Hotel Patriot

Mestia sits at 1,500 metres in the Caucasus, and Hotel Patriot is a short walk from its centre, close to the Museum of History and Ethnography and the Mikhail Khergiani House Museum. The hotel is new, and it reads that way: fittings work, rooms are large, and the building has none of the wear common to older guesthouses in town. Family rooms come with private bathrooms, balconies, and a choice of garden or mountain views, each with a work desk and a small dining area. There is free WiFi throughout. A restaurant on site serves local, international and European dishes, with vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options, and breakfast is cooked fresh each morning. Outside, a terrace and an outdoor fireplace face the garden, and a children's playground sits nearby. You can arrange a cooking class or store skis on site, useful given Mestia's position as a base for skiing in the surrounding mountains. Staff are consistently mentioned by past guests for their helpfulness, from charging phones to explaining local sights. Kutaisi International Airport lies 209 km away, making Mestia a considered rather than casual stop. Check-in runs from 1pm. The hotel takes cash only.