Georgia’s capital Tbilisi is a thinking person’s heaven. A rich cultural and intellectual heritage means the city offers rare museums and galleries, stunning churches, divine cuisine, and an enviable crafts heritage. To top it off, the country is set to create a new design legacy—thanks to Rooms Hotel group, which is leading the local contemporary movement of marrying Georgian tradition with modernism. The first Design Hotels™ member in the country, Rooms Hotel Kazbegi in the Caucasus Mountains is vastly different from the newly opened Rooms Hotel Tbilisi. Located in the intellectual neighborhood of Vera, the Tbilisi cleverly incorporates the building’s history as a publishing house into its design elements, while also honoring its cultural past with many art and music events. Rife with regal sophistication, the 8-floor property boasts 140 rooms and suites, combining distinct 1930s New York vibes with old-world Tbilisi charm. Rich, fragrant leather, mood lighting, velvety textures, and carefully selected sounds fill the spacious fireplace lounge and cocktail bar—home to international guests and fashionable Georgians alike. With a clear emphasis on all things “taste”, executive chef Francesco Manalo, of the nouveau American restaurant “The Kitchen”, concocts a delectable weekly menu using locally sourced ingredients.

POST-INDUSTRIAL PUBLISHING HOUSE Young local architecture firm Adjara Arch Group is responsible for the brilliantly sensitive restoration of this old publishing house in the Vera district. Right from its entrance, the building is very much in keeping with its neighbors. Salvaged wood along with post-industrial window frames—typical to the city—create an eye-catching façade.

Sections of the hotel, showcasing original Georgian art, have been given gallery-like treatment featuring atrium-style walls that allow for plenty of daylight. Rooms Hotel Tbilisi’s “feel like a local” mantra ensures the presence of many such glass facades, including in the restaurant, so that guests can interact with the buzzing local scene outside.

The nouveau American restaurant “The Kitchen” is at the heart of Rooms Hotel Tbilisi and already popular with locals. The rough-but-sophisticated artisanal interior along with an open floor plan pay tribute to the honest cuisine served here—only organic, seasonal ingredients are on the weekly menu. Long communal tables encourage diners to sit for hours and socialize over delectable dishes.

Visionary owner Temur Ugulava was inspired by 1930s New York when coming up with the design concept for Rooms Hotel Tbilisi. Hence, rooms and suites are outfitted with handmade wallpapers, rich wooden floors complement claw-foot tubs, and mood lighting underlines it all.