A 1970s brutalist icon becomes Tbilisi’s most striking new hotel

A landmark brutalist building on Tbilisi’s Rustaveli Avenue has been transformed into the first Leading Hotels of the World property in the Caucasus region. A new lease of life has been injected into the former telegram office, becoming a re-energising project that honours its architectural and historic heritage, while reinterpreting the building’s social significance.

Wallpaper* checks in at The Telegraph Hotel, Tbilisi

What’s on your doorstep?

The gridded Bolsini tuff (volcanic stone) façade of The Telegraph Hotel, a 1970s brutalist landmark designed by Georgian architects Lado Alexi-Meskhishvili and Teimuraz Mikashavidze, looms large on both Republic Square and Tbilisi’s main artery, Rustaveli Avenue. The eclectic architectural tapestry on this busy thoroughfare reflects Tbilisi’s position as a crossroads between East and West, as well as the influences of occupations past.

Turning left from the hotel, a few doors down is a former cadet corps building-turned-the Museum of Modern Art, while the Neo-Moorish Opera and Ballet State Theatre, Kashveti Church, baroque-style Georgian National Gallery and Soviet-era Georgian Parliament building – where protestors gather when political tensions rise – are within a few hundred metres. Head right and across the road, and cable cars run from the Lower Rustaveli-Mtatsminda Station ascending to 727m above sea level, where Mtatsminda Park offers the best views of Tbilisi’s urban, mountainous sprawl.

Who is behind the design?

Silk Hospitality enlisted architectural design practice Neri&Hu, founded by Lyndon Neri and Rosanna Hu, to transform the long-abandoned heritage building. The studio’s Georgian debut takes inspiration from Tbilisi’s 16th-century caravanserai. ‘What if we could imagine this urban artefact, which used to be Tbilisi’s central nervous system for communication, as a new caravanserai?’ explains Neri. And so, the idea of a ‘city within a building’ was born; on the ground floor, a network of corridors tiled in travertine stone references Tbilisi’s alleyways, while several restaurants and a wine library sit around a central courtyard.

An open-to-the-sky reinterpretation of an urban square, here, a matte blackened stainless steel framework is softened by cascading vines, while the ground level bar –where lemongrass-midori sours are served – reactivates the building’s role as a gathering space. Neri&Hu’s approach was ‘not an act of restoration, but a critical reinterpretation’, Neri says. Throughout, there’s an elegant dialogue between past and present; along corridors, original, weathered concrete pillars have been integrated, providing a visual echo of the past, while golden dots and dashes on revolving entrance doors pay homage to the Morse Code tapped out by yesteryears’ telegram operators.

The room to book

Encircling the main courtyard, 239 calming and tranquil rooms are reached via a staircase lit by custom, 35m-long black steel and glass lighting. While the corridors are low-lit, inside, each room’s a light-filled masterclass in monochrome contrast. A linear flow from the entrance, and walls made from fluted glass and blackened aluminium profiles dividing bathroom, bedroom and living area take inspiration from graceful train carriages, and nod to Tbilisi’s position on the Silk Road journey. The interiors’ recurring straight black lines are mirrored in bedlinen piping, complemented by Neri&Hu’s ‘nh 1217’ spherical blown glass and brushed brass lights for Artemide, and headboards in a gentle green shade that's a subtle nod to Tbilisi’s lush mountain landscapes.

The sixth-floor Junior Club Suites are extra special, thanks to their own terrace, and bathrooms with freestanding ‘Cuna’ bathtubs by Patricia Urquiola for Agape (smaller suites feature ‘Immersion’ bathtubs by Neri&Hu for Agape, while all categories are stocked with Diptyque Fleur de Peu amenities). In terms of the 29 sq m Classic Rooms, plump for those facing Rustaveli Avenue for views towards hilltop Mtatsminda Park (on levels 1-4, its rooms ending 1-20). Also, 11 accessible rooms feature a similar design style, but have widened corridors, grab rails, lowered sinks and roll-in showers.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Of the nine F&B outlets, Grand Cafe is particularly impressive. Deep coffered ceilings, inspired by Adolf Loos’ American Bar in Vienna, emphasise the rhythm of the space’s gridded columns, while walls topped with antique mirrors, white linen tablecloths, and walnut banquette seating and chairs from Stellar Works’ ‘Bund’ collection (designed by Neri&Hu) give the surroundings a Parisian-feel flair. On the Georgian-centric menu, many dishes cooked in a traditional torne oven, highlights include breaded aubergine with walnut on cornbread waffles, bursting-with-flavour tomato and sulguni salads and mini khachapuri breads. At the plentiful buffet breakfast spread, the baked berry and croissant pudding is splendid.

Equally appealing is Laan Thai, helmed by acclaimed chef Rose Chalalai Singh. An entrance, heralded by a half-wall of Mutina terracotta blocks, leads to a glass and metal-filled space, channelling hip Bangkok eatery with authentic-as-it-comes pad thai and mango sticky rice to boot. In cafe and co-working space Bell&Grey, De La Espada Capo bar stools line a walnut wood capsule-shaped bar with a sweeping green Verde Alpi marble countertop, where poke bowls and green juices are served. There’s also Georgian-accented Italian at Philosophico restaurant, and Purple Haze cocktails at rooftop Rolling Stone bar, where concrete walls are hung with magazine cover shots of the likes of Little Richard. Ramping up the sultry stakes is colour-drenched basement joint Tatusa Jazz Club, a space dreamt up by Georgian designer Ketuna Kruashvili, enveloped by red velvet curtains, glinting gold and silver In The Sun Wall lighting by DCW editions, and with bespoke, locally-made wooden tables topped with crimson lacquer.

Where to switch off

The Wine Library, on the hotel’s ground floor, with its curved walnut veneer panelling and arches referencing the spatial construct of historic caravanserai, is a cosseting, cosy place to get up on Georgian wines; don’t miss sipping the spoils of sister hotel Tsinandali Estate’s vineyards, which are in the heart of the famed Kakheti wine region. For those wanting to play at DJ, a tucked-away private lounge, walls lined with records, and books curated by local concept bookshop They Said Books, has its own vinyl booth with a Pro-Ject X1 B turntable.

As well as a gym and treatment rooms for facials and massages (which range from de-stressing hot stone to energising ginger-infused energy boosts) in The Telegraph Hotel’s basement, guests have access to two swimming pools – a 15.5m indoor pool, and a 19.5m outdoor number – at the Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel next door. For extra zen? The Telegraph’s personable staff will happily direct guests to the botanical gardens and sulphur spring soaks at Gulo’s Thermal Spa.

The verdict

Sensitively approached and delivered in style, The Telegraph Hotel is a welcome addition to Tbilisi’s evolving hotel scene. Neri&Hu’s understated yet striking clean-line design, which pays tribute to its brutalist heritage whilst injecting new dynamism, combined with welcoming, polished service, is a winning combination. There’s a pleasing balance in contrasts; dark and light, bedrooms delivering restful retreat, and a roster of top-notch restaurants and bars – already passing the as-booked-by-locals-as-guests litmus success test – awaken a dormant building, allowing it to pulse with life once more. At a time when celebrating difference feels more important than ever, hotels designed to draw people in, encourage gathering, connection and diversity in an east-meets-west crossroads, feel timely.

The Telegraph is located at 31, Shota Rustaveli Avenue, 0108, Tbilisi, Georgia.

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