Two "towers," 14 and 16 stories tall, styled after a medieval castle, will rise on a mountain above Kvariati beach in Adjara. This is Sky Castle, the fifth hotel in the Wyndham Grand Batumi Gonio complex being built in Batumi by European Village, a Georgian-Israeli holding company. The project was presented in Tbilisi on June 16.
A castle with history
The architectural choice isn't accidental. Archil Partenadze, CEO of European Village, explained that on August 12, 1121, the army of Georgian King David the Builder defeated the Seljuks at the Battle of Didgori. Crusader knights from Jerusalem took part in that battle, traveling toward the battlefield along the Adjara coast, passing the very spot where Sky Castle is now being built.Partenadze described Sky Castle as more than a hotel, calling it a historical monument built in a style close to medieval castle architecture, meant to commemorate the alliance between Georgia and Europe and the civilizational feat that united different peoples. He added that the project will host an annual international historical reenactment festival featuring jousting tournaments, archery competitions, and performances by bards and minstrels.Investment in the project totals $155 million, of which more than $26 million will go to the Georgian treasury in taxes. The hotel will have 430 rooms and will be connected to the beach by an elevator - the elevation difference between the summit and the shore will give guests views unmatched by other resorts in the region. The resort's concept is billed as "Luxury of Silence" — silence and seclusion as a deliberate choice rather than simply an absence of noise.
Walid Abu Haya, Israel's Ambassador to Georgia, described this kind of investment by Israeli companies partnering in Georgia as genuine evidence of the strong relationship between the two nations and countries, adding that he believes any ambassador would feel satisfaction seeing such projects.
Unique infrastructure
Sky Castle is part of the Wyndham Grand Batumi Gonio hotel complex - the first luxury all-inclusive resort under an international brand currently under construction in Georgia. It will include more than 100 amenities spread across 27,000 m²: 12 restaurants and bars serving European, kosher, and halal cuisine, 7 pools, 3 spas, a physiotherapy clinic, and a private beach. The amenities are linked by shuttles and are equally accessible to all guests regardless of which hotel they're staying at.
Dimitris Manikis, President EMEA
Europe/Middle East/Eurasia/Africa
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, called Georgia a unique country poised for growth in hospitality, and thanked the company's partners for their trust in Wyndham.The complex is managed by Aimbridge Hospitality, the world's largest hotel management company, with 65 years of experience and a portfolio of 1,500 properties. The Wyndham Grand brand, under which the complex operates, is the top-tier brand in the Wyndham Hotels & Resorts lineup - there are only 95 such hotels worldwide.
Shota Berekashvili, Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia's Committee on Sectoral Economy and Economic Policy, stated that over the next five years Georgia could double its tourism revenue, and assured attendees that the parliament and the economic policy committee will continue to support such projects.
