The Expansion of Georgia’s Winter Resort Goderdzi

Georgia’s Goderdzi ski-resort will meet its visitors this year with a new hotel, more developed internal roads, extended ski slopes and a new restaurant.

First established in 2015, Goderdzi is located in a unique climate zone in the Adjara region, on the Goderdzi Pass just 100 kilometers from the Black Sea coast and 2000 meters above sea level. It is three times larger than Georgia’s other well-known mountain resorts Gudauri and Bakuriani.

Director of Goderdzi Resorts, Malkhaz Makharadze, says that construction of several hotels is also underway, noting they might not be completed before the opening of the tourist season.

“All the constructions, hotels and food facilities here are being built by the private sector. At this stage, only a 13-room hotel is completed, which will be able to accommodate tourists this year. In addition, construction of a further eight hotels is also underway,” he said.

Makharadze also spoke about the infrastructure of the resort, describing the internal roads which are being arranged to connect to the central route next year.

“Bakuriani was being built for 30 years, Gudauri – 25. We are a new resort; we opened three years ago and we are slowly moving forward. Most of the interior of the resort has already been arranged and we have added 800 meters of road this year,” he said.

He went on to highlight that the resort will likely have a new restaurant this year, but emphasized that this depends on the owner company and the weather conditions.

“Now, construction of a 500-person restaurant is underway. If the weather in September-October and early November is good, it is likely that the restaurant will be completed this year. This is a private investment, worth about GEL 4 million,” he added.

By Thea Morrison