Очередной развод Another divorce

The whole truth about the Alex Beach Hotel (Alex Beach 4 *), per. Zvanba 1, Gagra, Abkhazia So, choosing a May vacation with a child, we first went to Turkey. Since the prices for good hotels there have recently ceased to please us with affordability, we decided to look at something else, and, succumbing to the wave of patriotism-2014, we decided to choose something in the ruble zone. Sochi and its surroundings have disappeared, since prices there are close to Turkey, and it was stupid to hope for quality. I suddenly remembered the dark horse - Abkhazia, about which we heard only that there are hospitable people and delicious food. Rejoiced that this is what we need, we began to study the proposals. Paying tribute to the Alex hotel and its Moscow management, I admit that they invest in advertising more than other Abkhaz hotels, so it seems that apart from Alex, Abkhazia is in complete collapse and devastation. We were also tempted by photographs of famous people resting there, so we did not expect dirty tricks. Having paid a considerable sixty-four tr for ten days for a ticket, we began to prepare for the trip. . So, the first mistake - DO NOT THINK OF PAYING THIS hotel, and in general in Abkhazia, the entire amount in advance, because the money paid here is often considered yesterday, which you can already forget and not work out. Naturally, we didn’t know this, and we were going to come quickly in anticipation of eating shish kebab and fresh herbs. We even decided to arrive five days earlier by "savages", having found something along the way. Having landed at the Adler airport, and surprised by the tricks of turning the region into a piece of developed Europe, we were full of impressions. The road to Gagra did not take long, and at dusk we marveled at the abundance of large flowering trees. What a wonderful country - Abkhazia, and even the road is flat and without holes - there was no limit to our surprise! In Gagra in the dark, we stayed at the Abaata hotel, which is at the very entrance to the city from Russia. The hotel was inexpensive (from eighteen hundred per room) and did not include meals. We were a little disappointed as our wonderful 4-star Alex promised half board, where the tables were supposed to be bursting with Abkhaz dishes! After living there for five days, we realized that everything was not so bad, because due to the inexpensive cost of the hotel, we had enough money to buy food in the hotel restaurant and the Abkhaz restaurant, which was very close. There was an even more inexpensive cafe across the road where locals ate and the food was quite homemade, including kebabs, Abkhazian meat, tangerine juice and truly wonderful homemade wine. There we found exactly what we were looking for in Abkhazia - namely, hospitality, modesty (we were even given a discount and did not take anything for an extra bedding set), home furnishings and delicious food. There was a beautiful Tsarist-era park nearby with many unique old trees and palm trees, where you could walk and enjoy the sea and fresh mountain air. We complained a little about the neglect of the park and the beach and convinced ourselves that ALEX would probably wipe their noses. Five days have passed, I didn’t really want to leave, but the money was paid - and now we are going by taxi to the Alex Beach Hotel. Turning into a nondescript lane in the middle of the city and driving out to the sea, we saw this widely advertised miracle, which looked a bit like a typical private mini-hotel near Moscow. Alex Beach Hotel looked new and shiny both inside and out. Numerous framed certificates and gratitudes proudly hung on the wall at the reception desk, and the girl behaved importantly, as if we had come to the Kremlin for an appointment with the president. Immediately seeing that we were with a child, the girl announced that if we wanted to sleep on the second bed, we would have to pay ten thousand rubles for an extra bed. a place. Naturally, we did not pay anything, to which we were told - settle in, and I will discuss this issue with the management later. The solution of the issue took a day of numerous reminders, and in the end they did not take money from us - which was a rather strange concession, since we had three guests in the contract. We were settled in a spacious and quite comfortable two-room suite overlooking the pool and the sea. Everything in the room was new, soft and looked nice. . The bathroom had a corner bath, but no separate shower or hydromassage, which you could have counted on for the money. It didn't really bother us though. What was worse was that right below us was a restaurant that had loud entertainment in the evening. Bass from massive speakers freely penetrated through the floor and the bed right into the skull : ) The next morning we said that such a "luxury" does not suit us and we would like to move higher. To which we were told that we would have to pay extra for the cost of a standard room (! ). Again, we did not react to this attack, so after two days they had to move us free of charge. This was the end of the hotel's concessions, and all our other questions, requests and complaints throughout the stay were absolutely and emphatically ignored. We were never allowed to see the director, despite the inscriptions on the wall, promising his personal participation in all matters. Many will say that we "snickered", but if we remember that we paid for a foreign five-star hotel - two hundred