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Accommodation options in Oni Municipality are characterized by a prevalence of guesthouses and homestays, reflecting a warm and intimate lodging experience. They act as the “anchor” or connection to all other tourism services guests may need including information, food, tours, transportation, and souvenirs.
Some guesthouses, such as Family Hotel “Gallery,” (right) have become renown online through popular travel bloggers who have stayed and experienced the incredible hospitality of Rachuli people. While the number of hotels is limited, these alternative accommodations offer a unique chance for visitors to immerse themselves in the local community and culture. Most large hotels are located in nearby Ambrolauri. Camping is also an option for trekkers, though no official “bookable” campsites exist. According to the National Statistics Service of Georgia, there are 86 registered hotels and hotel-type businesses.
Guest Houses
Guest Houses
On Airbnb, 47 homestays are listed for the destination (23 in Oni, 11 in Utsera, 5 in Glola/Shovi, 1 in Ghebi, 7 in other rural areas) and 11 are listed on TripAdvisor. Many more in the area have no online presence and can only be found by word of mouth or Facebook. Some of these family hotels and hostels can be booked through Booking.com (6 properties) or other online platforms, but most require calling to reserve rooms via phone or WhatsApp with payment upon arrival or checkout. There are no cancellation policies. If the average “Family Hotel” can host 8-10 people, then the max capacity of the guesthouses in the region is between 450 and 850 visitors.
Hotels & Resorts
Hotels & Resorts
Before the disaster in Shovi, a plan to invest $50M USD and further develop the resort area envisioned receiving up to 1400 visitors at a time with an international standards 4-season resort, 5-star hotel, cottage rentals, restaurants, bars, conference center, and sports and entertainment facilities. The status of that plan is considered to be postponed indefinitely. Two other large resort hotels were once the infrastructure needed to support and service larger groups of visitors, however G&M Shovi-Racha Resorts is closed due to road access and Sunset Resort was all but destroyed in the landslide, both with no current plans to reopen anytime soon (as of Spring 2024).
With the development of Shovi resorts on hold, development in other locations such as Glola and Utsera will likely be prioritized. This includes the construction of a new Radisson brand hotel in Utsera, managed under Silk Road Hospitality, with 7 floors and 130 rooms. Estimated date of completion is early 2025 and will include a spa, wellness center and restaurant. With the addition of this hotel and including Hotel Tsesi, which is just on the border of Ambrolauri municipality, the hotel room inventory in the region will increase from 39 rooms to 122 rooms and the max capacity from 102 guests to around 286 guests.
It would be wonderful to get a database or spreadsheet set up and managed by the Tourism Cluster. This would be populated through a survey of all 86 registered hotels to understand the exact max capacity of the region in peak season, as well as their typical occupancy percentages, average length of stay per booking, and their revenue per available room (RevPAR - calculated by Rooms Revenue ÷ Rooms Available or by Average Daily Rate x Occupancy Rate). These numbers help to track the performance and success of destination marketing initiatives.
Capacity Building and Training
Capacity Building and Training
When it comes to being visitor ready or market ready, the accommodation services in Oni have room for growth through capacity building and training. The quality of accommodations varies, with an emphasis on warmth and community engagement rather than luxury. Improvements in the range of accommodations, including the addition of mid-range and upscale options, could enhance Oni's market readiness, appealing to a broader spectrum of travelers and contributing to the destination's overall tourism appeal. This mix of personalized service and potential improvements in technological conveniences suggests a nuanced landscape in guest services. Enhanced online reservation capabilities and streamlined communication channels could contribute to a more seamless experience, aligning with evolving travel expectations and further elevating the overall quality of guest services in Oni's accommodations.
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