Whether perched atop a mountain or put within a city, abandoned resorts have a spooky allure. Rooms, where pampered guests rested, now are full of dirt and grime. The buildings are almost destroyed and the nature creeps in to claim the remains. Though such resorts no longer attract crowds seeking spa treatments and leisure, still maintain their air of solitude and serenity.
The CheckPoints has got interested in the fate of two astonishing abandoned resorts in Georgia, these are Menji and Skuri resorts, both of them are located in Samegrelo region. Famous venues, widely known for their curing mineral water, became popular from 30-ies(thirties) of the XX(twentieth) century and early as 1940(ninety-forty) Menji hosted ten thousand visitors. When it opened, Menji SPA resort was a destination by Eastern European standards and considered as one of the best SPA vacation spot in Georgia.
However, this golden age didn’t last forever. When war broke out in Georgia in the 1990s, the region became less attractive to foreign tourists.
The hotel is abandoned for years, and still remains in that way today, but the interest towards the unique SPA resort is not down. 7 years ago, Chinese investors were visiting the resort. The government of Georgia even signed a memorandum with them. They planned to invest USD 200 (two hundred) million and employ over 1000 persons. Finally, the project failed and investors vanished.
The government of Georgia started to work on attraction of a new investor for the SPA Resort and listed it at the auction within the project frame of ‘the 100 Investment Offers for Business’. Initial price for the resort, locating on 180,000(one hundred eighty thousand) square m, was set at GEL 2.6 million, but the state could not sell it and the auction failed. The government of Georgia held another auction with reduced price in summer, which cost totaled to GEL 1.7 million, but the fact did not raise the interest of the investor either. The state announced the third auction with the same conditions a few weeks ago and we deeply hope that this auction will be finished in favor of Menji SPA resort.
The second Resort Skuri is located in Tsalenjikha Municipality, 450-500 (four hundred fifty to five hundred) meters above sea level. It is a balneo-climatic resort with a humid subtropical climate. The main healing factor for Skuri is mineral water. Surrounded by mountains, hidden in the greenery, it always attracted many tourists. Now abandoned for over a decade, the building of Skuri SPA Resort still bears the furnishings and fixtures of a hotel preparing to receive its first guests.
The locals say that in old Skuri, there used to be few problems and less thought here. Now the reality has changed- today Resort Skuri is facing such challenges, as lack of water, transport and road.
"There used to be a lemonade factory here, people were employed, there was a patriot camp, we all worked. Now, we do not have water, there is neither road nor transport. The governor and the representatives of the government have visited us and promised to solve the problems, but the dream remains as a dream", - the local resident declares.
There are only 23 families living in Skuri gorge today and their main concern is to solve everyday problems, for which they have to walk several kilometers every day.
In addition to everyday issues, locals also want to revive the resort's tourism potential, as they say the pandemic further emptied Skuri resort.
Visitors are rarely received, the youth gathering place Patriot Camp turned out unsuccessful and today, the infrastructure for the camp is abandoned as well.
Surrealistic environment may be the main criteria for which the investors are interested in Skuri, although the desire has never been followed by a plan and result.
New life in Skuri should have started in 2012 (twenty twelve), when the first hotel was built after a long pause at the resort, although the lack of infrastructure soon extinguished the enthusiasm of investors. Hopefully, temporarily.
