An experience-based guide to where to stay in Kutaisi, Georgia: the best hotels, four areas on one map, all reviewed from my stay, from a characterful boutique hotel to the city’s only five-star.
If you’re deciding where to stay in Kutaisi, the easy answer is the small center around the Colchis Fountain, the city’s main square, where almost everything is a short walk away.
I slept in two different hotels there, Hotel Memoire and Newport Hotel, a few steps apart and with opposite styles, then scouted in person five more, for a total of the 7 best hotels in Kutaisi, one for each kind of trip. They’re all on one map below, together with the areas worth knowing, so you can choose in a few minutes.
Where to Stay in Kutaisi: Quick Picks
Each of these hotels gets its own full review further down, but if you’re short on time, here’s the one-line version of who each one suits.
- Best for old Kutaisi character: Hotel Memoire ⭐⭐⭐, a restored old house by the Colchis Fountain. We stayed here.
- Best for international comfort: Newport Hotel Kutaisi ⭐⭐⭐⭐, bright rooms and a restaurant open late. We stayed here too.
- Best boutique hotel with a pool: Communal Hotel Kutaisi ⭐⭐⭐, design rooms and one of the best restaurants in town.
- Best for a historic building and a rooftop bar: Grand Opera Hotel ⭐⭐⭐, right next to the Opera Theater.
- Best international chain: Best Western Kutaisi City Center ⭐⭐⭐⭐, by the White Bridge with a roof terrace.
- Best for city views: Hotel Green Town ⭐⭐⭐, a small hotel next to Bagrati Cathedral.
- Best 5-star hotel: Kutaisi Inn ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐, the only one in the city, with a garden and its own parking.
Things to Know Before You Book a Hotel in Kutaisi
A few practical things about Kutaisi that can change which hotel, or which part of town, makes sense for you.
- How big Kutaisi is: The center is small and mostly flat, and you can walk from the main square to the market or the White Bridge in a few minutes. For Bagrati Cathedral, up on its hill, or anything farther out, you can call a Bolt, the ride-hailing app everyone uses in Georgia.
- Best area for a first visit: The City Center around the Colchis Fountain, because the restaurants, the market and most sights are a short walk away.
- If you’re driving: We always found free parking, either on the small square in front of our hotel or along the street. If you’d rather have a spot of your own, Newport Hotel Kutaisi, Hotel Green Town, and Kutaisi Inn have free private parking.
- Arriving by plane: Kutaisi International Airport is about 30 minutes west of the city by car. There’s no hotel right by the terminal, so it’s easier to sleep in the center and get there by Bolt or the airport shuttle bus.
- How many nights: Two or three nights give you one day for the city and one for the day trips around it.
- What else to do nearby: For ideas on how to spend those days, here are the 10 best things to do in Kutaisi, with a two-day plan.
Best Areas to Stay in Kutaisi
The Rioni River cuts Kutaisi in two, and most of what you’ll want to see sits on its eastern bank, around the Colchis Fountain. The four areas below are all within walking distance of each other, so the choice is mostly about atmosphere and how you get around.
City Center: Around the Colchis Fountain
- Vibe: Historic and busy during the day, calm at night
- Walk to the Colchis Fountain: 0 to 5 minutes
- Food and drink: Plenty, all within a short walk
- Parking: Street parking only
- Best for: First-time visitors and anyone without a car
- Hotels here: Hotel Memoire ⭐⭐⭐, Newport Hotel Kutaisi ⭐⭐⭐⭐, Grand Opera Hotel ⭐⭐⭐
This is where we stayed, and it’s the easiest choice for a short trip. The fountain stands on the main square, a big round basin covered in golden copies of ancient jewelry and animal figures from Colchis, the old kingdom of western Georgia. Around it you have the Opera Theater, the Green Bazaar, which is the city’s covered food market, the State Historical Museum and many restaurants. We had a rental car and always found a free spot, either on the small square in front of our hotel or along the street, but on busy days it can take a couple of loops.
