Hotel Aviatrans, Yerevan

If you are looking for a newly-renovated, relaxing and charming 3-star hotel in the heart of Yerevan, then Hotel Aviatrans may be the one for you.  Only a 15-minute drive from Zvartnots International Airport, this hotel can be found on Abovyan Street – one of the oldest and best-known streets in the capital.  It is ideally located for those travelling to Yerevan for pleasure and business, as it is within a 3-minute walking distance of Republic Square – home to the National Gallery, the Museum of History, the Central Bank of Armenia, the Armenian ministries, the metro station and the Vernisage.  It also offers clean, spacious and well-appointed rooms with windows that offer stunning views of the surrounding city.

Hotel Aviatrans, Yerevan

Arrival Information

You can check in from 1pm and check out until 12 noon.  Cancellation and prepayment policies vary according to the room type, so ensure you check the room conditions when booking.  The hotel accepts payment by American Express, Maestro, MasterCard or Visa.

Services and Amenities

This hotel offers a wide-range of services and amenities, including: free private parking, on site, with a reservation; breakfast served in your room; a bar; a restaurant, a la carte or buffet (special diet menus on request); free Wi-Fi; room service; airport shuttle; car hire; shuttle service, at a surcharge; 24-hour front desk; express check in and checkout; currency exchange; tour desk; luggage storage; concierge service; laundry, dry cleaning and ironing services; meeting and banqueting facilities; a business centre; fax and photocopying services; a barbers and a beauty shop; a massage service; a wake-up service; a lift; and a designated smoking area.

Guest Rooms

Yerevan Deluxe Hotel has 7 different room rates available: Single Standard, Single Deluxe, Double/Twin Standard, Double/Twin Deluxe, Family/Triple Standard, Family/Triple Deluxe and Luxe and prices vary between seasons.  Rates start at an reasonable 30,000 AMD per night and rise to 85,000 AMD (as of March 2014).  Children under 6, using existing beds, stay free of charge and children under 2 stay free if they are using a cot.  Older children or adults requiring an extra bed will be charged 5,000 AMD per night and you can have 2 extra beds per room.  Supplements are not calculated in the total costs and will have to be paid for separately.  Pets are not allowed!  Facilities and services in rooms include: a bathroom, a minibar, a radio, a flat-screen television with satellite channels, a telephone, heating, air conditioning and free Wi-Fi.

Trip Advisor Rating and Testimonials                                       

Overall, this hotel has been awarded 4 stars out of 5 on the Trip Adviser website (written by independent visitors to the hotel).  When broken down, the hotel received: 5 stars for location; and 4.5 stars for rooms, cleanliness, service, sleep quality and value.  Some of the guests said the following:

‘Excellent mid-price option in Yerevan.’

‘Good hotel, good situation.’

‘Nice and affordable.’

‘Good central location, large and clean rooms, nice staff.’

This is the hotel for you if you are looking for an affordable alternative to the more expensive chains in the heart of the capital. 

Yerevan Deluxe Hotel

Yerevan Deluxe Hotel is a 3-star hotel that is located a 5-minute drive from the centre of the country’s capital on 32/1 Komitas Avenue, making it perfectly placed if you want to stay somewhere quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of the heart of the city.  Spacious, colourful and well-appointed rooms provide you with great views of the surrounding area and shops, supermarkets, restaurants, a bus stop and Barekamutyun Metro Station are within a short walking distance – meaning that you can enjoy the peace and quiet without feeling too secluded during your stay.

Yerevan Deluxe Hotel

Arrival Information

You can check in from 1pm and check out until 12 noon.  Cancellation and prepayment policies vary according to the room type, so ensure you check the room conditions when booking.  The hotel accepts payment by American Express, Maestro, Mastercard, Diners’ Club International or Visa.

Services and Amenities

This hotel offers a wide-range of services and amenities, including: free private parking, on site; BBQ facilities; a sauna; breakfast served in your room; a restaurant, a la carte or buffet (special diet menus on request); free Wi-Fi; room service; packed lunches; airport shuttle; car hire; shuttle service, at a surcharge; 24-hour front desk; express check in and checkout; luggage storage; concierge service; private check in and check out; laundry, dry cleaning and ironing services; meeting and banqueting facilities; a business centre; fax and photocopying services; a barbers and a beauty shop; a wake-up service; a designated smoking area and newspapers.

