February 4, 2007 In Transit
Boutique Hotels Arrive in Armenia: Will Tourists Follow?
By JENNIFER CONLIN

If you’re thinking of spending your next vacation in Armenia … and,
really, who isn’t? – you’ll be happy to know that this former Soviet
republic now has its first boutique hotel chain. This may be a sign
that Armenia is truly ` in,’ or that boutique hotels are officially
`out.’

The owners of the Tufenkian Heritage Hotels
(_www.tufenkianheritage.com_ () ) are
hoping their three new properties will lure tourists to Armenia’s
mountainous countryside, set between the Black and Caspian Seas. Each
hotel features Tufenkian carpets, handmade by Armenian weavers, as
well as local cuisine.

At Avan Dzoraget, a 34-room hotel in Lori (on the main road to Tbilisi
rope/georgia/overview.html?inline=3Dnyt-geo ,
there is an indoor pool, a spa and a gym. At Avan Marak
Tsapatagh, on Lake Sevan – a popular lakeside resort town with outdoor
sports- the lodge is completely constructed of Armenian stone. Avan
Villa, a 14-room hotel 10 minutes from the city of Yerevan, however,
sounds the most stylish, with Frette linens and rooms with traditional
Armenian fireplaces – thekind used to make lavash bread. But the Web
site description also proudly mentions thatall Villa rooms have `hot
and cold water 24 hours a day’ – normally not a big selling point for
the average boutique hotel.

Copyright 2007
The New York Times Company ()

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress