Hotel Katerina Sarayi

The Kars River runs right in front, and the sound of the water is beautiful. You can hear it all day and night, but it never gets bothersome. The building and rooms have incredible design, and the staff were incredibly kind and helpful. Excellent location, and an excellent breakfast too.

The firelight across the wooden beams, the smell of old timber, heat, saffron, and baking bread, all gave the place a sense of living history. The thick stone walls and arched windows felt almost monastic, like a fortress that was still intimate. The architecture was magnificent, and the details at Caterina Sarrier felt chosen by someone who understands place, memory, and objects that have lasted through time. The people are what stay with me most. They didn’t just bring tea or blankets, they seemed to care whether I was truly warm. When they talked about the snow, the rail line, and the area’s history, I wanted to listen. Their voices felt woven from their homeland. Kars reminded me that hospitality can be a philosophy rather than a transaction. Out on the stone terrace in the cold, holding a steaming glass of tea as the icy wind crossed my face, everything slowed down. The fire behind me crackled as if sharing some old secret. It felt like the kind of moment life doesn’t give you often enough. Katerina Sarayi was 1877 has that rare feeling of drawing you in, as though you were meant to be part of it. From the threshold, I felt an old familiarity. The staff welcomed me with genuine warmth, as if, despite all the travelers they’ve seen, I was the only one who mattered. Even now, I can still hear the laughter around the fire and remember that calm feeling, as though the outside world had stopped for a night and let me simply be.

Breakfast was adequate, and the old building has furniture in the same old style. There’s no room service, and don’t expect your towels to be replaced. There’s no fridge or safe box in the room either. It’s a 15-minute walk from the city center.

For this price range, we were disappointed. The building and our room were beautiful, but the Wi-Fi in the room was too weak to use. They promised several times to fix it, but never did. Later they blamed the thick walls and number of guests, which was frustrating. There’s a river running in front of the hotel, with tables set up along it. It looks charming, but during our stay it smelled strongly of sewage, so sitting outside wasn’t appealing.