Guest Rooms

Yerevan Deluxe Hotel has 3 different room rates available: Single Room, Double/Twin Room and Triple Room and prices vary between seasons.  Rates start at an extremely reasonable 17,000 AMD per night and rise to an equally reasonable 36,000 AMD (as of March 2014).  However, there is a 10% discount for groups of 10 or more persons.  Children under 7, using existing beds, stay free of charge.  Older children or adults requiring an extra bed will be charged 9,000 AMD per night and there can only be one extra bed per room.  Supplements are not calculated in the total costs and will have to be paid for separately.  Pets are not allowed!  Facilities and services in rooms include: buffet breakfast, 12-hour housekeeping service, free Wi-Fi, a wardrobe, a dressing room, seating area with a sofa, a desk, a shower, a hairdryer, a telephone and fax, a flat-screen television with cable channels, non-smoking and soundproofed rooms, heating, air conditioning and iron/ironing board.

Trip Advisor Rating and Testimonials                                       

Overall, this hotel has been awarded 4 stars out of 5 on the Trip Adviser website (written by independent visitors to the hotel).  When broken down, the hotel received: 4.5 stars for rooms, cleanliness, service, sleep quality and value; and 3.5 stars for location.  Some of the guests said the following:

‘The hotel was very good.’

‘Excellent staff and accommodation!’

‘The perfect staff and service!’

‘It was like my home.’

Overall, if you would like to stay in a 3-star hotel away from the hustle and bustle of the city, then this one is definitely for you! 

Armenian Wrestling

Armen Nazaryan

Wrestling has a long history in Armenia and has been a part of the culture since the earliest records. Whilst Armenians have their own modern version of the sport ancient records explain the sport was practiced way back in 281 AD when at the 265th Olympiad King Tiridates III of Armenia (286 – 342 AD) became an Olympic Champion in wresting.

Soviet Era
However, it was during the Soviet occupation that the sport of Wrestling became one of the most popular sports in Armenia and it continued to be popular after the country gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Post-Independence success
During the past twenty years Armenian Wrestlers have been very successful in international competitions with many world and European champions. However, Armenia do not just practice one form of the sport, they have been successful on the world stage in both Greco-Roman and Freestyle Wrestling. It is worth nothing that half of the twelve Olympic medallists were wrestlers and Armenia’s only gold medal at an Olympics was a wrestler.

Wrestling Federation of Armenia
In 1992 the Federation of Freestyle Wrestling of Armenia was founded as was the Federation of Greco-Roman wrestling and in 1996 the two organisations merged and formed the Wrestling Federation of Armenia. The new governing body oversees the training of elite standard wrestlers across the country, where 25 wrestling schools have 304 official coaches teaching over 2500 athletes.

Olympic Record
It was back in 1996 at the Summer Games in Atlanta when Armenia claimed their first gold medal in the Greco-Roman Wrestling (52KG). Since then Armenian wrestlers have claimed another four Olympic medals in the Greco-Roman Wrestling and a further medal in the Freestyle Wrestling. As well as at Atlanta, where Armenia gained two of their medals, it was in Beijing 2008 and London 2012 where they gained another 4.

Armen Nazaryan
The most successful Armenian Wrestler in recent times has been their Olympic gold medallist (Atlanta 1996) Armen Nazaryan. He went into the event as the favourite and won by a landslide in all five of his matches. In the process of winning the gold medal he had the opportunity for revenge when he defeated the reigning World Wrestling Champion Samvel Danielyan who had beaten Nazaryan in the 1995 World Championship final. He went on to become a six-time European Champion, a three-time World Champion and a two-time Olympic Champion. In 2012, he went on to become the head coach of the Bulgarian Greco-Roman Wrestling team.

Hotel House, Yerevan

Another Bed and Breakfast in Armenia’s capital city, Hotel House offers its guests clean, modern, rooms in a friendly, warm, yet lively environment.  Located at 42 Arami Street, this Bed and Breakfast is in the heart of the city, only 300 metres away from the National Gallery of Armenia or 600 metres from the Yerevan Opera House and the stunning Blue Mosque.  Not only is it ideally placed for you to explore the city, but it is also a mere 10km from the Zvartnots International Airport – so arrival and departure will be quick and easy.

