Envoy Hostel Recognized as Armenia’s Best
Armenia’s relatively new Envoy Hostel, where guests can learn Armenian and participate in games and movie nights in addition to receiving an affordable stay, won “Best Hotel in Armenia” at the Hostelworld.com annual HOSCAR Awards in London earlier this month.
It was the first time a category was created for Armenia at the HOSCAR Awards, which recognize the best hostels based on reviews of guests who book through Hostelworld.com.
“Winning this award is exciting as we also raise the profile of Armenia as a destination in the International arena,” said Envoy representative Erik Carapetian in a statement released by the hostel. “Although a small country, it’s a little off the beaten track and has a lot to offer.
In business since 2005, the only hostel within Yerevan’s city center offers rooms anywhere from $16 to $58 depending on the season and number of occupants and has a 96 percent approval rating on Hostelworld. It also has a robust social media presence, including a blog where you can find posts about quirky news about the hostel as well as Armenia as well as Facebook page loaded with photo albums of tours it offers, visitors and commemorations of events such as International Women’s Day.
The hostel, which has notes in their online guestbook from Norway, Czech Republic, Iran, Egypt and Poland hopes to attract more tourism to the country with its award. It also boasts quite a number of visits from Turkey,with one guest calling Envoy the “best of all in many ways” and expressing wishes to come back again. “I wish that someday there will be no borders between our countries, with all my sincerity and friendship, “another visitor from Turkey wrote, adding that the five day stay at the hostel was enjoyable.
“Hopefully now, knowing there is a quality budget accommodation available in the heart of Yerevan, more people will consider Armenia in their travels” said Carapetian.
Armenia received close to 500,000 visitors in the first 10 months of 2010, according to the National Statistical Service and tourism industry news site, Tourism-Review.com.
The HOSCARs awarded the top three hostels worldwide to Traveller’s House, Lisbon Lounge Hostel and Living Lounge Hostel, all located in Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal.
