The island of peaceful vacations: Concept Hotel in Lori, Armenia
by Nane Vardanyan
Al-fresco yoga, afternoon walks in nature, and cozy wine and cheese evenings under the starry sky are some things you’ll enjoy doing on the small island of peaceful vacations: COAF’s Concept Hotel.
Since its opening in 2018, COAF’s first social enterprise, Concept Hotel, has become one of the sought-after destinations taking local and international tourists to Armenia’s greenest northern Lori region.
The breathing nature and the minimalism of the hotel help unwind and escape from the buzz and speed of city life. The simplicity of things people enjoy in the hotel makes it attractive for family vacations, friends’ getaways, and little honeymoon lovers. You can see it by simply scrolling down the Instagram and Facebook pages of the hotel, where they often share images taken by their guests.
Recently Concept Hotel has the heart of international tourists in particular. To date, the hotel has welcomed guests from over 35 countries. “We’ve lately had many visitors from Russia — they encompass almost 60% of our guests,” mentioned the COAF SMART business and operations deputy manager Seda Mkhitaryan.
“Staying in such a hotel is not a common experience. I recommend it — it is a real experience! A real surprise to find such an incredible hotel in such a location. An architectural gem with spacious rooms, very nice interior, with a beautiful view of the mountains,” mentioned a traveler from Georgia in his review on Booking.com.
A beloved activity of Concept Hotel guests is the free tour of the adjacent COAF SMART educational center. The love for education is one of the common values connecting the hotel with its guests. “Unique experience of a modern stylish hotel in the middle of a remote region with a beautiful scenery and very inspiring idea about education” is another review left by a Russian traveler.
With the view opening to Debet village from the 12 cozy rooms of the hotel, you won’t want to leave your room. Though the current construction of the COAF Conference Center, taking place next to the hotel, causes a slight inconvenience to the guests in terms of the view, when learning that COAF’s yet another investment will advance the local communities, most of the guests are truly understanding of it.
Toward the high tourism season this summer, the hotel offers a new menu full of all-time favorite dishes from Armenian and international cuisines.
As always, all proceeds of the hotel benefit COAF’s rural advancement initiatives in rural Armenia. So, when booking your next trip, your well-deserved rest will do good not only for others but also for the children and their families in the most neglected villages of Armenia.
