The Friends & Sauna Hostel

I stayed here twice, once in October and again in December. The garden is gorgeous, and I got work done from a hammock there. In December I was eating fresh persimmons, too. There were travelers from lots of countries, and I met some great people, including cyclists who'd ridden all the way from Europe to Georgia. Practicing English with guests was fun, and the number of Spanish speakers even got me interested in learning Spanish. The rooms are spacious and the hostel is very warm. The kitchen has everything you need. A Ukrainian guy cooked amazing borshch and bograch. The place is alcohol-free, though you can buy a good range of wine and snacks, so hanging out together was still easy and fun. On cold, rainy days, the sauna, which I was there for the opening of, was perfect. I also went to hot springs with the owners. There's a workspace, and you can borrow umbrellas and raincoats to go into town. The owner loves hiking, and the hostel sells thermoses, flasks, and other small bits of hiking gear.

I wouldn't stay here again. My private room was comfortable, but the rest of the property felt messy and unclean, especially the kitchen. The staff were rude and unwelcoming. The sauna costs an extra 50gel, and children live at the hostel. EDIT: Avoid at all costs! I paid upfront, so the situation they described never happened. I noticed they posted the same thing about other people after those guests left low reviews. The people working there don't speak enough English to have written this.

The garden has fruit trees and a green space, and inside there are comfortable rooms that stay quiet at night. There are also table games and chess to play with other travelers. I spent two days at The Friends hostel and had a nice time. Alex& Elena were cheerful, hospitable hosts, and we had some interesting conversations and good times together. It's a nice place to stay while traveling. Big thanks to Alex & Elena!

I stayed five days and felt completely at home. Alex and Helen are so warm, and the volunteers are friendly and always willing to help. Their kids are lovely, and you can see the care and effort they've put into creating such a welcoming community in Kutaisi. The ladies room was warm during my winter stay, and the two bathrooms were clean. It's a great place to relax and meet lovely people. I'd love to come back.