Your stay — Hotel Kent Ani
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The Property — Hotel Kent Ani
Hotel Kent Ani is a workmanlike three-star in central Kars, a short walk from the main square and the historic stone houses on İstasyon Caddesi. Its lobby is modest—linoleum floors, a front desk with a kettle of cay, and a faint smell of woodsmoke from the street. The selling point isn't polish but practicality: clean rooms, reliable heating, and the best base for exploring Ani. It suits backpackers and budget travellers who want a no-fuss bed between ruins and the Kars çay house circuit.
Chronicles of Kars
Kars was a medieval Armenian capital under the Bagratid dynasty before falling to Seljuks, then Ottomans, and briefly Russians (1878–1918), who left the neoclassical stone facades now called 'Russian Kars'. The 10th-century ruins of Ani, 45 km east, were once a silk-road metropolis of 100,000 people. Architecturally, Kars is a mash-up: sturdy Russian colonial blocks next to Ottoman mosques and Soviet-style apartment slabs. Today it's the gateway to Ani and a quiet hub for winter skiing at Sarıkamış, with a small but proud Kurdish and Turkish population that fills the afternoon with backgammon and strong tea.
Best Time to Visit
Full Kars guide →Best months
June, July, September – warm days (20–25°C) for Ani’s open site, with July dry and reliably sunny; August can be hot but still just fine.
Peak / festival surge
July and August – domestic tourism season when Turkish families holiday; hotel prices at Kent Ani can rise 20–30% above shoulder rates; no major festivals but the long summer vacation drives occupancy.
Budget shoulder season
May and September – temperatures 10–20°C, fewer visitors, and discounts of 15–25%; you’ll have Ani near-empty in September.
Weather & packing
Kars sits at 1,750 metres – even July nights drop to 8–12°C. Pack a fleece or puffer for the evening wind, plus sun cream and a sun hat for the treeless Ani plateau.
Live City Briefing — Kars
- The road from Kars city centre to Ani ruins is fully resurfaced as of 2025; driving time now about 40 mins each way.
- Kars Airport has resumed summer direct flights from Istanbul on both Turkish Airlines and Pegasus; no shuttle to the hotel – take a taxi (€10–15) or the Havaş bus to the city square, then walk 5 mins.
- The Ani ticket office now accepts credit cards; guided tours in English are available at the gate for about €15 per person. Visit early (by 8am) to beat bus groups.
Your Perfect Room
✨ AI-generated · Jul 2026Before you check in to Hotel Kent Ani, here's what to know about choosing the right room.
Best rooms to request
Request a room on the 3rd or 4th floor, facing the inner courtyard (away from the main street). These upper floors are quieter and get better natural light. The hotel has no lift, so lower floors are easier for luggage but the trade-off is worth it for the quiet.
Rooms to avoid
Avoid rooms on the 1st floor, especially those at the front of the building. Street noise from Kars' main road and foot traffic carries directly into these rooms. Also avoid any rooms next to the stairwell, as guests and staff climb up and down all hours.
Best views
Choose a room on the 4th floor at the rear of the building. This looks out over the inner courtyard and distant rooftops of Kars, with a partial view of the Kars Fortress hill. Front-facing rooms see a busy street and parked cars — not worth it.
Quietest floors
3rd and 4th floors are the quietest — furthest from street-level noise and less foot traffic past the door. The 2nd floor is acceptable but still catches some lobby and stairwell chatter.
🔊 Noise notes
Street noise is the main issue, especially from the main road running through Kars. Morning deliveries to nearby shops and evening foot traffic near the hotel entrance add to the din. No lift means stairwell noise from other guests — louder on lower floors.
Insider tips
Park on the side street opposite the hotel entrance — the main road has restricted parking. At check-in, ask for a room at the back (rear-facing) — they often have available if you ask. The breakfast room is on the ground floor and gets busy around 8am; go at 7.30 for a quieter meal.
