Hotel Marco Polo Gudauri review, Georgia’s original ski-in, ski-out hotel

The first hotel ever built in Gudauri is still its biggest, with 123 rooms, an indoor pool, a spa and a bowling alley, a few steps from the slopes. I spent five nights at the Hotel Marco Polo during a ski week in Georgia’s Caucasus mountains, and this is my honest review.

I stayed at the Hotel Marco Polo Gudauri in late January and early February, on a hosted creator trip with Traverse and Georgia Tourism, with ski passes provided by MTA (Mountain Trails Agency). The hotel was my base for the whole week on the mountain, so I ate most of my lunches and dinners in its restaurant and came back to it between ski sessions. Here’s what it’s like, who it suits and whether I’d book it again.

My verdict: 4/5

The Hotel Marco Polo is the easy choice in Gudauri if you want everything in one place. You can ski almost to the door, and when your legs give up there’s a pool, a spa and a bowling alley downstairs. The bowling night and the pool party during my stay were both stellar, and so was the restaurant. Where it falls short is the rooms. Mine was comfortable, but there was nowhere comfortable to sit apart from the bed, and the bathroom was quite small. So for amenities I’d give it top marks, but there’s scope for improvement in the rooms.

• Best for: skiers who want to be close to the lifts, families, groups, and anyone who wants an all-in-one base.
• Not for: travellers after a small, characterful mountain lodge, or anyone who wants a spacious room to lounge in.
• Rooms: 123, plus three alpine chalets.
• Location: Old Gudauri, at about 2,000 metres, ski-in, ski-out.

Have a look at prices and availability at the Hotel Marco Polo.

A little history

The Marco Polo opened in 1988 and was the first hotel in the region, built when Gudauri itself was just getting started as a ski resort. It’s still the largest hotel in Gudauri, with 123 rooms and space for around 270 guests. Today the rooms and restaurant feel contemporary, with clean lines, wood and big windows facing the mountains.

The rooms

My room was bright and comfortable, with a big bed and a large window opening onto a balcony with views of the snow. After a full day of skiing, it was very easy to put my feet up.

The downsides were space and seating. There was nowhere comfortable to sit that wasn’t the bed, which matters when you want to pull off your ski boots or have a quiet drink before dinner, and the bathroom was quite small. It’s fine for a few nights of sleeping and showering between ski days, but it isn’t a room you’ll want to linger in.

Rooms range from standard doubles and twins through family rooms to junior and executive suites. For bigger groups there are also three alpine chalets, called Sno, each with four en-suite bedrooms, a shared living room with a fireplace, a kitchen and a terrace looking out over the slopes.

Eating at Soliko, the hotel restaurant

Soliko is the hotel’s main restaurant, serving Georgian mountain dishes alongside European ones. I ate a lot of my meals here, and it was one of the best things about my stay. The Georgian dishes are the ones to order: plates of pkhali (vegetable and walnut pâtés) topped with pomegranate seeds, bowls of lobio (a hearty bean stew), warm bread, grilled sausages with a rich cheese sauce and, of course, Georgian wine.

It’s the kind of food that makes sense after a morning on the slopes: warming, filling and made for sharing. The dining room is big and airy, with long tables that suit groups.

There’s also a lobby bar for a drink in the evening, and a bar in the pool area.

The pool, spa and things to do

The hotel’s facilities are what set it apart from most places to stay in Gudauri, and they’re where it really shines. I loved the bowling night, which was a really nice touch, and the pool party was stellar.

• Indoor pool: heated, with views out to the mountains, and a bar next to it.
• Spa: Finnish saunas, a steam room and massage treatments, which are exactly what you need after a few days of skiing.
• Gym: for anyone with energy left over.
• Bowling and billiards: a four-lane bowling alley and a billiards table. Bowling makes for a brilliant evening, especially in a group.
• Nightclub: for those who want to keep going after après.
• Tennis and padel courts: for the summer season.

Skiing from the Hotel Marco Polo

The hotel is ski-in, ski-out, close to the lifts, so you can be on the slopes soon after breakfast and back for lunch without a transfer. It’s in Old Gudauri, the original part of the resort, a short drive or shuttle from the bars and hire shops around the gondola base in New Gudauri.

My guide to skiing in Gudauri has everything you need for your trip, from lift passes and lessons to the slopes and après.

Practical information

• Address: Gudauri ski resort, Kazbegi municipality, Georgia.
• Getting there: about 120km from Tbilisi, a drive of around two hours on the Georgian Military Road.
• Check-in and check-out: check-in from 3pm, check-out by noon.
• Parking: free on site.
• Ski hire: there are plenty of hire shops around the resort.

Is the Hotel Marco Polo worth it?

Yes, if you want a convenient, fun base for a ski week in Gudauri. The location is hard to beat, the restaurant is excellent, and having a pool, spa and bowling alley under one roof makes the evenings easy. The rooms are the weak spot: comfortable for sleeping, but short on seating and with small bathrooms. If you’ll spend most of your time on the slopes, in the restaurant and around the pool, as I did, that matters less, and it’s why I’d still give it 4/5.

Check the latest prices at the Hotel Marco Polo, or browse other hotels in Gudauri.

Map

Read next

• Skiing in Gudauri, Georgia’s big-sky ski resort in the Caucasus
• Things to do in Tbilisi
• The best holiday destinations in February
• The best places to visit in winter

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