Hilton will be bringing its flagship Hilton Hotels & Resorts brand to the capital of Georgia with the signing of a management agreement with Granat LLC.
The 206-guestroom Hilton Tbilisi is set to open in early 2019. The building's historic façade will be preserved as part of the design, while a glass roof will be constructed on top of the building for the hotel's rooftop bar and spa.
"Tbilisi's diverse economy—with substantial international infrastructure investment, a burgeoning events calendar and leisure growth—makes the city a promising market to be introducing our flagship brand," Patrick Fitzgibbon, SVP of development, EMEA, Hilton, said in a statement.
"The long term goal of Georgia's Tourism Strategy 2025 is to develop the country as a sought-after tourist destination and increase the international profile of Georgia," Dimitry Kumsishvili, former minister of economy and sustainable development of Georgia said. "Projects such as Hilton Tbilisi are key to broadening the appeal of Tbilisi and Georgia to more international visitors and will help boost tourism to the city."
"This is our first hotel development and we are proud to be working with Hilton on our maiden hospitality project," Elguja Tsintsadze, CEO of Granat LLC, said. "The Soviet-era building's exterior will be fully restored, while a stunning glass roof will be constructed on top of the hotel in a $50 million investment. The result will be one of the city's finest and most unique hotels."
Hilton Hotels & Resorts has 18 properties currently under development across Europe, with two hotels in Georgia: Hilton Batumi on the Black Sea coast, which opened in the summer of 2015, and Hilton Garden Inn Tbilisi Chavchavadze, which is currently under construction and set to open in 2018 in Tbilisi's financial district.