Georgian PM: Tbilisi hotel launch marks “new paragraph” in country’s hospitality

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Tuesday featured in the launch of Paragraph Tbilisi, a hotel in the Georgian capital, and said the entry of the “top-tier brand” of the Marriott international chain marked a “new paragraph” for the country’s hospitality industry.

The hotel was unveiled under the first Luxury Collection brand of the Marriott international chain, with the Administration of the Government of Georgia saying the total investment amounted to $150 million. 

The hotel features 220 rooms, five restaurants, spas on three floors, hi-tech meeting and conference spaces. 

Garibashvili called the project “exceptional” and said the operation of the “excellent, unique new hotel” in Tbilisi was “very important” given the “positive” dynamic in the tourism and hospitality sector. 

Besides its investment value, which is in itself a direct contribution to Georgia's economy, it is also important that this stands for stimulating the development of new services and, most importantly, hundreds of jobs for the capital”, he said.

I would like to underline the role of the project's main author, Bidzina Ivanishvili [the former Prime Minister and founder of the ruling Georgian Dream party], and once again thank him for the implementation of such an important, remarkable project”, the official added.

Photo: PM's press office

Garibashvili also noted the “enormous volume of charity” carried out in Georgia by Ivanishvili over the years, saying it amounted to over $3 billion. 

Now hundreds of millions of dollars have contributed to the development of our country [...] I would like to thank the Co-Investment Fund, its every employee, everyone involved in the implementation of this outstanding project [...] The Co-Investment Fund has been actively participating in the development of our country's economy for many years”, he said.

Photo: PM's press office

Garibashvili noted about 85,000 new hotel beds had been created across the country in accommodation facilities launched in the past 10 years, with the total investment amounting to over ₾2 billion ($0.74bln). 

Tourism is developing rapidly in our country. Last year, the country received $3.5 billion in revenues from international travel. In the first three quarters of this year, Georgia has already received $3.3 billion in revenues. All this allows us to be very optimistic about the country's development”, he said.

The Autograph Collection brand of the Marriott International Chain first entered Georgia in 2018, on the initiative of the Tourism Development Fund, with the opening of the Paragraph Shekvetili hotel on the Black Sea coast. 

The Administration said the two hotels employed over 900 people.