstructed views across the valley to snow-capped Mount Kazbek and the Greater Caucasus mountain range.
Once you leave the Georgian Military Highway, you need to negotiate a maze of small, narrow roads with lots of potholes to reach the hotel. At first, you wonder if you are going the right way, but when the hotel comes into view, then you know you are on the right path.
The building used to be a government run resort for Soviet workers and officials, which closed after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It lay abandoned for decades until it was bought by the Adjara Group who run the chain of Rooms Hotels.
Rooms Hotel Kazbegi opened in 2013 and has become a popular destination hotel for ‘alpine tourism’. Here are some reasons to splash out on a stay at the hotel:
It’s all about the views at Rooms Hotel Kazbegi. As soon as you walk into the Reception at Rooms Hotel Kazbegi, the first thing you notice are the floor to ceiling windows and glass doors open onto a broad terrace with expansive views of the mountains (see Cover Photo). The views just draw you outside.
The 156 roomed hotel stretches across the hillside to maximise the number of bedrooms offering views of Mount Kazbek from their balconies. Rooms at the back of the hotel offer forest views.
Not only can you gaze admiringly at the mountains from the hotel, but also at the iconic Gergeti Trinity Church which is clearly visible on the opposite slopes. If you happen to wake up in the middle of the night and look outside, then you will be rewarded with a starry sky over the church and mountains. Priceless!
Due to its mountainous position in the Greater Caucasus, it is an achievement in itself to reach Kazbegi via the Georgian Military Highway.
After negotiating hairpin bends, the Jvari Pass over the mountains, heavy lorry traffic, dare-devil over-taking drivers, cows in the road, and no end of potholes, it is a relief to finally arrive in Kazbegi.
Rooms Hotel Kazbegi therefore makes the perfect place to stay after a challenging drive, order a cold beer to decompress with on the terrace.
Whereas the Georgian Military Highway is all about the journey, Rooms Hotel Kazbegi is all about the destination.
Note – you can visit the hotel for drinks and food without being a resident guest of the hotel.
The designers have kept the original brutalist framework of the building, making the hotel an imposing building from the outside.
Inside, the hotel is a modernist dream with large open spaces, concrete walls, exposed brickwork, repurposed wood, and colourful soft furnishings adding warmth to the interiors.
“Mountains made home” is how the hotel describes itself on the website, which I think is an accurate description of the cosy communal spaces enveloped in the mountain views. The large open-plan lounge on the ground floor is divided into small seating sections using bookshelves, meaning you can have some degree of privacy without losing any of the views and space.
There are eye-catching vintage posters for Soviet-era mountain films (very niche!), and Russian books on the shelves, thereby acknowledging the Soviet origins of the hotel. Layering on top of this are Georgian designs, cuisine and hospitality to blend the two cultures together.
Given that the building lay abandoned for decade, it is now full of rustic-chic, life and colour.
Just staring at the mountains felt therapeutic to me, but the experience was helped by the provision of comfortable seats and sofas on the broad outdoor terrace on which to relax in front of the views. Just switch off your phone, and soak in the magical surroundings for a quick reset.
If it’s chilly you can head inside and relax on the soft leather sofas instead. Grab a book off the shelf and try to teach yourself Russian!
Rooms Hotel Kazbegi has a large swimming pool, on the lower floor, with the same sweeping views as the ground floor terrace. The sunbeds around the pool are arranged to face looking out of the windows so you can continue to enjoy the view at all times. In addition, there are loungers outside on the pool terrace.
For a deeper relaxation, then enjoy the sauna and steam room, and book in for a spa treatment.
As you’ve been looking at the Gergeti Trinity Church silhouetted against the opposite mountainside from the terraces of Rooms Hotel Kazbegi, then you’ll probably want to have a closer look at Georgia’s favourite church.
Referred to as the Tsminda Sameba Church by the Georgians, the church was built in the 14th century, 2200 meters above the town of Kazbegi.
You can reach the church in several ways:
In your own car – from the hotel simply drive through the village back to the Georgian Military Highway and pick up the road on the other side of the river. Follow the signposted narrow road up to the church passing fields of cows and horses, until it emerges at a grassy plateau with car parking at one end, and the church at the other.
By taxi from town – pick up a taxi from the centre of Kazbegi if you prefer. Decide whether you ask the taxi to wait for you (more pricey and with a time-constraint), order a return taxi when required, or walk down.
On an organised tour – if you are booked on an organised tour, then depending on the size of your tour bus, you might be ‘decanted’ from a large bus onto a smaller bus at the bottom of the mountain. This helps with the ferrying of people up and down the mountain on the small roads.
On foot – the hike up to the Gergeti Trinity Church is very popular. The Rooms Hotel Kazbegi was full of people in walking gear and poles, all dressed up and ready to undertake the hike after a hearty breakfast. The walk takes 1.5 hours each way, and is up/down a hill, so a certain degree of fitness is required. Take advice from the hotel Reception about the different routes you can take up the church as some are more strenuous than others.
On horseback – there are horse stables at the bottom of the hill, on the edge of the village, where you can book a horse ride up the hill to the church, thereby arriving in style!
This stone church stands in an incredible position overlooking the valley, but if you can tear your eyes away from the view, the church itself is very attractive. There are carvings on the outside walls of the church and on the bell tower, and the inside is decorated with beautiful frescoes and framed paintings of religious icons.
Note – remember to dress appropriately to enter the church. Women should cover their hair and legs: wrap skirts and shawls are available to borrow.
Historically, the treasures of Mtshketa, including St Nino’s Cross, were stored here in times of trouble, for example, in the 18th century during the Persian invasion of Tbilisi.
The Gergeti Trinity Church is extremely popular, so try to visit early in the morning or later in the afternoon to catch it before the crowds arrive.