Across the White Bridge: Bzholebi
- Vibe: Lively, with the best bars and restaurants in town
- Walk to the Colchis Fountain: About 10 minutes
- Food and drink: Excellent
- Parking: Limited, especially in the evening
- Best for: Couples and anyone who likes to eat and drink well
- Hotels here: Communal Hotel Kutaisi ⭐⭐⭐, Best Western Kutaisi City Center ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bzholebi is the neighborhood right across the river from the center, reached on foot over the White Bridge, a pedestrian bridge with glass panels in the floor. Its main street, Tabidze Street, is lined with restaurants and bars, and when we came over for dinner at Doli it was packed and full of life. That’s the appeal and also the catch: on weekends some venues stay open very late, so light sleepers should ask for a room away from the street.
Bagrati Hill
- Vibe: Quiet and residential, with views over the city
- Walk to the Colchis Fountain: 10 to 15 minutes downhill, more on the way back
- Food and drink: Very little, most places are down in the center
- Parking: Easy at the hotels, but the streets are narrow
- Best for: Views, quiet nights and travelers with a car
- Hotels here: Hotel Green Town ⭐⭐⭐
The hill on the other side of the river is topped by Bagrati Cathedral, Kutaisi’s 11th-century cathedral and its most famous landmark. The streets around it are steep and very narrow. We drove up both of the roads that climb the hill and neither was fun, with cars squeezing past each other and tight turns. If you stay here with a car, you’ll want a hotel with its own parking. Without one, it’s easier to walk up the stairs from the center or take a Bolt. In return you get the best views in Kutaisi and much quieter evenings, though the cathedral itself fills with visitors in the afternoon.
Near the Train Station: Balakhvani
- Vibe: Green and residential
- Walk to the Colchis Fountain: About 15 minutes
- Food and drink: A few good places along the river, fewer than in the center
- Parking: The easiest of the four areas
- Best for: Drivers and anyone arriving by train
- Hotels here: Kutaisi Inn ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Balakhvani runs along the river south of the center, around Kutaisi I, the city’s main train station. The streets are wide and leafy, lined with pastel Soviet-era apartment buildings, and it feels like a place where people live and work. You lose a bit of convenience, since the center is a 15-minute walk away, but parking is simple and you can get out of town quickly for day trips.
Colchis Fountain, lit up at night
Kutaisi Cable Car near White Bridge
Bagrati Cathedral on Ukimerioni Hill in Kutaisi
7 Best Hotels in Kutaisi, Georgia
1. Hotel Memoire Kutaisi
- Area: City Center, one minute from the Colchis Fountain
- Best for: Couples who want old Kutaisi character and a Georgian breakfast
- Price range: $$
- Breakfast: Included, buffet
- Parking: Free on the street or on the small square in front
- Book it: Hotel Memoire on Booking.com ⭐⭐⭐
Memoire is almost next door to Newport, and it’s the opposite experience. The hotel is in an old house that was renovated inside but kept a lot of its original style and structure, down to the stone cellar with its qvevri, the big clay jar Georgians bury in the ground to make wine. The whole hotel is a tribute to the people of old Kutaisi. The reception has a wall of posters, each one a writer, composer or performer tied to the city, like the poet Akaki Tsereteli or the composer Zakaria Paliashvili.
Minimalism is not the idea here. Our deluxe double had gold damask wallpaper, red lampshades, a fringed black chandelier, a poster above the bed and a little embroidered mirror on the wall. We loved the character. It’s also not a perfectly polished hotel: the wallpaper was missing in a few spots, the room was a bit dark in the evening, and with so many objects around there was some dust here and there.
Breakfast was the best part. It’s served in the basement, a stone-walled room with an open piano, a gramophone, red velvet curtains and the bar in the back, and the buffet is mostly Georgian home cooking: round cheese khachapuri, little buns filled with spiced meat, savory pastries, an oven-baked omelet, beet and carrot salads and plenty of fruit. The same space works as a wine bar at night.
We paid €140 (about $163) for two nights in August 2026, breakfast included, which made it very good value for the center.
