Some people come to a hotel simply to sleep. Others come to photograph the view from the balcony. At a resort with glass walls in the snowy mountains of Georgia, you can enjoy both experiences at once. Snow falls quietly on the peaks, mist closes in on the cliff, and at the center of it all is a room with glass walls in every direction. At a small hotel about an hour’s drive from Batumi airport, the double bed becomes a viewing platform and the landscape becomes part of the room.
Or Shochat, 41, a fan of solo travel and independent trekking who first entered the public consciousness in 2010 during his appearance on the reality series "Beauty and the Geek", tells ynet how he found the magical hotel. It started with a random video on his feed, without context or explanation, but with one vivid image that stayed in his mind.
“I don’t remember where I saw it,” he admits, “I saw a hotel where the bed was inside a transparent glass room with a view of the mountains and it sounded completely strange to me. But then I thought — how has no one thought of this before? That’s how you really see the view. Not through a small window, not from a balcony. You’re really inside it.”
The perfect setting for a romantic, elaborate marriage proposal is called Eco House Merisi, a unique boutique hotel in the tranquil Adjarian Mountains of Georgia, about 50 km from Batumi Airport. The place attracts hikers and couples seeking a cozy winter fantasy in the frost kingdom. It’s built like a small village of wooden cabins with panoramic glass bedrooms facing the mountains. The design lets you take in the view from every angle, and there is also a private jacuzzi and a scenic terrace.
The glass room and other spots on Or's vacation
(Vieo: Or Shochat)
Once Or found the mysterious hotel, the idea became reality — not a distant exotic dream at the edge of the world, but something suddenly achievable.
“I discovered it was just a two‑hour flight, 420 shekels a night, and you’re in a luxurious hotel that looks like a fantasy,” he says. “My partner and I have birthdays three days apart, so I said — let’s go, it’s time.”
The journey to the glass room
The journey to the glass‑walled room begins with landing at Batumi Airport.
“It’s the second largest city in Georgia,” Shochat explains. “A seaside city on the Black Sea with snowy mountains behind it. That combination is hard to find.”
From the airport, they rented a car and headed to the mountains. The distance was only 48 kilometers, but the reality was more complex.
“At first we rented a regular car, but I got a message from the hotel saying there was snow and a four‑wheel drive was recommended.” That recommendation proved critical.
“It’s a narrow road with snow on both sides and places where there’s no room for two cars. When one came from the opposite direction, I literally had to get off the road and drive on half‑meter high snow. It was stressful,” he admits, “but the car handled it well.”
For a typical Israeli without off‑road snow driving experience, the trip to the magical hotel might sound daunting. But Or says the winter scenery from every direction puts you in a completely different frame of mind.
“You drive along a river, forests all around, snowy mountains in the background. You feel like you’re stepping aside from ordinary life — not escaping it, just setting it aside for a moment.”
The inside becomes the outside
When they arrive at the hotel, the glass room is waiting.
“From the road you can already see them,” he says. “And then you go in — and it’s a moment that just takes your breath away. You digest that you’re going to sleep there, just like in that video I saw.” The room’s design surprises with its simplicity.
“There’s a jacuzzi at the entrance and only one wall that isn’t glass, but the rest — the living room and the bedroom — it’s all glass. Of course there are curtains, but the idea is to open them.”
Or’s biggest thrill came from the bed.
“I was in shock. It was more beautiful than the pictures,” he says. “In photos you don’t understand the height or realize that it sits on a cliff of several hundred meters. When you’re there — you feel it physically.” And in perfect timing, just as they settled into the glass room, the scenery began to change.
“As soon as we went in, snow started falling all around. It felt almost unreal,” Or says with excitement.
12 View gallery
Or Shochat is on his travels after several stints in reserve duty
(Photo: Or Shochat)
According to the seasoned traveler, the resort has something that challenges the typical Israeli reflex of rushing out to see more.
“There’s a waterfall and nature around,” Shochat says enthusiastically, “but we didn’t want to leave the room.” And it’s not laziness, he explains, it’s a conscious choice.
