Mountain Guide hotels on Elbrus are chosen to suit the particular programme, the dates and the make-up of the group. For most of our summer and winter trips Terskol makes a convenient base; for certain purposes we look at options near Cheget or on the Azau meadow. The name of the hotel, the room type, the meals and any extra services are confirmed before payment.
This page lists the properties that Mountain Guide uses or considers for accommodating participants. It is not a promise that you will automatically be placed in any of them. Availability changes in high season, and one programme can call for quite different logistics from another.
In brief: our main options
Hotel Alamat — Terskol
Mountain Guide’s main working base in Terskol. The Rock’N’Rent hire shop is next door, so participants can collect and adjust equipment without travelling to another part of the gorge.
Smile — the Cheget junction
A large hotel option beside the turning for the Cheget meadow. It suits groups for whom separate rooms, a restaurant and hotel facilities matter.
Azau Star — the Azau meadow
A four-star hotel complex on the Azau meadow. It is chosen when being close to the bottom station of the south-side cable car is essential to the programme.
Hotel Alamat in Terskol
Hotel Alamat stands in Terskol at 66 Elbrusskaya Street. Its official website carries genuine photographs of the hotel and its rooms, contact details, a map and a form for enquiring about dates. For Mountain Guide it is a convenient base, because a participant can stay in the valley, prepare for the walks and settle equipment questions in one part of Terskol.
Equipment hire from Rock’N’Rent is at the next address along — 66A Elbrusskaya. The catalogue holds mountaineering boots, crampons, ice axes, helmets, harnesses, clothing, and trekking, ski and snowboard equipment. Hire is a separate service: what it covers and what it costs are set by the programme or by the participant’s own request.
If a tour card states accommodation in Terskol without naming a hotel, that does not guarantee Alamat. Mountain Guide gives the specific property and the room category in the written confirmation.
The Smile hotel by Cheget
Smile stands on the edge of Terskol at the junction for the Cheget meadow. The hotel’s official pages and Kavkaz.RF give 70 rooms in economy, standard and de luxe categories, Wi-Fi, a restaurant and a bar, and a playroom for children. Some rooms have balconies.
This option can suit a large group or a trip tied to the Cheget area. But being close to one part of the resort does not mean a participant can walk to every point they need. For skiing on Elbrus and for the start of the programme, transport is checked all the same.
We do not promise a free transfer, a particular room, meals or any other additional service simply because it was once mentioned in a description of the hotel. Anything that matters for the trip has to appear in the confirmation from Mountain Guide or from the hotel itself.
Azau Star on the Azau meadow
Azau Star stands on the Azau meadow and presents itself as a four-star hotel complex. The point of this location is how close it is to the bottom station of the south-side cable car. That can suit short high-altitude programmes, a private format, or a trip where going up by cable car each day matters more than the facilities of Terskol.
The room category, meals, spa, parking, equipment storage and transfers are confirmed for the specific dates. Do not carry the description of one rate or one room across to the whole hotel.
Terskol, Cheget or Azau
Terskol
Works as an all-round base for both living and organisation. It is easier here to bring together accommodation, equipment hire, shops and departures to different points in the gorge. That is why many Mountain Guide programmes start or finish in Terskol.
Cheget
Makes sense for trips tied to the Cheget meadow and for people who like this part of the Elbrus region. When choosing, check where the main skiing or the group meeting point will be: Cheget and Azau are different areas.
Azau
Gives quick access to the bottom station of the Elbrus cable car. For equipment hire, meetings, walks and trips along the gorge, though, separate transport may be needed.
The general geography is explained in the article “Elbrus on the map of Russia and the Caucasus”.
How accommodation relates to the climb
In the first days participants usually stay in the valley and go out on acclimatisation walks travelling light. Later the programme may include one or more nights in a high-mountain hut. A hotel and a hut do different jobs and are not substitutes for each other.
Read the exact day-by-day plan and the “What the price includes” section. If the programme changes because of the weather or the group’s condition, extra nights in the valley or on the slope may be charged separately.
The high-altitude options are described on the page “Our huts on Elbrus”.
How accommodation relates to a ski tour
On the 2, 3 and 7-day ski programmes accommodation is in Terskol. The specific property — Panda Hostel or Hotel Alamat — is confirmed subject to availability. A basic set of skis or a snowboard is included, while meals, an instructor, transfers, clothing and extra nights are ordered separately.
A detailed comparison is published in the article about a skiing holiday in Terskol.
What to check before you pay
- the name and exact address of the property;
- the dates and the number of nights;
- the room type and the number of beds;
- a private or a shared bathroom;
- whether meals are included and at what times they are served;
- whether an early breakfast before departure is possible;
- storage and drying of equipment;
- parking and the rules for driving in;
- early check-in or late check-out;
- cancellation, rescheduling and an extra night;
- who meets the group and who to call if you are delayed.
If an important service is not stated in writing, do not assume it is included. A photograph of the restaurant does not confirm meals in your rate, and a photograph of a large room does not confirm your own category.
Twin and single accommodation
The base price of many group programmes is calculated for a particular form of accommodation, most often twin. A single room depends on availability and is paid for separately. If you are travelling alone, check in advance whether sharing is possible or a supplement is required.
For a family, list all the children and their ages. An extra bed, a cot and the possibility of putting the family in one room are confirmed before payment.
Early starts and meals
Climbs, training sessions and transfers can begin earlier than the usual hotel breakfast. Ask whether an early meal, a packed lunch or a self-service option is provided. Do not leave this question until the evening before you set off.
If you have a food allergy or strict dietary limits, send the list in advance. The phrase “there is a restaurant” does not guarantee a special menu.
Equipment and baggage
Before you check in, divide your things into baggage for the valley, a set for the hut and a small rucksack for the walks. Ask where you can leave a suitcase during the high-altitude part and whether there is somewhere to dry your boots.
If you are hiring equipment, agree a time to try it on. Mountaineering boots and crampons cannot be collected a few minutes before you leave for the slope.
Frequently asked questions
Which hotel does Mountain Guide use most often?
Hotel Alamat is the main working base in Terskol, but the actual property depends on the programme, the dates and availability.
Can I choose the hotel myself?
On a private programme — once the logistics have been agreed. On a group trip, changing it yourself can complicate meeting points and transfers.
Are meals included?
Only if they are stated on the tour card or in the written confirmation. What is included differs from programme to programme.
Can I come with a child?
Whether accommodation is possible depends on the property and the room category. Whether the mountain programme itself suits a child is assessed separately.
Where is the hire shop?
Rock’N’Rent operates in Terskol at 66A Elbrusskaya Street, next to Hotel Alamat.
How do I book an extra night?
Tell us the dates before you pay for the tour. Extending later is possible only if a room is free.