Arstaa Hotel

The location is the strongest point. Everything is close, including the beach, with New Gagra and its embankment on one side and the old part for walking on the other. A nearby bus stop goes toward the border or Pitsunda. We stayed on the fourth floor, where the mountain view was better than looking at a wall. The balcony worked well for drying clothes, reading, or having a glass of wine. The room was spacious enough for three, and the refrigerator and air conditioning worked perfectly. We didn't use the TV. The large bed was comfortable, but the sheets were too small for it, and noise from neighboring rooms carried through. Service was nothing special, though it matched the region as a whole. The bar needs to lower its expectations, this isn't Krasnaya Polyana. After I paid, they handed me the key without explaining anything. There was no information in the room, so I had to ask around about breakfast, keys, and other details. The shower had sand in it at check-in, and parts of the room were dusty. We didn't want additional cleaning despite the street sand, but they cleaned it anyway. Breakfasts were meager and offered little choice. Since I don't eat dairy, I might be left with cottage cheese and milk porridge, and they could run out of tea bags. It may be easier to skip breakfast, as there are plenty of places to eat nearby.

For the price, this 3-star hotel is a C-star 😃, and that was pretty much what we expected. The rooms are equipped for a comfortable stay with a bed, two nightstands, a coffee table, wardrobe, desk, chair, sofa, shower, and balcony. There are sea-facing and mountain-facing sides, though the hotel isn't on the coast, so the view is only slight from the third or fourth floor. There is no elevator, and the second-floor balconies look at the neighboring building's wall. Housekeeping came every other day, with bed linen and towels changed. The sink and toilet were cleaned only once in nine days, then again on the eighth day. Breakfast was also C-star, usually rice or oatmeal porridge plus eggs, an omelette, cheesecakes, pancakes, or croutons, with tea. Coffee was served twice. Hot water was missing one morning on both the eighth and ninth days, and the Wi-Fi had similar problems. Even when the water returned, the Wi-Fi was never repaired.

We were there in June and July 2021 and came away delighted. The girls on staff were friendly and always willing to help. Everything we needed was provided, including an iron, hairdryer, kettle, and other things. The food was tasty and filling. Our room was cleaned several times, the rubbish was taken out often, and the linens were replaced more than once. We really liked the whole stay.

For 1000 rubles, the double room with breakfast was perfectly fine. The only real issue was a shower that was a little broken. Everything else included clean linens, air conditioning, a refrigerator, and a big balcony with a table and two chairs. Breakfast was healthy and tasty, with a homely feel that took me back to childhood. Thank you.