Where to stay
Hotels in Borjomi
Borjomi: the town built around a spring
Borjomi sits in the forested Borjomi Gorge, about 150 kilometres west of Tbilisi. A marshrutka from Didube station takes roughly two and a half to three hours and costs a few lari; the slow train on the Khashuri line is more scenic but adds time. The centre is small: the central park, where the famous mineral water is drawn free from pavilions, the cable car up to the plateau, and a short walk to the Romanov-era palace gardens at Likani. Most visitors stay one or two nights and use it as a base for the Borjomi-Kharagauli national park trails.
Accommodation splits into two zones. Guesthouses on the streets above the park run budget rates and put the springs on your doorstep; the better mid-range hotels cluster near the entrance to Likani, a ten-minute drive from the centre. I would book in Borjomi town rather than Likani if you have no car, because evenings are quiet and everything worth walking to sits between the park and the river. If you are travelling around July and August, reserve ahead — the town fills with Georgian families on summer holiday. Late spring and early autumn are the sweet spots.
Tskaltubo: the faded sanatorium capital
Tskaltubo, in the lowlands of Imereti near Kutaisi, is the strangest and most memorable of Georgia's spa towns. Its grand sanatoria were built in the Soviet period around warm radon-rich springs; many now stand half-empty among overgrown palms. It is around 15 minutes by taxi from Kutaisi, itself served by Georgia's second airport and the main hub for flights into the west. The springs still flow, and a handful of sanatoria operate treatments for visitors who book in advance. Walking the old park alleys in the late afternoon light is the main attraction.
There is limited hotel stock in Tskaltubo itself, mostly small guesthouses and renovated sanatorium wings; the practical move is to stay in Kutaisi, where choice is far wider and rates cover every band, and take a taxi out for the day. Note that the town does not suit travellers who want cafes, bars and evening life. I would book Kutaisi for two nights and treat Tskaltubo as a half-day excursion, combining it with the Gelati and Motsameta monasteries on the ridge above the city.
Practical rhythm: seasons, roads and what to skip
Georgia's spa towns are at their best from May to early June and from September to October, when the heat has eased and the forested gorges remain lush. July and August are hot and busy in Borjomi; winter is cold and many sanatorium facilities run reduced hours. Driving times matter here: Tbilisi to Borjomi is about two hours on the modern highway, but the mountain road through Bakuriani is slower and closes in heavy snow. The Tbilisi–Kutaisi highway is fast and makes a self-drive loop of Borjomi and Tskaltubo realistic over four or five days.
What to skip: don't schedule a spa town as a day trip from Tbilisi. The return leg alone eats six hours. Don't expect the sanatoria to function like international spas — treatments are booked in advance, schedules are limited, and the draw is atmosphere rather than luxury. If you only have one slot, choose Borjomi for scenery and walking, Kutaisi-Tskaltubo for history and architecture. Book Borjomi first, because its small hotel stock fills fastest in the high season.
Where to base yourself for a spa circuit
The sensible structure is three bases: Tbilisi for arrival and departure, Borjomi for the southern springs and the national park, and Kutaisi for Tskaltubo and the Imereti monasteries. Tbilisi needs no introduction — the old town around Abanotubani, with its sulphur baths, is the city's own answer to the spa tradition and makes a good first evening. From Tbilisi, dedicate at least two nights to Borjomi. From Kutaisi, two nights cover Tskaltubo and the surrounding monasteries without rushing.
For booking, reserve Borjomi and Kutaisi accommodation before you fly, especially if your dates fall on a weekend in summer. Georgian guesthouses often list only a phone number or social media page, so hotels and licensed guesthouses with online booking are the safer choice for a first trip. Aim to confirm the first and last nights in Tbilisi a week or two in advance, and leave the middle flexible if you plan to follow the weather. Fewer, longer stays beat a hurried circuit along the gorge roads.