The reception at Hotel Memoire
Our deluxe double room at Hotel Memoire
The basement breakfast room, which turns into a wine bar at night
The breakfast buffet, with khachapuri and meat-filled buns
2. Newport Hotel Kutaisi
- Area: City Center, right behind the Colchis Fountain
- Best for: Travelers who want spotless rooms and international standards
- Price range: $$$
- Breakfast: Included, buffet
- Parking: Free private parking for guests
- Book it: Newport Hotel Kutaisi on Booking.com ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Newport Hotel is in a pale blue historic building, the city’s old courthouse from 1914, and inside everything is bright and clean: a white marble reception desk, a lobby with gold-framed armchairs, parquet floors and big windows onto the trees outside. Our standard queen room was spacious and full of light, and it was clean as a mirror.
On the ground floor there’s a restaurant open until late, with a menu that mixes international dishes and Georgian ones. We had dinner there on our night back from the mountains and it was very good. Breakfast the next morning was mostly international.
The building faces the street. We didn’t hear any noise, but if you sleep lightly you can ask for a room at the back. We paid €104 (about $121) for one night in August 2026, breakfast included.
The reception at Newport Hotel
The bright lobby at Newport Hotel Kutaisi
Our room at Newport Kutaisi
3. Communal Hotel Kutaisi
- Area: Across the White Bridge, on Tabidze Street
- Best for: Design lovers and anyone who plans to eat well
- Price range: $$$
- Breakfast: Check whether it’s included in your rate
- Parking: Limited street parking
- Book it: Communal Hotel Kutaisi on Booking.com ⭐⭐⭐
Communal is a small boutique hotel in a restored 19th-century townhouse, run by the same Georgian group behind the Communal hotels in Tbilisi. It has only about ten rooms, each with a different layout, decorated with Georgian textiles and vintage pieces, and there’s a garden with a seasonal outdoor pool, which is rare in Kutaisi. We didn’t sleep here, but we had dinner at Doli, the hotel’s restaurant, and took a look around afterwards. Dinner was one of the best meals we had in the city, Georgian food done really well. Book a table in advance, even if you’re staying at the hotel.
Tabidze Street is the liveliest street in town, so expect some noise on weekend nights. And keep in mind that check-in can sometimes be self-service after hours.
4. Grand Opera Hotel
- Area: City Center, across from the Opera Theater
- Best for: A historic building in the very center and a rooftop drink
- Price range: $$
- Breakfast: Included, buffet
- Parking: No private parking
- Book it: Grand Opera Hotel on Booking.com ⭐⭐⭐
The Grand Opera Hotel occupies a restored green-and-gold corner building on Rustaveli Avenue, right in front of the Opera Theater and two minutes on foot from the Green Bazaar. It has 22 rooms with a classic, elegant style, some with balconies and views of the theater. On top of the building there’s the Gallery Terrace, a rooftop bar and restaurant with views over central Kutaisi. It’s open to outside guests, and we went up for a drink.
The avenue is busy and the rooftop bar can be lively at night, so light sleepers should ask for a quiet room. Since there’s no hotel parking, it works best if you’re traveling without a car.
5. Best Western Kutaisi City Center
- Area: Across the White Bridge, by the river
- Best for: Travelers who want a familiar international brand
- Price range: $$$
- Breakfast: Included, buffet
- Parking: Open parking at the hotel
- Book it: Best Western Kutaisi City Center on Booking.com ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is the only international chain hotel in Kutaisi, a modern building from 2016 with 45 rooms just across the White Bridge from the old center. Rooms are contemporary and comfortable, and some look over the Rioni River. The hotel has two restaurants and a rooftop terrace with a bar and grill, a nice spot for a drink at sunset.
It’s a good pick if you want predictable standards and parking without giving up the walk into town, about 10 minutes to the Colchis Fountain.
6. Hotel Green Town
- Area: Bagrati Hill, about 200 m (650 ft) from the cathedral
- Best for: City views, quiet nights and travelers with a car
- Price range: $$
- Breakfast: Included, buffet
- Parking: Free private parking
- Book it: Hotel Green Town on Booking.com ⭐⭐⭐
Green Town is a small hotel with only 10 rooms on the street that leads to Bagrati Cathedral. Its best feature is the terrace, where breakfast is served with a view across the rooftops of Kutaisi and, on clear days, all the way to the mountains. Rooms are simple but highly reviewed. It’s also one of the few hotels up the hill with private parking, which makes a real difference on these narrow streets. Walking down to the center takes around 10 to 15 minutes, but the walk back is steep.
