Mercure Tbilisi Old Town

Built into the historic core of Old Tbilisi, the hotel occupies a corner on Vakhtang Gorgasali Street, steps from the sulfur bathhouses that gave the district its name. The Bridge of Peace and Narikala Fortress lie within a twelve-minute walk, and the cable car up to the fortress runs from nearby. Rooms are compact and modern, ranging from a 17 m² single up to a 78 m² executive suite, all with city views rather than river ones. Fit-outs are current rather than period: minibars, air conditioning, free Wi-Fi. It is a functional, well-run stay rather than a heritage property in itself. The draw is what surrounds it. ASADO Steakhouse works a charcoal grill for dinner, and the lobby bar pours cocktails and draft beer at street level. A gym and sauna are free to guests, and there is a small meeting room for business stays. Parking is on-site and free, useful given the narrow streets nearby. Shopping and restaurants cluster within easy walking distance, and Liberty Square is a seventeen-minute walk. Check-in runs from 3pm. For a stay built around the old city's lanes and views, that combination of steakhouse, rooftop bar and fortress access does the work.