The Washington Inquirer EditorGudauri Inn, a hotel operated by one of Georgia’s leading hospitality companies, Inn Group, is expanding with a new building next to the existing hotel, which will offer 32 high-class rooms with perfect views, a spa center, and a swimming pool.
CEO of Inn Group, Erekle Kokaia, said construction is due to be completed by next winter.
Located in the heart of Georgia’s popular ski resort of Gudauri, 4-star Gudauri Inn hotel features 92 stylish rooms with balconies and magnificent views of the surrounding mountains. The hotel is a perfect getaway for ski lovers and those who wish to relax surrounded by the majestic Caucasus mountains.
Q. Let’s start our interview by talking about the Golden Brand award. Gudauri Inn has become a favorite ski hotel of Georgian customers and experts. What does this recognition mean for you?
A. Each such recognition is a great honor and incentive for us, because it shows that we are on the right track.
It is the second year that the hotels located in the mountain resorts of Inn Group — Gudauri Inn and Bakuriani Inn — have won the Golden Brand, which is obviously a great incentive to continue to grow and develop, to expand our team, and to promote the development of tourism in our country.
Q. What special offers does Gudauri Inn have for its guests?
A. Gudauri Inn is a four-star hotel which is distinguished by impressive views from almost every floor, amazingly comfortable rooms, and delicious food. In the near future, we plan to add another building to the hotel, which will work for the premium segment and in which, in addition to the rooms, there will be a pool, sauna and jacuzzi.
Q. Since attention was mostly directed to Bakuriani, as it was hosting FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships this year, and the winter was not that snowy, how was occupancy at Gudauri Inn during the winter season?
A. January could have been better. Occupancy dropped to about 60%. Our expectation was about 80%. Fortunately we achieved this result in February, but as the season ended and the weather changed, occupancy dropped back to 60%.
It should be said that this winter was unusual. We don’t remember when there was no snow during the whole season in Bakuriani and Gudauri. The only thing that saved the season was the New Year, when occupancy rate is always very high. As soon as the New Year ends, if there is no snow, the demand for ski resorts drops. As soon as the snow fell the situation improved, especially in Bakuriani.
Q. Inn Group is continuing its expansion across the country with a new hotel planned for Akhaltsikhe in the southwestern region of Samtskhe-Javakheti. Please share some details of this project.
A. Akhaltsikhe Inn will be a 115-room, five-star hotel, which will feature a restaurant, swimming pool, sauna, gym, entertainment spaces with billiards and board games, a courtyard and conference halls.
The hotel will be suitable for foreigners, locals, and corporate clients.
There are often so many holidaymakers and travelers in the summer in Akhaltsikhe that the city can’t accommodate them all. On the other hand, the number of travelers decreases drastically during the winter. That is exactly why we will try to make Akhaltsikhe Inn attractive to corporate clients and businesses with solid offers. That’s why the hotel will have medium and large conference halls, with places to rest and a lot of space for entertainment.
With our new hotel, we want to promote this region among both foreign and local vacationers.
Q. What are your impressions of the newly-opened Gori Inn hotel?
A. When we announced that we were building a hotel in Gori, everyone asked, why Gori?
We have several answers to this question; the first is that Inn Group always tries to promote different regions of the country as we see potential in all the regions of Georgia, including Gori, and the number of hotel reservations confirms this. Our goal is to make the Shida Kartli region and its city of Gori as interesting for Georgians as it is for tourists. The interest is already quite high, but we think that Gori Inn will have many more visitors from spring onwards.
In addition we have created a number of jobs in the area, as 99% of the hotel’s employees are locals.
Q. Let’s talk about the Kutaisi Inn hotel in Georgia’s Imereti region, which has been named the most successful new hotel of the year according to research conducted by the Swiss Ratings Association. How did you achieve this?
A. It was a great honor for us to win this just a few months after the hotel’s opening.
Kutaisi Inn is the first 5-star hotel in Kutaisi, where guests are greeted with wonderfully comfortable rooms, delicious cuisine and a yard hidden among evergreen trees. This success is due to the efforts of each employee at Kutaisi Inn, as well as each of our guests, the people who entrust their vacation experience to us.
Inn Group and all its member companies continue their journey of development on the Georgian market, striving to be a symbol of Georgian hospitality.