“There are places you visit to see what’s outside,” he says, “here, the outside comes inside you and you don’t need to move. The room itself gives everything.”
The choice to stay put, not plan, not chase attractions, becomes part of the experience.
“It’s not a giant hotel with a thousand people. It’s very focused. You and the view.”
The couple celebrated their shared birthday in privacy in the room.
“On the first night we ordered room service dinner with a sweet Georgian wine — and they’re really good at that,” he says. The reality TV star says his partner prefers privacy, so there are no photos of them together, but he describes the mood well.
“We also ordered a fruit tray for the jacuzzi, and you sit there, inside the glass room, watching the snow fall outside. It’s a moment where you say to yourself — okay, this is really happening," he said.
A glacier emerging from the mist
“There were many Israelis at the hotel,” he says with a half‑smile, “and the staff knew a few Hebrew words. It was funny. Just a few words, but you felt recognized.” Or, who has returned to Batumi more than once, admits the luxury hotel catches the eye — but the local trek he recommends is on another level and better suited for spring and fall.
“Its unofficial name is ‘The Villages Trek,’” he warmly recommends. It’s a three‑to‑four‑day walking route between mountain villages in northern Georgia. In June, he completed it solo over three days.
“It’s a very famous trek, many people do it,” he says, “but I did it alone. Every day you walk and in the evening you arrive at another village and just choose where to sleep.”
The hiking route from Mestia to Ushguli — known as one of Georgia’s most popular and stunning treks — passes through highland villages in the Svaneti region, crossing valleys and rivers beneath snow‑capped peaks. It offers a blend of wild nature and local culture in the heart of the Caucasus, with traditional guesthouses along the way so you don’t need a heavy tent or gear — just sleep in the villages and enjoy home‑cooked meals.
Or began his trek in early June.
“In the morning there was fog,” he recalls. “You couldn’t see the mountain peaks at all, just green hills and fields. Then at some point the fog lifted.” That moment, he says, is etched in his memory.
“Suddenly a huge glacier appeared in front of me. A glacier above me at about 5,000 meters. No exaggeration,” he describes. After the glacier’s breathtaking reveal came the full panorama.
“You suddenly see all the snowy peaks around. It started with one glacier — then everything opened and it was amazing,” he added.
Solo trekking is not an experience for everyone, but for Shochat it’s routine.
“I do it a lot and have trekked in many places around the world,” he says. Even here, solitude doesn’t feel threatening.
“It’s a well‑known trek and there are people along the way,” he reassures those afraid of their first solo trek. “At night you sleep in villages for about 60 shekels a night including dinner and breakfast, and it’s simple — you don’t need to plan anything ahead. You walk, sit, eat, sleep and continue in the morning.”
Or Shochat, father of two, first became known to the public in the early 2010s when he starred on a comedic reality show that exposed him to millions of viewers.
“The filming was in 2010,” he recalls. “Then I took a year off — to travel, enjoy, be without frameworks for a moment.” It was a time of movement, exploration and calm after the spotlight. From there he chose a completely different path — and for 12 years worked in high tech.
“I quit shortly before Sukkot last October and since then I’ve been looking for another direction,” he says. Today, after extensive reserve service, he decided to take a break and spend his time traveling.
“I don’t want to go back to high tech,” he says. “The photos I upload started like a diary and I think others can enjoy it too. That’s why it’s public.”
Maybe this is what connects the glass room, the trek and the unexpected prices: Georgia isn’t just one shiny destination, but a continuity of experiences.
“It has everything,” Shochat concludes. “Beach city, mountains, treks, unique hotels and simple villages. Everyone can find something that suits them.” And if you have to choose — sometimes it’s a glass room on a cliff and other times a glacier emerging from the mist.
“I wasn’t looking for a life change,” he concludes. “Not a process, not something spiritual. Just to be for a moment. And this place gives that.” Perhaps that’s the accessible fantasy: not an absurd dream, but one place, a short time and an experience that feels larger than the effort required to reach it.