Hotel Izumrud

The hotel itself is acceptable and the cleaning is done, but the food is absolutely awful. Although there is a buffet, the choice is small and disgusting for a four-star hotel. The service was effectively zero. We arrived five hours before check-in, went out for a walk, and I then had a women's health problem. I explained everything at reception, but they only listened and said they couldn't help. I sat soaking wet in the lobby for three hours. When my husband and I asked for another blanket, we were refused because only one per family was allowed. It was a terrible experience.

Be aware that the management may show complete indifference to guests' health and safety. We booked a private transfer to the train station through reception. The driver arrived looking glazed over, with a flat tire. We stopped at a tire shop and then at a store because he wanted a chocolate bar and an energy drink. At the border we left our luggage in the car while going through customs, and my backpack remained with the driver for about 10 minutes. At the station, 45,000 rubles were missing from it. The driver was the only person who could have taken the money, since the backpack had otherwise stayed with me. We notified management because they arranged the transfer, but received no response or apology. The car was a white sedan with license plate number 081. We contacted the police, yet the hotel still has not provided the transfer company's contact information. The dining room food is disgusting and can make you sick, at best. Management apparently knows this and tries to avoid responsibility with a warning placed in every guest file: "To avoid a charge for damaged bed linens, please flush any vomit yourself. Otherwise, a charge of 100% of the linen cost will be charged, based on the damage list price."

Our group of nine stayed from May 1st to 4th, and everyone was happy. The rooms are very spacious and include face, foot, bath, and beach towels, plus robes. Slippers are inconvenient, but that wasn't a serious issue. Bring your own shampoo and toothbrush. There is a hairdryer in the shower. The pool is heated, the beach is well equipped, and reception answers questions within minutes. The food is simple but tasty, so nobody goes hungry, and the hotel handled being fully occupied well. We unfortunately needed the first aid station, where the nurse was very knowledgeable. We'll definitely return.

We spent the first week of July there, two adults, and paid about 170,000 rubles including the flight from Saratov and the transfer. The food had plenty of variety, the sea was clean and beautiful, and the room was cleaned whenever requested. The elevators worked, and even lower floors can have a sea view. The beach is just 100 meters away, while the pool is attractive, though we preferred the sea. The only real drawback was yellow tap water. Bottled water was always provided in the room. Since this wasn't our first trip to Abkhazia, arranging excursions was easy and we went wherever we wanted. The nature is something else, and we want to come back again and again.