For those who are looking for an unusual place to stay in the Crimea, the hotel “Leonardo Castle” in the urban-type settlement of Utesis perfect. This guest house is unlike any of its analogues on the coast. The owners turned the territory of the slipway into something reminiscent of a Hollywood dream factory. All rooms are decorated in different styles and are dedicated to film, literature, painting and other arts.
Location and history
The hotel is located in the heart of the village. Here is the main tourist and resort infrastructure. The Cliff itself is located 14 km from the center of Alushta. the main population is about 300 people. The village is also called the city of boathouses. Along the coast at one time there were private garages for motor boats and yachts. Today, the whole territory is built up with small guest houses, rest in which is valued precisely because of its close proximity to the sea.
The town began to develop from the beginning of the twentieth century. Here, at the foot of Cape Plako, Princess Anastasia Davidovna Gagarina built a palace. She inherited an estate from her late husband, but she did not like the Empire house built there. Therefore, at the age of 70, she decided to create her own paradise in the Romanesque style. So there was not only a luxurious palace, which now houses a sanatorium, but also a monument of landscape architecture, for which it is worth at least once to visit the Cliff. The famous park is 300 metres away.
The distance to the bus station of Alushta is about 10 km, to the airport of Simferopol – about 60 km. If you get on your own, then from the airport you need to get to the railway station of Simferopol. Then take the trolleybus and get to the stop “Small lighthouse”. From here to the village is a winding road down a length of 4 km. From the bus station of Alushta can be reached by bus or minibus, which go towards Yalta. Many vacationers, especially with children, do not risk spending so much time on public transport and book a transfer. The hostess of the guest house provides such a service for an additional fee.
Important! The village is closed to private transport. The car should be left behind the barrier. There is no parking in the hotel. The nearest paid parking lot is located 200 m from the residential building. This is a private parking lot, which is under round-the-clock security.
“The location is super! Everything is nearby – shops, pharmacy, beach. It is convenient that the check-out time is set by agreement with the hostess. Prices for accommodation are high. But this is not surprising. For proximity to the sea you have to pay. I came with a dog. They did not take money for her residence” Olesya, Russia
Room stock
All 12 rooms of the hotel are landscaped and equipped with the necessary furniture. The reception is open around the clock. The official check-in time is 14.00 and check-out time is 12.00. But, judging by the reviews, you can always agree. The rooms are equipped with a refrigerator, air conditioning and TV, iron and hairdryer are available on request. On the ground floor there is a shared kitchen. Some rooms have a kettle and kitchenware. Wireless Internet is available everywhere.
The rooms of the Suite category (20 sq. m.) include the following:
- Che Guevara is a one-room suite on the 3rd floor with sea views and a balcony. There is a double bed and a sofa for one extra person. The bathroom has a shower. The balcony has tea drinking furniture. There is an electric kettle and utensils. There is a safe for documents and valuables. Smoking is not allowed.
- Leonardo da Vinci is a one-room suite on the 5th floor with a view balcony. There is a double bed and a folding armchair. There is an electric kettle, there is no safe. In the bathroom there is a shower. Smoking is not allowed.
- Ernest Hemingway is a one-room suite on the 2nd floor with a balcony overlooking the sea. You can live in four. There is a double bed and a double pull-out sofa. On the balcony there is furniture, in the room – a kettle and a refrigerator, there is no safe. Smoking is prohibited.
- Don Cuxote is a one-room suite with a large view terrace. It has sun loungers, summer furniture for tea drinking. Bathroom with shower. As an extra bed there is a sofa.
- Salvador Dali is a one-room suite on the 3rd floor with a small view balcony on the north side (in the courtyard). The room pleases with bright colorful design. As an extra bed, a folding armchair is installed. There is a safe.
- Jack London (55 sq. m.) – duplex apartment on floors 4-5. For both rooms there are bathrooms with showers. The view terrace is equipped with sun loungers. The upper level resembles the attic-office of the writer-traveler. The room is designed to accommodate 4 people, there is a safe, a kettle. Smoking is prohibited.
The building has several rooms of category “Standard”. They are designed to accommodate 2-3 people. The room has a double bed and an armchair. The windows overlook the courtyard. There is a safe. No cleaning is provided. There is a toilet with a washbasin. Refrigerator, air conditioning, TV are provided. There is a kettle.
“Spacious and bright room. We took with a view of the sea. Friendly hostess, told where it is best to buy food. This room features a fridge and kettle. The shared kitchen is where you can warm up ready meals or cook something. This is convenient, because there is not always a desire and time to go to the café” Alexey, Russia
Meals and restaurants
The hotel does not cater for guests. They have to take care of it themselves. There are all conditions for cooking. The rooms have refrigerators and a shared kitchen on the ground floor. Dishes can be found both in the kitchen and in the rooms. Within walking distance there are restaurants, bars, cafes where you can eat or order food delivery. For example, in the bar “I.R.V.I.S.”. It is located on Gagarina Street 15 in the park area. Here you can have a good time, as well as order takeaway or delivery. The kitchen prepares dishes of Russian, Japanese, Crimean Tatar, Black Sea cuisine. The menu includes cakes, pasta, sushi/rolls, seafood. In addition, beer, children’s price lists are provided, a business lunch is prepared at lunch.
