Hot Springs in Georgia You Must Visit

Some legends pin Tbilisi’s very foundation to a fifth-century king whose hunting falcon dived into sulphurous springs while chasing a pheasant. They might be those bubbling up in the heart of Old Tbilisi, where the Tbilisi Balneological Resort opened in 1938. The modernised rehabilitation and healing complex of today features a panoply of treatments and therapies, along with more than 30 doctors and other medical professionals.

Named after Georgia’s most celebrated medieval poet, Shota Rustaveli, this boutique hotel stands in the city centre opposite the Parliament. It’s a striking modern high-rise but with rounded, bastion-like corners that lend a curious touch of retro flair. Rooms and suites are sleekly modern and minimalist, with white walls, stripped floors and singed-timber detailing; some have balconies. Unique decorative touches include rows of round Rustaveli portraits above the beds and greenhouse-like glass-walled bathrooms. The on-site Restaurant Melograno specialises in Georgian and Italian cuisine, and there’s a modest rustic-looking terrace.

In the hot subtropical plains of lowland Georgia near Kutaisi, Tskaltubo’s fountain-fronted complex with an imposing columned entrance hall stands in parkland near the town centre. The radon-rich waters have long drawn the Soviet elite, from Stalin to Gorbachev, and its multiple baths and pools reputedly treat everything from skin conditions to cardiovascular disorders.

Barely a kilometre from the resort, this hotel’s facade faintly resembles a 19th-century Italianate mansion, complete with twin belvedere towers. However, the accommodation embraces contemporary pared-back design and sensible furniture. Timber accents, pendant lamps in the bar and a stripped floor in the restaurant lend more style and colour. There’s a fountain and occasional live music on the patio and a decent pool for some downtime if you’re not indulging in the hotel’s spa, which aims to complement the springs’ various therapies.

Almost a kilometre high in the thickly forested Lesser Caucasus Mountains, the Sairme waters were discovered by deer hunters in the 1890s. The resort of today (which features a deer-antler logo – sairme means “place of deer”) covers 60ha (148 acres) and has several healing springs. A substantial redevelopment project completed in 2018 saw upgraded access roads and a state-of-the-art rehabilitation centre.

Wedged into a tight valley beside the slender Tsablaristskali River, the Best Western Sairme Resort resembles an alpine apartment complex and overlooks a small recreation park dotted with trees. The outdoor heated pool, playgrounds, volleyball and basketball courts, zipline and even a shooting range all lend a relaxed feeling to the resort. Unfussy rooms feature contemporary decor with wood detailing, bare walls that feel a touch austere and balconies.

On the spectacular mountain road linking northeastern Georgia’s Alazani Valley with the remote Tusheti region, a short rough-track detour near the 2,826m (9,272ft) Abano Pass leads to a lonely tin-roofed house. Just below, a thermal spring emerges from the hillside, its waters crudely funnelled into a few pools and one rudimentary bathhouse with a tiled tub and great valley views.

Cradled by a little foothill spur of the Caucasus in the Kakheti region, the Lopota Lake Resort and Spa overlooks a pretty private lake near the Lopota River. What began as a relatively modest family enterprise in 2008 has grown into a substantial 186-room resort with several pools, restaurants, basketball and volleyball courts, stables and horse riding. Château Buera – a mock French château-style winery and tasting terrace – was also added. While its numerous blocks and buildings have faux-rustic tiled roofs and timbered balconies, rooms are contemporary and pleasingly commodious.