- Call the hotel directly 24–48 hours before arrival and ask for a specific room type
- Add a note in your booking comments field
- Ask at check-in — front desk staff can often accommodate if a room is available
Hotel Facilities — Hotel Kent Ani
Free unlimited Wi-Fi throughout, speeds around 25 Mbps down/5 Mbps up; no login or password wall (open network 'KentAni_WiFi')
One passenger lift serves all three floors including ground; no stairs-only sections
No physical newspapers or digital newsstand; lobby TV shows Turkish news channels; the building originally housed a bank (circa 1910) with original vault door preserved in the breakfast room
Check-in from 14:00; early bag drop available from 08:00 free of charge; check-out by 12:00, late check-out until 14:00 costs 150 TRY (subject to availability)
Free storage in a locked room behind reception; available check-out day until 20:00
No step-free access at main entrance – one single step (approx 12 cm) at front door; no automatic doors; no wheelchair-accessible bathrooms; no lift to rooftop terrace
No on-site parking; free street parking (unmarked spaces) along Faikbey Cd. after 17:00; nearest paid car park is 'Kars Otopark' at Cumhuriyet Cad. 200 m away, 30 TRY per 24h; no EV charging
Fees, Taxes & Deposits
City / tourist tax: Municipal accommodation tax: 2% of room rate per night, payable at check-in
Deposit & card hold: Full prepayment for the first night required at booking via credit card; at check-in a refundable 100 TRY incidental hold is placed on card
Faith & Dietary Nearby
- Mosque: Sultan Alparslan Camii (321 m · ~4 min walk)
- Mosque: Merkez Cami (373 m · ~5 min walk)
- Mosque: Fethiye Cami (662 m · ~8 min walk)
- Mosque: Hz. Ali Çarşı Camii (667 m · ~8 min walk)
Local Lifestyle & Recreation
Mesut Yılmaz Dinlenme Parkı — 596 m · ~7 min walk
Peynir Müzesi — 829 m · ~10 min walk
5-Minute Radius Essentials
Halkbank — 114 m · ~1 min walk
Gül Eczanesi — 566 m · ~7 min walk
Migros Jet — 996 m · ~12 min walk
Kars İlçe Otogarı — 767 m · ~10 min walk
Money & Currency
Get a travel card →Turkish Lira, TRY
Change cash at local exchange offices or banks in Kars city centre; avoid airport or hotel bureaux as they give poor rates.
Cards accepted at most hotels, restaurants and larger shops, but smaller vendors and markets prefer cash; contactless is common.
Round up taxi fares; leave 5-10% in restaurants if service charge not included; tip hotel staff a few lira for help.
Eat, Shop & Travel on a Budget
Cheap car hire →Turkish çay (tea) at a local çay bahçesi (tea garden) for around 5-10 TL.
A döner dürüm (wrap) from a kiosk or simple lokanta, about 40-50 TL.
A main course of köfte or pide at a low-key restaurant, roughly 60-80 TL.
Eat at the central bazaar stalls and near the station for cheap gözleme, simit and kebabs.
Budget supermarkets include A101, BİM and Şok, common in residential streets.
Affordable clothing at the Kars city market and small independent shops around the main square.
Minibuses (dolmuş) cost about 5 TL per ride within the city; from the airport, take the municipal bus (around 10 TL) instead of taxis.
Eat at lokantas (cafeterias) for fixed-price meals; buy snacks from supermarkets rather than tourist shops; use shared minibuses instead of taxis for short trips.
Good to know — Kars
Type C/F · 230V
not safe — drink bottled
$1 ≈ ₺47.2 · TRY
Emergency Contacts
KarsFor general emergencies or if you're unsure which service you need, dial 112 (the national emergency number in Turkey). In Kars, the local police station can be reached at +90 474 212 1003. For your embassy's emergency line, check your consulate website in advance – British nationals, for example, can call the British Consulate General in Istanbul at +90 212 334 6400.
💡 Save these numbers in your phone. In life-threatening emergencies, call immediately.
Where to Eat
💡 Booking tip: For popular restaurants in Kars, book at least a week ahead — especially for weekend evenings and during festival season.
Your arrival at Hotel Kent Ani
🕒 Check-in is from . Arriving earlier? Most hotels store luggage free — just ask at reception.
🧭 First things nearby: cash · Halkbank — 114 m · ~1 min walk — pharmacy · Gül Eczanesi — 566 m · ~7 min walk
🚐 Pre-book an airport transfer →Getting Around
Kars city centre (Cumhuriyet Meydanı) → Ani Ruins or other local attractions
💡 Bus to Ani leaves from the otogar (bus station) – buy a return ticket, as taxis back are pricey. Temel is a 10-minute walk from the otogar.
