ibis Styles Old Tbilisi - A Faithful and Thoughtful Host to the Old City

The reason is simple: we believe that the best person to introduce a place is someone who knows it more intimately than anyone else. Ketevan has been part of this project since its earliest stages, from construction to the hotel’s life today, which she now oversees as General Manager. Our conversation, therefore, is about more than the hotel’s interiors and design concept. It is a story about the ideas, people and experiences that give ibis Styles Old Tbilisi its distinct character.

The Character of Light in Old Tbilisi

In Old Tbilisi, light has a character of its own. It slips between balconies, brushes against the facades of old houses and filters through colorful stained-glass windows into the interiors. Sometimes, a single detail is enough to make a space more than beautiful - it makes it memorable.

Located on Kote Abkhazi Street, ibis Styles Old Tbilisi seeks to create precisely this kind of impression. Here, the architectural heritage of the old city meets contemporary design, while Georgian culture becomes part of the interior itself rather than a decorative afterthought.

For Ketevan Lortkipanidze, the hotel’s General Manager, the colorful stained-glass windows are among the most meaningful expressions of this concept. They preserve an element of Tbilisi’s architectural aesthetic while filling the space with the warmth and shifting light that evoke the character of the old city.

“They are not simply beautiful decorative elements. They are an expression of respect for the history and traditions of Old Tbilisi,” Ketevan says.

For her, their significance extends beyond their visual effect. Hospitality, as she sees it, is about offering more than comfort: it is about helping guests connect emotionally with a place and sharing its history and cultural identity with them.

When Design Tells the Story of a City

One of the defining features of the ibis Styles brand is that each hotel has its own story and individual concept. In the case of ibis Styles Old Tbilisi, that story begins with the city itself.

“Every hotel has its own unique story and concept. In the case of ibis Styles Old Tbilisi, however, it is more than a design solution - it is a fusion of Tbilisi’s history, Georgian culture and modernity,” Ketevan Lortkipanidze explains.

Its location in the heart of Old Tbilisi brings a particular responsibility: to create a contemporary space without losing its connection to the historic surroundings.

The concept, therefore, goes beyond contemporary interiors. The hotel has preserved and restored architectural elements such as a traditional Tbilisi spiral staircase, balconies and colorful stained-glass windows. Alongside these historic features, Georgian script, calligraphy, local art and contemporary artistic expression come together.

The Georgian alphabet holds a special place in this story. For guests, it is more than a visual element; it offers an introduction to the culture they have come to discover.

“When guests enter ibis Styles Old Tbilisi and encounter the Georgian script and cultural details throughout the interior, they receive an important message from the very first moment. Tbilisi is a city where the country’s ancient traditions and modernity exist in harmony,” Ketevan says.

The wine alphabet, created exclusively for the hotel, extends this idea, bringing Georgian script and wine culture together in a single narrative.

For international guests, these details offer a way to begin understanding Georgia. For local visitors, they present familiar cultural symbols from a different perspective. The hotel’s concept rests on this balance: the international standards and contemporary comfort of a global brand, alongside the identity of Tbilisi. The intention is not to recreate the past, but to tell its story in a contemporary language.

25 Years of Hospitality and Working with People

The General Manager’s professional journey offers another perspective on the character of the hotel. Ketevan Lortkipanidze’s career in hospitality began 25 years ago at Tbilisi Marriott, when the hotel was still preparing to open.

“It was a true school of hospitality, where I grew from an entry-level position to management over the course of seven years.”

She then spent seven years at Radisson Blu Iveria, deepening her experience in hotel management and developing her expertise in food safety, occupational safety and hotel security. Her work extended beyond hotel operations. As a trainer under the auspices of international organisations and the Georgian National Tourism Administration, she shared her knowledge with tourism professionals and family-run guesthouses in Tbilisi and across different regions of Georgia.

Her professional path also included Hotels & Preference Hualing Tbilisi and Hilton Garden Inn Tbilisi Chavchavadze.

In 2023, Ketevan joined the team at construction company Alpha House as a project manager, working on the development of ibis Styles Old Tbilisi. Following the completion of construction, the hotel opened its doors on 23 December 2024, with Ketevan at the helm as General Manager.

What makes this chapter particularly meaningful is that she has known the project since its construction phase. Each corner of the hotel is therefore more than part of a finished space; it reflects a process she experienced and helped lead from the beginning.

“Managing ibis Styles Old Tbilisi means much more to me than holding a professional position. Since I have been involved in this project from the construction stage, I have a special emotional connection to every detail and every corner of the hotel,” she says.

The Side of Hospitality You Don't Always See

First impressions in a hotel are often shaped by its interiors. Yet, however important the surroundings may be, they are only the beginning of the guest experience.

For Ketevan, genuine hospitality has two dimensions: one that guests can see, and another that takes place behind the scenes. A smile, sincere attention and a warm welcome are made possible by the operational processes that guests may never notice.

“True hospitality begins, at first glance, with emotions and sensations. Yet its real foundation lies in invisible standards and the operational chain built by a strong team,” Ketevan says.

That foundation consists of people with different skills working towards a shared purpose, supported by consistent standards and countless details that must be taken care of every day to ensure that guests feel comfortable.

In her view, it is the team that connects the design concept with the guest’s actual experience.

“Design attracts the guest, but the atmosphere created by the team, their genuine attention and the authentic experience of the space are what make guests want to return.”

Working in hospitality has also taught Ketevan the importance of trusting people. When team members are trusted and supported, she believes, they pass that same feeling on to guests.

“My belief in my team has taught me that when you trust people and support them, they pass that emotion on to guests and those around them with genuine care.”

This approach reflects the two sides of the hotel’s identity: respect for Georgian culture, expressed through its interiors, and human warmth, experienced through the people who bring the space to life.

A Faithful and Thoughtful Host to the Old City

What stays with a guest after leaving a hotel? Perhaps it is the memory of sunlight passing through colorful stained glass, an unexpected interpretation of the Georgian alphabet, or simply the feeling of having been cared for.

For Ketevan Lortkipanidze, it is genuine care and a warm smile that make an experience memorable. Comfort and quality service are essential, but what turns a stay into a personal memory is often something much more human.

For her, the essence of hospitality also lies in the details guests never see, yet which allow them to relax, enjoy their stay and leave with positive memories.

When asked to describe the character of ibis Styles Old Tbilisi in a single sentence, her answer is simple:

“Ibis Styles Old Tbilisi - a faithful and thoughtful host to the Old City.”

Perhaps this is what brings the hotel’s defining elements together: respect for the historic city, contemporary design and a deeply human approach to hospitality. The hotel offers the comfort and standards of an international brand while seeking to enrich the guest experience with the character of the city beyond its doors.

Discovering the City Beyond the Hotel

For Ketevan Lortkipanidze, discovering a country involves more than visiting its landmarks. Travelers should also have the opportunity to understand its local culture, history and contemporary life. This is why she sees value in publications that introduce Georgia through a different, more nuanced perspective.

The collaboration between ibis Styles Old Tbilisi and Voya is rooted in this idea. The hotel’s QR-based information platform helps guests easily access information about hotel services and practical options beyond the property. Voya adds another dimension to this experience, introducing the city through local stories, culture and discoveries worth making.

For Ketevan, what matters is that travelers leave Georgia with more than memories of the places they have visited. She hopes they also take away a deeper impression of the country itself. From this perspective, hospitality extends beyond the walls of a hotel to include the wider surroundings of which it is a part.

It is this connection that gives the partnership its meaning: an opportunity to complement the hotel’s service and help guests discover the city on a more personal level.