Housed in one of Tbilisi’s most important 20th-century landmarks, the new Stamba Hotel takes on the spirit of this former publishing house by showcasing the brutalist splendor of the original structure, including rediscovered printing paraphernalia that has been imaginatively restored and repurposed. The framework is chockablock with nostalgic references to the 1930s—imagine gilded, freestanding brass bathtubs in each of the guestrooms. Trees and foliage dominate the five-story-high atrium of the hotel’s “living lobby”, off of which is Café Stamba, where local ingredients are served in all their just-picked glory. Stamba’s Chocolaterie & Roastery, focused on a bean-to-bar concept, completes the hotel’s epicurean edit on the ground floor. A spectacular glass-bottom rooftop pool—visible from the ground floor up—amplifies the fluidity of the design concept. The show-stopper at the presently 42-room hotel (soon to be 150 rooms), however, is the Aviator Casino with its Art Deco-inspired interiors reflecting the golden age of aviation, for which the casino is named.
