About us
Our Story
The story of Major’s House is deeply personal.
My name is Gegham Azatyan, and this house was inspired by the memories of my childhood and my family’s journey.
The story begins in 1946, when my grandmother’s family repatriated to Armenia. Like many Armenian families of that time, they left the city of Plovdiv in Bulgaria and arrived by ship to Batumi, before eventually settling in the small northern town of Stepanavan.
For me, Stepanavan became a place of childhood summers.
Almost every year my parents would bring me here at the end of May and pick me up again in late August. Those months shaped some of my most vivid memories — long days in nature, quiet evenings in the courtyard, and the warm feeling of family life.
What I remember most vividly is the smell of food prepared by my grandmother. The kitchen was always alive — fresh herbs, slow-cooked dishes, and recipes passed down through generations. Today, some of those very dishes are served again in the Major’s House restaurant, reconnecting the present with the past.
My grandfather was another great influence on me. He often shared stories about his life, including his experiences during World War II and the difficult years that followed. Listening to those stories shaped my understanding of resilience, dignity, and the importance of remembering where you come from.
Years later, these memories became the inspiration for creating Major’s House — a place where family heritage, hospitality, and creativity meet.
Who we are
The name Major’s House comes from the nearby Major’s Canyon, a place surrounded by stories and local legends.
For many years the name sounded mysterious to me, until I learned its simple origin: locals called it Major’s Canyon because, long ago, a Russian major drowned there.
The story stayed in my imagination.
I began to imagine that Major — an officer who once lived in Stepanavan. In my imagination he was a romantic man, secretly in love with his neighbor Anush, bringing her flowers and dreaming about a quiet life in the mountains.
So we imagined the house where he might have lived.
A house full of warmth, stories, and beauty.
And that is how Major’s House was born — not just as a hotel, but as a place where history, imagination, family memory, and art come together.
A house where every guest becomes part of the story.
Discover what we’ve built together.
From family stories to creative journeys — Major’s House has become a home for travelers, artists, and dreamers who believe in the beauty of returning.
- Mission
Major’s House was created to preserve and revive the quiet beauty of Armenian life — through art, hospitality, and the stories that connect generations.
Our mission is to offer spaces where people can feel at home while rediscovering the meaning of belonging, creation, and cultural memory.
- Vision
Major’s House was created to preserve and revive the quiet beauty of Armenian life — through art, hospitality, and the stories that connect generations.
Our mission is to offer spaces where people can feel at home while rediscovering the meaning of belonging, creation, and cultural memory.