Hotel House, Yerevan

Arrival Information

Check in is from 2pm until midnight and checkout is between 12 noon and 1pm.  Payment is accepted by Visa, Mastercard or Maestro and the establishment reserves the right to pre-authorise your card prior to your arrival.  Cancellation and prepayment policies vary according to room type, so ensure you check the policy that applies when you are booking.

Services and Amenities

This Bed and Breakfast offers a range of services and amenities, including: free public parking, on site; BBQ facilities; a garden and terrace; a restaurant; free Wi-Fi; room service; car hire; airport shuttle, for a surcharge; 24-hour front desk; express check in and checkout; tour desk; luggage storage; laundry, dry cleaning and ironing services; daily maid service; fax and photocopying services; a gift shop; and a wake-up service.

Guest Rooms

Hotel House has 3 different room rates available: Standard Double or Twin Room, Deluxe Double Room and Suite.  Prices start at a reasonable 34,583 AMD and rise to 53,949 (as of March 2014).  All children under 6 years of age stay free, if using existing beds.  For an extra bed, you will be charged 10,000 AMD per night and you can only have one extra bed per room, which must be confirmed by management upon booking.  Supplements will have to be paid for separately from the total costs.  Pets are allowed, upon request.  Facilities and services in rooms include: a wardrobe, extra long beds, a minibar, breakfast in your room, non-smoking rooms, heating, air conditioning, safety deposit box, free Wi-Fi, a flat screen television and a telephone.

Trip Advisor Rating and Testimonials                                       

Overall, this hotel has been awarded 4.5 stars out of 5 on the Trip Adviser website (written by independent visitors to the hotel).  When broken down, the hotel received a remarkable: 4.5 stars for service, cleanliness and location; and 4 stars for sleep quality, rooms and value.  Some of the guests said the following:

‘A great place to stay.’

‘Fantastic stay!’

‘Exceptional service!’

This is a hotel that it seems is ideally suited to those that prefer a lively environment!

American University of Armenia (AUA)

American University of Armenia (AUA)

Founded in 1991, the independent American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, non-sectarian institute of higher education. The University is modelled on a Western style University and is committed to research, service and of course teaching.

Postgraduate Education
Currently, the University specialises in postgraduate education with Master of Arts and Science programmes available in Political Science, Public Health, Law, Comparative Legal Studies, Computer Systems Management, Business Administration, Industrial Engineering and teaching English as a Foreign Language.

English Language
The American University of Armenia hopes that by offering these courses in English the University will be able to include qualified students from other countries in the wider region. Also, because the AUA teaches its course in English they offer students additional instruction in the English Language and the use of computer applications to help with their studies.

Leninakan Earthquake
The Universities founding was in unfortunate times when in 1988 the infamous Leninakan Earthquake struck the region. Subsequently, a number of engineers specializing in earthquake damage and repair arrived in Armenia from various western nations to help with the reconstruction of the devastated area.

Development
As such, to foster educational progress in the country it was suggested by Yuri Sarkissian of the Yerevan Polytechnic Institute that a University based on the American Model would help Armenia to develop the skilled people the country needed to progress. Armen Der Kiureghian, Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley assisted in the establishment of the American University of Armenia in 1991 and it has gone from strength to strength. The institute now has 440 full time students studying a range of postgraduate courses and 71 academic staff engaged in teaching and research.

Barsam Building
In 2005, the Hye Business Suite Hotel was donated to the AUA. The hotel was gifted to the University by Hasmig Barsam to assist with the housing of international students; the building was renamed by the University after its benefactor. To assist with the transition and to prepare the building for its new purpose the United States Agency for International Development invested $300,000 under their American Schools and Hospitals Abroad programme. This ensured the building was reequipped to suit is new purpose and a number of significant repairs to the building we made in advance of its first intake of international students.

Papazian Library
In 1991, just after the American University of Armenia was established, the Papazian Library was built. Named after the Papazian family, who were generous benefactors of the American University of Armenia, the library was the most impressive in Armenia and whilst the university has just over 400 students enrolled on its courses the library’s subscribers are well over 10,000.