Fifth Season Hotel
by the TopOfHotel team
Fifth Season is the small Juta lodge where you open the door to a wall of the Chaukhi peak — and every review agrees the view earns back every dollar you pay.
Fifth Season is the small Juta lodge where you open the door to a wall of the Chaukhi peak — and every review agrees the view earns back every dollar you pay.
In-Depth Review
Rooms and decor
Fifth Season Hotel is a small lodge in Juta, a village at 2,360 metres in the Caucasus near Kazbegi and Stepantsminda that travelers routinely pair with Gudauri. It holds a steady 9.1/10 on both Agoda and Booking.com across 715+ reviews. The rooms keep a simple Georgian-mountain look — warm wood and local fabrics — and run small, comfortable for two guests plus medium luggage and not much beyond. Reviewers are clear-eyed about the size but praise the execution: soft beds, clean linen, a bathroom that does its job. The one thing every review returns to is the window. Open it and the Chaukhi peak (3,842 m) fills the wall, which is why couples rate the location 9.7/10.
Food and amenities
Breakfast is included and reviewers single out the fresh-baked goods that come out each morning. The in-house restaurant turns out traditional Georgian plates — khachapuri, khinkali, hot soups — at prices that stay fair for somewhere this remote, and it is effectively your only dinner option up here, which is a feature rather than a flaw. Around the hotel sits the trailhead for the popular hike to the Chaukhi lake and glacier, the reason most trekkers book a bed in Juta in the first place. What you will not find is a spa, a gym or any drive-up convenience — this is a lodge, not a resort.
Location and getting there
Here is the catch to plan for: you reach the hotel on foot. Drive as far as the road's-end parking, then walk roughly 1 km uphill to the door, because no vehicle can make it up. The upside is real — with no cars, the setting is genuinely quiet, no engine noise at all. Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) is about a 50-minute drive (35 km), and Tbilisi International Airport is roughly a 2-hour drive away (120 km), so most guests arrange a transfer or rent a car for the climb up the Georgian Military Highway and the walk that follows.
Things to know before booking
Two honest caveats. First, the 1 km hike up from parking is non-negotiable and catches out anyone expecting to be dropped at reception — pack a daypack and travel light, or have your driver help carry bags. Second, the rooms are small, fine for two plus medium luggage but tight for anyone with big cases or a need for space. And to be plain, this is a remote mountain lodge with no spa, gym or road access, so the trade only works if the quiet and the view are what you came for.
Our take
For couples chasing a mountain view with nobody around, and for trekkers who want to fall out of bed onto the Chaukhi lake and glacier trail, this is the standout — a 9.1/10 stay with a 9.7/10 location score and a wall of the Chaukhi peak, all for a walk up the hill and rates from about $91 a night. If you would rather have full amenities and drive straight to the door, book Quadrum or Gudauri Diamond down in Gudauri instead.
Score Breakdown
Assessed by our editorial team from data and real guest reviews
The Honest Verdict — pros & what to know
- The Chaukhi peak at 3,842 m fills the whole window wall, the detail every review fixates on — couples rate the location 9.7/10.
- Breakfast is included and reviewers call out the fresh-baked goods, while the in-house restaurant serves traditional Georgian plates like khachapuri, khinkali and hot soups at fair prices for somewhere this far out.
- Staff are warm and genuinely helpful, speak good English, and go out of their way for guests according to the reviews.
- The hotel sits right at the trailhead for the hike up to the Chaukhi lake and glacier, which is exactly why trekkers book it as a base.
- Because no vehicle can reach it, there is no road noise at all — the setting stays quiet in a way village hotels rarely manage, and it holds a steady 9.1/10 on both Agoda and Booking.
- You reach the hotel on foot, roughly 1 km uphill from the road's-end parking, with no vehicle able to drive to the door — worth bracing for after a long transfer.
- Rooms are on the small side, comfortable for two people plus medium luggage but not much more, so anyone packing big bags or wanting space should look elsewhere.
- This is a remote mountain lodge, not a full-service resort — no spa, no gym, no drive-up convenience — so it only makes sense if the trade is one you actively want.
Who It’s For
Match Score by travel style
Amenities
Location & Nearby Spots
Things to do near Gudauri
Day tours, attraction tickets and experiences around Gudauri — book ahead on Klook with mobile e-tickets.
See activities in GudauriAffiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Insider Tips
- Pack a light daypack for the 1 km walk up and leave the heavy bags in the car if your driver can help carry, since no vehicle reaches the hotel door.
- Ask the kitchen to time your khinkali and khachapuri order; the Georgian plates come fresh and it is the easiest dinner up here with no other restaurants nearby.
- Set aside a half-day for the Chaukhi lake and glacier trail that starts at the hotel — it is the main reason trekkers stay in Juta over Gudauri.