7. Kutaisi Inn
- Area: Near the Train Station, on David Agmashenebeli Avenue
- Best for: Five-star comfort, easy parking and a quick start on day trips
- Price range: $$$
- Breakfast: Check whether it’s included in your rate
- Parking: Free private parking
- Book it: Kutaisi Inn on Booking.com ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kutaisi Inn opened in 2022 and is the only five-star hotel in Kutaisi. It’s a large, modern hotel with about 100 rooms, a garden, a restaurant and bar, a sauna and a small gym, set on the main avenue next to Kutaisi I station. The center is about a 15-minute walk away, so you give up a bit of atmosphere, but parking is easy and you’re out of town quickly when you head to the canyons or Tskaltubo.
Final Tips For Staying in Kutaisi
- Ask for a room at the back if you sleep lightly. Several of the best hotels sit on busy streets: Newport faces the road behind the fountain, Grand Opera is on the main avenue and Communal is on Tabidze Street, where bars stay open late on weekends. A room on the back side, like our balcony room at Memoire, is usually much quieter.
- Pay in lari. When you pay at the hotel by card, the terminal often asks if you want to pay in your own currency. Choose GEL, the Georgian lari, because the “your currency” option comes with a worse exchange rate. The same goes for ATMs.
- Keep the windows closed on summer nights. Kutaisi sits in a green, humid lowland, and in August we met a lot of mosquitoes, especially at the Botanical Garden. Use the air conditioning and pack some repellent.
- Renting a car? Have it delivered to your hotel. Local rental companies in Georgia usually bring the car to any address, so you can pick it up at the door when you’re ready for the day trips. If you do this, book a hotel with its own parking or a street where parking is easy.
FAQ
Memoire vs Newport Hotel, which one should you book?
The two hotels stand a couple of minutes apart behind the Colchis Fountain, so the location is the same and the choice comes down to style. Book Memoire if you want to feel where you are, with Georgian food at breakfast and an old house full of stories. Book Newport if you want a polished, reliable room after a long day of driving. We stayed in both and would happily go back to either.
Is it better to stay in Kutaisi or Tbilisi to see western Georgia?
Kutaisi. Tbilisi is about 230 km (145 mi) east, three and a half to four hours by car, so day trips from the capital to the canyons or the monasteries around Kutaisi turn into very long days. From Kutaisi, most of these places are 20 minutes to an hour away. For an idea of what’s out there, here’s my guide to Martvili Canyon, one of the most popular trips from the city.
Can you see the sights around Kutaisi without a car?
Yes. In town, you can walk almost everywhere from the center and use Bolt for the rest. For the canyons, caves and monasteries outside the city, the easiest option is a day tour that picks you up in central Kutaisi, so a hotel near the Colchis Fountain is the most practical base. We had a rental car, which gave us more freedom with timing, but it isn’t essential.
Where should you stay if you have an early flight from Kutaisi Airport?
Stay in the center. The airport is about 22 km (14 mi) west of the city, roughly 30 minutes by car, and there’s nothing worth booking right by the terminal. For a very early departure, book a Bolt the night before or ask your hotel to arrange a transfer. Choose a hotel with a 24-hour reception, and if you’ll miss breakfast, ask if they can prepare something to take away; several guests mention Memoire doing this for them.
Can you stay in Tskaltubo instead of Kutaisi?
You can. Tskaltubo is a Soviet-era spa town about 20 minutes from Kutaisi, with a few hotels built around its thermal springs and plenty of quiet. The trade-off is that restaurants and evening life are limited, and you’ll drive into Kutaisi for most things. If the abandoned sanatoriums are what draws you there, read my guide to the Tskaltubo sanatoriums before deciding.
Do hotels in Kutaisi have air conditioning?
All seven hotels in this guide have air-conditioned rooms. You’ll want it in summer, when daytime temperatures in Kutaisi often reach 30°C (86°F) or more.