Unsurprisingly, due to its mountain location, the town is also a tourist hub for those seeking outdoor pursuits. Some of the options available include:
Hiking – there are hikes catering for all levels, or at least those who don’t mind a few hills anyway:
Mountaineering – for experts who are practised and equipped, you can undertake the 6 -day mountaineering expedition to the summit of Mount Kazbek (over 5,000 meters). This involves crossing the Gergeti Glacier and acclimatising at the high-altitude Betlemi Hut on the way. , Save your stay at Rooms Hotel Kazbegi for a reward at the end. Note – there is a small Mountaineering Museum in the centre of Kazbegi.
Mountain biking – between June and September when there is less snow on the mountains, the Kazbegi region offers a variety of mountain biking trails and opportunities, from day outings to multi-day rides.
Heli-skiing – from January to March, several companies run heli-skiing opportunities for expert skiers.
Ziplining – fly on a 1,050 meter zipline from above Gergeti village to Kazbegi.
Rafting – a range of rafting is available on the River Tergi and in the nearby Juta or Truso valleys. Trips suitable for beginners or more experienced rafters between May and October.
Stargazing – whilst not energetic, it does involve staying up late to catch the stars the best against the darkest skies.
The Soviets built a cable car in 1988 to take people from the centre of Kazbegi directly to the Gergeti Trinity church, making it easier to access the church. Ironically, the Soviets had closed the church in the 1920s, before returning it to the Georgian Orthodox Church in the 1990s following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The cable car was never actually opened following protests from the locals who did not feel this method of mass transport to a coveted religious site was appropriate. Today, the Lower Terminal of the cable car lies in ruins in the centre of Kazbegi, on the opposite side of the road to the town centre church.
The front of the Lower terminal now features a large black and white mural called “Twin Towers” by Georgian-American artist David Paul Kay, added in 2019.
The Upper terminal of the cable car is no longer accessible on the mountain.
If you didn’t stop on your way up the Georgian Military Highway, make a brief visit to the tiny village of Sno to the south of Kazbegi, only 3 km away.
On the approach to Sno, you will find a field on the right hand side filled with monolithic stone carvings – a series of sculptures by local artist Merab Peranishvili, who was born in Sno.
I counted about 10 giant head sculptures set out on the hillside, each carved from different kinds and colours of stone, with different facial features and expressions. Each one represents a well known Georgian King, poet or writer, and also one who looks very much like Jesus.
The artist is still making the sculptures so expect more to be added over time. Having recently visited Rapa Nui (Easter Island), the sculptures immediately evoked the ancient Moai we had seen. These are a modern Georgian version!
Driving north from Kazbegi on the Georgian Military Highway for 10 km brings you to the Dariali Gorge, a natural rocky pass through the Caucasus mountains connecting Georgia and Russia, via the Kazbegi-Verkhniy Lars border crossing.
This is the transit point used by traders over the centuries. It was protected by the 13th century Dariali Fortress which sits on the rocks overlooking the crossing point. This north-south road connected with one of the ancient Silk Road routes running through Tbilisi and Mtshketa.
The modern border was closed by the Russians in 2006 and remained closed until 2010 when it reopened just to Armenian traffic. It then reopened to Georgian traffic in 2013. After Georgia chose not to impose sanctions on Russian for invading Ukraine, there was an increase of traffic through this border crossing. Georgia is in a challenging position, keen to align with Europe but taking care not to aggravate its neighbour to the north.
The Dariali Monastery Complex stands at 1,300 meters above sea level overlooking the start of the border crossing. It is a good stop, as far north in Georgia as you can legitimately drive without a visa for Russia.
It is a relatively new complex, built from 2005, although I didn’t realise it was so new as the Grey-Rose stone looks weathered and blends well with the Rocky Mountains surrounding it in the Dariali Gorge.
The Complex has several churches, a library, cafe, cheese making kitchen, shop and wine cellar. Its main church is modelled on a 11th century church in Nikortsminda. The river runs along the north side of the complex with the mountains behind, making it a pretty location.
As nowhere is perfect, here are a few perceived downsides of the Rooms Hotel Kazbegi for balance:
Busy Hotel – Rooms Hotel Kazbegi is a very busy hotel. As well as the usual visitors it attracts, the hotel hosts lots of tour groups, so there is a revolving door of people coming and going each day, which slightly punctuates the tranquility of its setting. In relation to this, the hotel could be a victim of its own success creating somewhere that everyone wants to stay!
Food and dining – we felt that this was the weak link in the chain at the Hotel. At times, it felt like the dining room was set up to prioritise the tour groups, who took up a lot of the communal tables and space with separate buffet options.
However, if you stay at the hotel, try the Kazbegi Kitchen dining room and make up your own mind, but have a couple of other options up your sleeve, just in case. Recommended options in town include: Maisi and Cosy Corner.
Cost – whilst not a cheap hotel, if you use Booking.com a lot to book accommodation then you might be able to benefit from Genius Level discounts to make Rooms Hotel Kazbegi fit with your budget. We kept costs down by grabbing a cheap Khachapuri (bread stick filled with salty cheese) from a local bread shop in the centre of Kazbegi for lunch – delicious, cheap and filling!
We loved our stay at Rooms Hotel Kazbegi, and it provided a memorable base in the mountains for a couple of days. The views were priceless and I definitely felt more relaxed after 48 hours in the mountain air.
I imagine the hotel would be lovely in winter – warm and cosy inside in front of fireplace, with snowy scenes outside – assuming you can make it safely up the Georgian Military Highway.
Definitely put a stay Rooms Hotel Kazbegi on your Georgian road trip itinerary. You won’t be disappointed!
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