Star Riyal Hotel

The staff were genuinely kind, friendly, and helpful, and I had a great one-night stay. I paid 2000 TRY for a standard double room. It was clean and good, with a very comfortable bed, working AC, a modern en-suite shower, and no odd smells. The full buffet breakfast was included, freshly made and delicious. The restaurant is on the 5th floor, with lovely views of Mount Ararat, the town square, and the adjacent mosque with its Stork nest 😍.

I was trying to book a room from the USA, but couldn’t get anywhere. The website is poor, with only descriptions and pictures, no prices or way to choose a room and check availability. There’s no way to book through other sites like Expedia or Trip Advisor either. In the end I called the old-fashioned long-distance way, since there was no Whatsapp. Someone answered but couldn’t speak English. However I tried to ask for a reservation, all I got was “no”.

The rooms were nice and clean, and the breakfast staff were amazing, cheerful, kind, and really helpful. Reception was great when we arrived too. The evening receptionist, though, was very mean and wouldn’t help us. He kept saying “no” to things we’d already agreed on with his colleagues. It all worked out in the end, but I guess you have to stick to your position.

The rooms are comfortable enough, but you can’t book online, and prices seem to vary. They also switch off the AC during the day so the system can cool down.