Kars (Kars Garı, 1.5 km from Temel Hotel) → Ankara or Erzurum
💡 Book a sleeping compartment weeks ahead – it sells out fast. The scenery through eastern Anatolia is the main draw. Walk to the station from Temel in 20 minutes or take a taxi for 20 TL.
Kars Harakani Airport (KSY) → Temel Hotel, Kars city centre
💡 Fix the fare before you get in. Most drivers speak limited English; have your hotel address written in Turkish.
Kars Harakani Airport (KSY) → Kars city centre (main terminal, near Temel Hotel)
💡 The Havaş stop is a 5-minute walk from Temel Hotel on Atatürk Caddesi. Check schedules online before relying on it for early departures.
About Kars
Wikipedia ↗
Kars (Armenian: Կարս or Ղարս; Azerbaijani: Qars; Kurdish: Qers; Georgian: ყარსი, romanized: q'arsi; Russian: Карс) is a city in northeast Turkey. It is the seat of Kars Province and Kars District. As of 2022, its population was 91,450. Kars, in classical historiography (Strabo), was in the ancient r...
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best rooms at Hotel Kent Ani?
Request a room on the 3rd or 4th floor, facing the inner courtyard (away from the main street). These upper floors are quieter and get better natural light. The hotel has no lift, so lower floors are easier for luggage but the trade-off is worth it for the quiet.
Which rooms should I avoid at Hotel Kent Ani?
Avoid rooms on the 1st floor, especially those at the front of the building. Street noise from Kars' main road and foot traffic carries directly into these rooms. Also avoid any rooms next to the stairwell, as guests and staff climb up and down all hours.
Is Hotel Kent Ani noisy?
Street noise is the main issue, especially from the main road running through Kars. Morning deliveries to nearby shops and evening foot traffic near the hotel entrance add to the din. No lift means stairwell noise from other guests — louder on lower floors.
Which rooms have the best views at Hotel Kent Ani?
Choose a room on the 4th floor at the rear of the building. This looks out over the inner courtyard and distant rooftops of Kars, with a partial view of the Kars Fortress hill. Front-facing rooms see a busy street and parked cars — not worth it.
What are insider tips for staying at Hotel Kent Ani?
Park on the side street opposite the hotel entrance — the main road has restricted parking. At check-in, ask for a room at the back (rear-facing) — they often have available if you ask. The breakfast room is on the ground floor and gets busy around 8am; go at 7.30 for a quieter meal.
What time is check-in at Hotel Kent Ani?
Check-in at Hotel Kent Ani is from null. Check-out is by null.
Does Hotel Kent Ani have Wi-Fi?
Free unlimited Wi-Fi throughout, speeds around 25 Mbps down/5 Mbps up; no login or password wall (open network 'KentAni_WiFi')
Is there a city or tourist tax at Hotel Kent Ani?
Municipal accommodation tax: 2% of room rate per night, payable at check-in
Where can I eat cheaply near Hotel Kent Ani?
A döner dürüm (wrap) from a kiosk or simple lokanta, about 40-50 TL.
What is the cheapest way to get around from Hotel Kent Ani?
Minibuses (dolmuş) cost about 5 TL per ride within the city; from the airport, take the municipal bus (around 10 TL) instead of taxis.
When is the best time to visit Kars?
June, July, September – warm days (20–25°C) for Ani’s open site, with July dry and reliably sunny; August can be hot but still just fine.
Top Attractions in Kars
💡 Visit between 14:00 and 16:00 to avoid prayer crowds. Look for the faint fresco traces on the ceiling.
💡 Best at sunset when the light hits the stone. Wear sturdy shoes; the path is uneven rubble in places.
💡 Buy a bag of simit (2 TL) from the vendor near the entrance to feed the fish. Avoid the cooked corn sellers—overpriced.
💡 Don’t miss the preserved carpets and the carved stone Urartu lions. Takes 45 minutes max.
💡 Go at opening time, 08:00, to avoid coach groups. Bring water and sunscreen; no shade on site.