Review: Kars Konak Hotel, Kars, Turkey
This review details my experiences at the Kars Konak Hotel, a budget hotel in the city of Kars (Turkey).
Arrival
After an unexpectedly gorgeous bus ride from Georgia to Turkey I found myself in the city of Kars, where I would stay the next two nights.
Being a rather remote Turkish city, Kars doesn’t have the widest selection of hotels nor does it have the most appealing accommodation.
However, when it comes to budget and mid-range hotels there are some decent options in Kars.
I opted for Kars Konak Hotel, a centrally located hotel in which I had booked a single room at the rate of 26 euro per night including breakfast.
Kars Konak Hotel check-in
It was already close to 6pm by the time I arrived at my hotel, located on one of the main city streets.
Check-in by the English-speaking receptionists was a fast and friendly affair and the staff seemed happy to welcome a foreigner to Kars.
Judging by the clientele, most guests at the Kars Konak Hotel seemed to be Turkish travellers, which wasn’t a big surprise as this part of Turkey is well away from the beaten tourist paths.
Single room
My single room was located on one of the upper floors of the Kars Konak Hotel, which does have a small elevator right next to the staircase if you are carrying heavy luggage or have mobility problems.
Although my room was a bit cramped, it was nonetheless clean and comfortable and had all the amenities I could wish for a hotel in this price category.
My room had a small desk, TV, fridge and plenty of power sockets throughout the room.
WiFi internet was available as well and the connection was reliable and relatively fast.
Bathroom
The bathroom was pretty decent as well for a hotel in this price category.
Although it was also a bit cramped, it was clean and had a modern shower enclosure.
Location
Kars Konak Hotel has a central location in the city centre.
From the hotel, the train station is just a 15-minute walk away, while the Castle of Kars is just 20 minutes away on foot.
Within a radius of 10 minutes walking, you can find plenty of bars, restaurants and shops.
As I was getting quite hungry by the time I had settled in my room, I went looking for a place for dinner around the hotel.
Kars is well-known across Turkey for goose, but finding a restaurant that serves it was a bit trickier than I thought.
The first restaurant I got recommended was closed, and the waiter at the second one (Kamer Cafe & Restaurant) told me they didn’t have goose that day on the menu.
However, as he assured me that the other dishes on the menu were good too, I decided to stay and continue my search for goose meat the next day.
On recommendation of the waiter I first took the aubergine cream soup, which was delicious.
For my main, I went for the Iskender kebab, which tasted great as well.
Experience
Having finished dinner, I walked a bit more around the city centre of Kars, stopping for some tea and nargilah at a local café.
Afterwards I bought a beer or two and retired back to my hotel room to watch the Belgium vs. France World Cup semi final match (the trip took place in the summer of 2018).
Unfortunately, the French managed to beat a superior Belgian side and eventually went on to take the World Cup.
Kars Konak Hotel breakfast
Breakfast was included in my room rate and was served buffet-style in a dining room on the ground floor.
The breakfast spread was typically Turkish, featuring olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, meats, cheeses and pastries.
Overall, it certainly made for a decent breakfast buffet for a budget hotel.
Conclusion
Kars Konak Hotel turned out to be a great budget hotel choice for my stay in the Turkish city of Kars.
The hotel was centrally located, my room was clean and comfortable, and the price affordable.
If you are looking for an affordable hotel with friendly service and a good price-quality ratio, I can certainly recommend Kars Konak Hotel.
Trip report index
This article is part of the ‘Khachapuri & Kebabs: A Summer Trip to Georgia and Turkey‘ trip report, which consists of the following chapters:
1. Review: Wizz Air Bucharest to Kutaisi (Airbus A320)
2. A Day in Kutaisi, the Charming Capital of Imereti
3. Caves, Churches and Monasteries – A Kutaisi Day Trip
4. Review: My Warm Guest House, Batumi, Georgia
5. Beautiful Batumi – The Pearl of Georgia’s Black Sea Coast
6. From Georgia to Turkey: Batumi to Kars by Bus
7. Review: Kars Konak Hotel, Kars, Turkey (current chapter)
8. A Day Trip From Kars to the Ancient Armenian City of Ani
9. Goose, Cheese and Russian Remnants: A Visit to Kars, Turkey
10. Review: Dogu Express Night Train Kars to Ankara, Turkey
11. Review: AnadoluJet Ankara to Izmir (Boeing 737-800)
12. Review: Ege Palas Business Hotel, Izmir, Turkey
13. Izmir: Turkey’s Most Liberal and Liveable City
14. Ancient Ephesus: An Easy Day Trip From Izmir
15. A Visit to the Hilltop Wine Village of Sirince
16. A Beach Trip From Izmir to Cesme and Ilica
17. Foça: A Beautiful Seaside Town to Visit From Izmir
18. Flying Back Home With Atlasglobal and TAROM
