Zhukov Lug Guest house

Pretty good.

If you're planning a vacation for 15-20 people like I was, skip this resort. The free gazebos at Minsk Sea or Tsnyanka are a much better deal and won't hit your budget. We weren't expecting some "VIP luxury resort," either. A couple of days have passed, and the emotions have settled. I'm grateful to the people who came and supported me, not to the venue. They reassured me that once the celebration started, everyone would stop looking around and have fun. A bad experience is still an experience, I suppose. I booked closed gazebo number 7, listed for 25 people, for a birthday on July 19 with 16 guests. One of the invitees had been to Zhukov Lug recreation center three years earlier and had a generally good time, so I chose it. I paid the full amount in advance, as required. Their website listed ATV rentals, but when I messaged, they said those weren't available at the moment. Now I realize they may have been out of service. I also saw that volleyball, badminton, billiards, and table tennis could be rented for 10 rubles an hour, which seemed reasonable. We thought we'd decide about those on site. There are a few good things: it's near the city and you can get there by taxi; there's pine forest and clean air. One guest even said the toilets were surprisingly good, with paper and no smell. Soap only appeared around lunchtime, perhaps because there was one dispenser and it hadn't been refilled. No paper towels or dryer, but I wouldn't count that as a complaint. You can also leave your car in the parking lot outside overnight for free. The drive in is on a gravel dirt road, and rain made me worry about getting back out. Once inside, my first thought was that I wanted to leave. We found gazebo 7, and I went in, then straight back out. It felt like the start of a horror movie. The trees make it very dark. It's a standard wooden gazebo, with cobwebs in every corner. The light didn't work when we tried it, though it wasn't switched on at the time, and I doubt it would have helped much. I saw one outlet and switch, maybe there were more. There was a large refrigerator that looked ready to be put out of its misery. I kept thinking, "Get me out of here," then remembered I'd booked the place and invited everyone. Gazebo 10 was nearby, and we ended up staying there. It was better, with room for 35, wooden tables and benches, a refrigerator, and more outlets. I wanted to ask the administration to switch us to it. Honestly, I wanted to leave altogether, but it was already after 1 p.m. and we wouldn't have figured out another plan until evening. At the office, there was a queue, though not many people were there. The paperwork took a long time because there were unexpectedly many guests and the administrator didn't seem to know how to speed things up. They could have handed out contracts for people to fill in while waiting. I don't blame the administrator; she seemed a bit overwhelmed by all the guests and questions. Two people were ahead of me, and everyone had to stand around until each person was processed. I asked about gazebo 10. She checked with someone, got approval, and told me it would be 350 rubles, so 100 more. I agreed and filled in the contract. I didn't read it, which I should have. That matters later.

We went on Sunday, June 16, 2024, for our child's birthday and had booked a large gazebo. The listed price was 600 rubles, though they offered it to us for 400. There was just one other occupied gazebo at the entire recreation center, so it felt like they were trying to squeeze the few customers who showed up. The wooden tables and benches were part of the deal, along with a refrigerator that was falling apart. But then they wanted another 70 rubles per hour for the kids to play near our already-paid gazebo with their own badminton set or ball. Yes, 70 an hour to use their own ball nearby, beside a shabby gazebo and leaky barbecues. The children were afraid to play. Shameful greed. I've never seen anything like it. Highly recommend it! Be careful!

We had a corporate event here on June 14, 2024, and even with the rain, the welcome was very warm. The manager was understanding about all our requests, and we had a successful outing. Thank you so much. A shuttle service for getting people there would be useful.