Phenomenon of guesthouses in Armenia: competition not in favor of luxury hotels
Gayane Asryan
Jam-news.net
This summer, the weather conditions weren’t conducive to extended vacations in the regions of Armenia. Except for weekends, hotels always had vacant rooms, and there were even discounts available. Compared to last year, there were fewer visitors in 2024.
“Due to the rainy weather, people preferred to vacation in warmer destinations, somewhere abroad, by the sea. Local hotels were only busy on specific days when special events were planned to attract guests. On other days, the flow of visitors was small,” says inbound tourism manager Astghik Serobyan.
She believes that the hotels were not empty solely because of the weather. Recently, they have faced serious competition across the country from guesthouses. These guesthouses are significantly cheaper than hotels, while also offering a more personalized approach to all their guests. For those interested, such as foreign visitors, they provide the opportunity to interact with locals and get acquainted with the traditional local cuisine of specific regions.
How guesthouses have become serious competitors for hotels
“This year, many people reached out to me to ask, for example, which guesthouse I could recommend in Achajur, Goris, and other towns and villages across Armenia. When asked why they preferred a guesthouse over a hotel, they responded that they wanted to relax in a peaceful environment, interact with local residents, or the guesthouse staff. And, of course, they preferred to pay less,” says inbound tourism manager Astghik Serobyan.
She is confident that interest in guesthouses will only continue to grow in the coming years:
“Those who prefer a more luxurious vacation mostly seek options outside the country. In this situation, for hotels to remain competitive, they either need to reconsider their high prices or offer something special to their guests. For example, a children’s program, open-air concerts, recreational games, or something similar.”
As for international guests, Astghik claims that they thoroughly research hotel options through online platforms, check reviews, and mostly choose guesthouses located away from hotel zones:
“This year, I was also contacted by a couple from the UK. They wanted to book a week-long stay in a quiet place with few people, near a forest and a river. I suggested a comfortable guesthouse in the village of Debet. They left with a great impression.”
In all regions of Armenia, especially after the coronavirus pandemic, numerous guesthouses have opened. Of course, the primary goal for the owners is business. However, some claim that it’s important for them to show more people the beauty of the place they live in. In other words, they build their business on a special attachment to their town or village.
This approach, combined with unique additional offerings, attracts people. As a result, tourists from various countries come to the most remote corners of Armenia. Some want to learn about the daily lives of people in an unfamiliar country and experience its local color. Others simply want to retreat to solitude, surrounded by nature.
A guesthouse with a special touch
In the village of Debet, in the Lori region, there are several guesthouses. One of them was founded by a couple, David and Lilit. During the coronavirus pandemic, after a long search, they found an old abandoned house here. They immediately realized that this was the home they had been looking for—and even dreaming of.
“Despite being in ruins, the house was in a wonderful location, bathed in sunlight, with a view of the mountains. In 2020, we transformed it into a cozy guesthouse with four rooms. For us, it was a place filled with family warmth. And we decided that the name should reflect the fact that this place has a special charm,” says Lilit Chitchyan.
According to her, they have never had a shortage of guests, and the flow of tourists has always been steady. This encouraged them to expand. They added a more spacious and professional kitchen area, as well as three more rooms:
“No designers worked here. Everything is the realization of my ideas and my husband’s. Much of it was done with our own hands or by our relatives. We have two very important principles: the space must be clean, and the food must be delicious. We set everything up so that people can escape the urban environment and find themselves surrounded by nature, warmth, and harmony.
Guests here are offered homemade food, with recipes passed down from their grandmothers. The menu includes, among other things, nine vegetarian dishes specific to this region.
The founders explain that the six women working for them are from the village of Debet. They personally trained them on how to welcome guests, how to communicate with them, and how to serve food.
Currently, the guesthouse can accommodate up to 22 guests at a time. A range of additional services is offered, including hiking in the mountains, fishing, guided tours of the surrounding areas, and visits to nearby landmarks such as Akhtala, Odzun, and Sanahin, as well as the option to cook in the guesthouse’s kitchen.
“We have a very diverse group of guests—foreigners, families, individual visitors, and special groups like schoolchildren and yoga groups. By the way, we are also preparing to host those who prefer camping. Our entire space is very child-friendly, with all necessary amenities provided for them. Parents can even watch from the balcony as their children play,” says Lilit.
At the same time, according to Lilit, there are still challenges that need to be addressed. Specifically, staff training in English:
“To be fair, the women who work with us are resourceful and somehow manage to communicate with foreign guests. But I’m looking for an administrator with a good command of English. In this business, communication is the most important thing.
Our presence is also crucial. When my husband and I are here, we do everything possible to make our guests’ stay unforgettable. Seventy percent of people return or recommend us to their friends and acquaintances.”
A guesthouse located on the rooftop
Another guesthouse that has recently gained popularity is located in the village of Artsvaberd in the Tavush region. It’s a large village with many residents—nearly three thousand people. However, since it is situated near the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, concerns arise regarding the safety of staying in such a location.
Despite this, a guesthouse has been established here. It also offers guests the opportunity to explore the local nature, experience village life, and interact with the locals. The owners see their mission as preserving local traditions and promoting the region.
They began their advertising campaign on social media, asking real visitors who enjoyed their stay in the village to recommend it to their friends.
“We noticed growing interest in the village on social media, thanks to the active page about Artsvaberd. We thought we had the opportunity to make the village more attractive for tourism, and our idea proved successful. The flow of guests hasn’t stopped throughout the year. Of course, most of them come during the high season. We already have regular customers as well,” says founder Zohrab Duryan.
According to him, guests are pleasantly surprised when they see the amenities provided at their guesthouse—especially in such a remote village, far from the capital and deep in the countryside:
“Our visitors appreciate the cleanliness and comfort. But what they find particularly appealing are our homemade products, the delicious specialties of Tavush: butter made in a hand-operated churn, lavash baked in a tonir, an earth-dug oven, and local sweets.”
Zohrab assures that guests here never feel bored. They love taking walks in the surrounding areas and forests. However, what they value most—especially visitors from the capital — is what he calls the “endless supply of fresh air” in Artsvaberd. Foreigners, in particular, enjoy interacting with the local residents and listening to their stories about the village and their lives.
