The FINANCIAL — Interview with Lali Moroshkina, Owner of Sighnaghi Art Hotel
Q. What was the idea behind the opening of Sighnaghi Art Hotel?
A. After returning from some of my travels, the desire came over me to contribute to the process of tourism development in my country. Georgia, with its amazing views, nature, history and traditions, has the opportunity to be as full of tourists as, say, San Michele (the very place from which I happened to be returning!). It just needs a bit of vision, creativity and love. It was the synthesis of all of these that brought me to Sighnaghi, to my grandmother Sophio Vachnadze’s homeland. This is what gave rise to the idea of opening Sighnaghi Art Hotel.
Q. Why did you decide to call it “Sighnagi Art Hotel”?
A. “Art” – because in the hotel there are displays of the works of both old and new generation artists. We are going to hold various art exhibitions and musical evenings, everything directly related to art.
Q. How does Sighnagi Art Hotel differ from other hotels located in the city?
A. It’s not just a hotel, these centuries-old walls have a soul … Here, a century ago, there lived a cobbler who was sewing shoes for all of Sighnaghi’s inhabitants. I actually found some shoe soles in the cellar and incorporated these into the beautiful décor of the hotel. All of the elements of the hotel here have their own individual, beautiful history; some sad, and some happy.
Q. What is the mission of the hotel?
A. First of all, our motto is: crystal cleanliness and the best service. Customers should have the feeling that the hotel is treating them as a VIP person, and at the same time should feel like they are at their own home.
Q. Tell us about the benefits customers can get when staying at your hotel?
A. Customers will get the best service, comfortable beds, quality bathroom accessories, a delicious breakfast, and most importantly – a warm environment. We offer our customers both greeting and farewell services, as well as excursions to the Kakheti region, agrotourism and historical places. We can help couples to arrange marriages in the Sighnaghi municipality as well.
Q. What kind of rooms does the hotel have, and how many?
A. There are 7 rooms: single and double rooms, king-sized beds and twins. All of the rooms are distinguished by their individual designs and special proportions. There is also a common foyer, fireplace, balcony, yard and café.
Q. What are your plans for the future?
A. Our plan for the future is, of course, the expansion of the business … But we are not rushing it right now.
Q. What is the biggest challenge nowadays in terms of running a hospitality business?
A. In today’s world the main thing is to give people maximum warmth, supply them with positive energy and hope that everything will turn out well. I personally believe in Sighnaghi’s magical energy! Our guests will definitely come back to get fresh positive energy from us and to realise just how beautiful life is!
Eva Bolkvadze – The FINANCIAL
Discussion about this post