dollars a day, we can be understood. Further, the history of our stay was no less interesting. On the third day, we learned that the hotel was running a "50% vacation" promotion and giving out discount coupons on the BigLion website, and that soon the main mass of vacationers would be for this promotion. According to the action, the cost of a "standard" room was about nine hundred rubles per person per day with two meals a day, that is, for participants, vacation at sea was almost free. Accordingly, one can imagine what a buffet was for this money. The breakfast was modest, the same every day, and differed mainly in whether or not they would give pancakes that day. Usually they didn't. There were a couple of cereals, scrambled eggs or scrambled eggs, some chopped vegetables and fruits, dairy products, confectionery, cottage cheese casserole - it doesn’t taste like anything else, I don’t remember anything else. More or less edible was only what the hands of the cook did not reach, since she apparently rarely tries her food (most likely she fears for the health of her stomach). Lunch was noticeably worse than breakfast - there was practically no meat as such, the cheapest Russian sausages were always available, and there was rarely chicken. Savings on the quality of the ingredients were felt both by the tongue and by the well-being after dinner. Heartburn was common. It was funny to watch the "couponers" choke on a bunch of these sausages, just to eat more than they paid for their stay. There were no juices, not even WATER, neither at lunch nor at breakfast, there was only some incomprehensible, highly diluted compote. In fact, at dinner there were only a couple of salads, a couple of soups and a couple of second courses to choose from, the qualities of an ordinary Russian dining room. There was no Abkhaz cuisine as such. There were no desserts or pastries. For several days, when there were less than 40 people in the hotel, the lunch buffet was canceled and taken out "at the norm", which hinted that you immediately bought supplements from them for an extra charge. fee to soothe an empty stomach. I will skip the description of our complaints about the hotel and the attempt to return the money for the food, as it was all like talking to the wall. Recall that the laws in Abkhazia are very nominal, so no one is afraid of anything. Interestingly, the penny promotions at Biglion included, in addition to accommodation, excursions, spa services, picnic barbecues, tastings, billiards, mineral water at the entrance, and so on. With us, for four times more money, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING was included, except for a poor two meals a day and a visit to the sauna. At the same time, all the hotel staff considered this absolutely normal and did not offer us ANY compensation, even if only in the form of a hydromassage. I have never seen such inhospitality and intractability anywhere before. The hotel employees, with the exception of a couple of people, were usually unfriendly, often had displeased or appraising looks, and sometimes openly rude. The waitresses were especially sullen - they looked as if we had come to their house, kicked the door open and ate all their food from the refrigerator. One openly stated that there are such guests here that 40 people eat the norm for 80. I willingly believe this, but what did they want from the Biglion contingent? There were only sun loungers on the beach from the hotel, there were no umbrellas, in the scorching sun, they answered "not allowed" to a request for an umbrella. The grill cafe and the beach bar were closed in May. The staff lowered the sunbeds down the stairs and put them in a pile next to them, then carry them yourself, while the boy shouted "not to wear far. " After all, he still has to carry it back. Household garbage, which was left on the beach by hotel guests, was not removed. Right next to the hotel, a stream flowed into the sea with the presence of sewage in the water, which sometimes became obvious by smell. Although, in principle, the city beach of Gagra was not so bad compared to other beaches of the Black Sea (even European ones) and could boast of clear water in calm. Rented housing in the vicinity was available in abundance - both hotels and holiday homes, and the private sector, at prices ranging from five hundred rubles to three tr, depending on the category. And quite good quality, which did not always depend on the price. . Alex should be given credit for competent advertising, but it would be nice to work on the quality of the rest and decide who his main client is demanding people who pay more, or is it a budget holiday for penny shares. So far, the second one is out. In general, Abkhazia is quite suitable for recreation, you just need to choose the right accommodation. There are still few decent hotels, but they exist and are cheaper than Alex. For example, there is a boarding house Boxwood Grove, which, despite its inconspicuous name, may well compete with some Turkish hotels in terms of quality of rest and infrastructure, and beats them on the spot for the price. There is a Pine Grove, it is simpler, but closer to the people. There is a good hotel in Abaat and the place is much more suitable for relaxing if not in high season. There are many things, but it is difficult to find out about it on the Internet. You can also eat well, but, unfortunately, not everywhere. Having your own transport would be very useful in Abkhazia.