Where to stay in Tbilisi
Before recommending neighborhoods in Tbilisi for short staying, I want to talk about the specifics of housing and booking in Georgia.
10 points on Booking
Just a couple of years ago, in Tbilisi you could either book some old hotel or just guesthouses. With the tourist boom in Georgia, a lot of hotels have opened—really trendy, designer-style ones. And the guesthouse market is growing even faster. Georgians are converting rooms, apartments, houses. In the high season, some even move in with relatives to rent out their places in Tbilisi and Batumi.
Almost any accommodation you find on Booking service has very high ratings. Georgians genuinely care about these numbers and will definitely remind you that it should be at least 10 points! And most likely, you’ll give a guesthouse 9–10 points, because you just can’t bring yourself to give less. One toilet for the whole floor, and the bed is made from wooden pallets? But yesterday they treated you, you ate and drank together, even sang at the same table. How could you refuse after that?
Accommodation ratings of guesthouses on booking platforms are mostly a rating of the hosts.
Where to Stay in Tbilisi for a Few Days
If you’re in Tbilisi for tourism and don’t plan to live here for a couple of months or assimilate forever, but came for a few days or a week, I recommend looking for accommodation in the following neighborhoods.
Meidan Bazar – Metekhi Bridge – Abanotubani
Best choise for first time staying in Tbilisi. The very heart of the city. This is where the sulfur baths are, where there are plenty of bars and restaurants, where across the little bridge is Rike Park with its futuristic pipes and the funicular to Narikala Fortress.
There are only two downsides – it’s more expensive than other neighborhoods and there are more tourists. But everything is close by, and there are plenty of very good guesthouses and new, cool designer hotels. Better to choose accomodation closer to the river.
Here are a few excellent hotels with outstanding service and location:
- Tiflis Palace
- Hotel Khokhobi Old Tbilisi – I really like this hotel. Small rooms, but everything is clean, modern, not over the top, neat, attentive staff, good breakfast. The location is perfect – you can walk to Orbeliani Bath in slippers. Everything you need is nearby.
- Kisi Hotel
- Aivani Old Tbilisi
- King Gorgasali
- Old Meidan
Avlabari
Avlabari is the oldest district of Tbilisi. There’s a metro station and a bus stop to the airport. There are fewer tourists here, which means less infrastructure. It’s interesting to walk around Avlabari during the day.
The advantage of accommodation in this area is that it’s cheaper than in Abanotubani, though the quality is lower. Mostly guesthouses here – I picked ones with very good locations, right on the “border” with Abanotubani.
Boutique Hotel Mimino – a relatively new hotel, it hasn’t been overexposed yet.
Marjanishvili
A neighborhood that is just starting to gain popularity with tourists. If you want good, authentic accommodation and don’t want to overpay too much, I recommend staying in this area. In the evening, be sure to head to Agmashenebeli Avenue. It has been restored, and the beginning of the avenue is now pedestrian-only. There are plenty of bars and restaurants, and in good weather, the evening atmosphere is fantastic. In the same area, there are two large supermarkets with food and wine, as well as a market.
It’s about a 30-minute walk to the sulfur baths and main attractions; you can get to Avlabari even faster. By taxi, it costs around 3–4 lari. I’ve stayed here several times. On my next trip, I’ll probably pick something in the Marjanishvili area from this list again:
Mtatsminda
Mtatsminda is the highest mountain in Tbilisi, visible from everywhere in the Old Town. At the top, there’s a park and attractions, and you can get up there by funicular. But naturally, you don’t live on the mountain itself; it’s better to stay closer to Rustaveli Avenue. This area has the most expensive hotels in Tbilisi:
The Biltmore Hotel Tbilisi – the most expensive hotel in Tbilisi.
Rooms Hotel Tbilisi – a hotel with an amazing modern, stylish design. There are actually two Rooms hotels in Georgia – one here in Tbilisi, the other in Stepantsminda: Rooms Hotel Kazbegi – it’s out of this world, not just a hotel, repeatedly mentioned in various publications as one of the most stylish hotels in the world. I stayed one night in Kazbegi at this hotel, and it’s definitely worth the money.
Courtyard by Marriott Tbilisi – right on Freedom Square, a 10-minute walk to Abanotubani.
Ambassadori Tbilisi Hotel – simply a very good and expensive Georgian five-star.