Restaurants that are worth a visit in the evening are usually located on the territory of large hotels, boarding houses, sanatoriums. Admission is free, so you can not worry about the pass. Guests of the Cliff will be glad to see in the following institutions:
- art-restaurant “Oliva” is located in the guest house “Villa Oliva”, classic interior, Brazilian cuisine, friendly service;
- the restaurant of Italian cuisine “Elephant” offers guests excellent soups, pizza and Mediterranean salads, is located on the territory of the sanatorium “Utes” near the house church of Princess Gagarina;
- restaurant on the water “Santa Barbara” (300 m from the hotel) is special in that the long hall is presented as a deck, and it is located on the viewpoint above the sea, the menu includes the most popular international dishes and drinks, a children’s menu, a cocktail card;
- restaurant “Korona” (200 m) with a beautiful view terrace is located on the territory of the hotel of the same name, the kitchen prepares Italian, Japanese, European cuisine, works only in summer.
Two more restaurants for dinner are located in the hotels “Villa Verona” and “Lotus”. Both specialize in European cuisine. The halls are small, but very cozy. In the “Lotus” there is a grill menu.
In the Cliff you can always find a place for snacks between meals. Right on the above the careful village there is a café “Katyusha”. A cozy place with wicker furniture, flowers, good traditional cuisine without frills. And there are a lot of such places in the village, and every season more and more of them open.
Leisure and entertainment
The hotel can help with sightseeing arrangements and cable TV. In the lobby regularly arranged viewing of author’s films (free of charge). There is a shared lounge where you can gather to watch sports together. You can book a transfer to Alushta to visit themed parties in pubs. Billiard hall is located on the territory of the sanatorium “Cliff”. There you can also play tennis.
Staff at Leonardo’s Castle Hotel can help you organize:
- hiking and horseback riding;
- horse riding training;
- snorkeling;
- diving services;
- fishing in the open sea.
The coast of the Southern Crimea is good because the borders between the resort villages practically do not exist. Therefore, you can go light to the neighboring Partenit to visit the dolphinarium and the oldest restaurant “Sunflowers”. Or visit the tasting room of the winery “Tavrida”, which is located in the neighboring village of Cypress. Here you can taste and buy locally produced wines.
Pay attention! In free access you can buy courses in the sanatorium “Cliff” to undergo a course of prevention or treatment.
Beaches & Pools
There is no swimming pool. The nearest beach is 5 metres away. Coating – pebbles. It consists of two levels. At the top there is an asphalted road, at the bottom there is an area for sunbathing and swimming. For slipways is characterized by this type of beaches. A staircase leads to the coastal edge, on which sun loungers and umbrellas are installed. The entire coast is divided into sections by breakwaters. Some of them have piers, from which pleasure boats depart. One of the breakwaters can walk to a small island in the sea. Vacationers often go there to sunbathe on hot stones.
By and large, there is no reason to go to any other beach, since they are all almost identical to each other. The exception is the beach of the sanatorium “Utes”. There are ideal conditions for holidaymakers, but you will need a pass to get here. Near other boathouses there are concreted areas in the style of the Maltese beach. These are quite aesthetic places designed for recreation of adults. Stairs are provided for descent into the sea, the depth increases instantly, which makes it uncomfortable to rest with small children. Therefore, it is better for couples with a child to stay on the beach of the Leonardo Castle Hotel. There is a gentle entrance to the water, the depth increases after 5-7 meters from the shore.
Recreational opportunities for children
The hotel accepts children from all ages. Young guests live on a paid basis. For the organization of leisure there are children’s TV channels. An outdoor playground is 200 metres away. The cliff is a kind of resort. There are not many entertainment facilities here. The whole coast is built up with hotels, most of the coast is occupied by the sanatorium “Cliff”. On the other hand, rest in the village is considered prestigious, and therefore expensive. The place is suitable for those families who are looking for a quiet place to stay, without noise, fuss and loud discos.
There is a well-developed beach holiday with water attractions, riding bananas and cotton candy. Animators hired by a sanatorium or hotels conduct various game programs. There are no specialized children’s clubs in the village. But throughout the territory built modern street areas with swings, carousels, handles, ladders, sandboxes. In the “Leonardo’s Castle” you can always book a transfer to Alushta to visit water parks, zoos and other entertainment venues.
Excursions and attractions nearby
The main historical attraction of the village is the palace and park of Princess Gagarina. But there are also natural unique places that you can visit on your own or hire a guide. Staff can help arrange hiking or cycling trips to the most scenic areas of the Cliff. These include:
- Mount Ayu-Dag (Holy Mountain) in the form of a bear bent to the water, 7 km from the village there is a children’s health resort “Artek”;
- Kuchuk-Ayu rock;
- Plaka Rock;
- Kucheklambat Bay.
Fans of photo shoots will discover many interesting landscape views. The nature of this region is extremely beautiful and diverse.
