Tbilisi iconic Soviet-era building to become Telegraph hotel with €15 mln investment

An iconic example of Soviet modernism, the former central post and telegraph building located in the heart of Georgian capital city of Tbilisi will undergo a major transformation to upgrade the old, historic building into a modern lifestyle Telegraph hotel.

Silk Road Group, one of Georgia’s largest business groups, has attracted €15 million in funding from IFU, Denmark’s Investment Fund for Developing Countries, to secure the future of one of Tbilisi's landmark buildings by turning it into a 220-room hotel. 

We are very pleased with our investment, and we look forward to seeing this landmark building transform into a modern and sustainable hotel creating local jobs and paving the way for further tourism and business in Georgia", said IFU’s CEO, Torben Huss.

Plans for the final hotel include a groundfloor food and beverage facility, rooftop terrace and redevelopment of the hotel’s sizeable courtyard, into meeting and banqueting facilities.

The telegraph building is located on Rustaveli Avenue, complementing Silk Road Group’s other properties on Republic Square. An artist impression. Image: GRAFT. 

The redevelopment will be built to LEED Gold standards for environmental impact, making it the first building in the Caucasus to do so.

Built in the 1970s, the Telegraph building is one of the city’s most recognisable Soviet-era buildings. The building is located on Rustaveli Avenue, complementing Silk Road Group’s other properties on Republic Square. Silk Road Group considers the proximity to its existing Radisson Blu Iveria is crucial to this project allowing the redevelopment of the square to become a leading tourist attraction.

Silk Road Group’s hospitality arm is the leading hospitality provider in Georgia, with eleven operational sites:

• Radisson Blu Iveria, Tbilisi (249 rooms)
• Radisson Blu, Batumi (168)
• Radisson Collection Tsinandali Estate, Tsinandali (141 rooms)
• Park Hotel Tsinandali, (70 rooms)
• Tsinandali Estate and Winery
• 2 Iveria Casino, Live games and slots, Tbilisi & Batumi
• Republic Event Venue, Tbilisi
• Republic Rooftop Restaurant-Bar-Terrace, by Levan Kobiashvili, Tbilisi
• Neptune Sport Complex, Tbilisi
• Iveria Beach Club, Batumi
• The Gate Night Club, Batumi

Three venues, After Dinner Club, Tekuna’s Restaurant and the Telegraph Hotel are under development. All three venues are located in Tbilisi.