The Third Annual Investors’ Meeting of Pontus Rotana Resort & Spa brought together around 150 guests from different countries. International investors travelled to Batumi to personally assess construction progress, meet with the company’s management, and see firsthand how the commitments made to them are being fulfilled.
“I remember when there was nothing here but an empty plot of land. Since then, I’ve come back every year and watched the construction progress not through videos, but with my own eyes.” says Eduard, an investor from Romania.
Today, a 27-storey building stands on the very site he first visited several years ago - the future five-star Pontus Rotana Resort & Spa.
For the company, the event continued a tradition now in its third consecutive year: inviting investors directly to the construction site, openly demonstrating progress, and providing opportunities for face-to-face communication with those responsible for delivering the project.
When the Relationship with an Investor Goes Beyond Signing a Contract
In Batumi’s real estate market, where a significant share of transactions involving international buyers takes place remotely, this approach to investor relations is particularly important.
Buyers often make investment decisions from thousands of kilometres away, relying on architectural renderings, presentations, and developers’ promises. Yet opportunities to personally assess construction progress and receive answers directly from company management are not always available.
Pontus takes a different approach. Its annual meetings allow investors not only to follow the project's development but also to connect with one another, share experiences, and communicate directly with the developer.
“This is the first investment where I’ve been invited to come, see the project for myself, and spend time with the developer. Really well organised, strong leadership, and a great group of people. All in all, I’m very happy,” said Nico, an investor from the United Kingdom.
Over the past three years, the event has evolved into an international networking platform. However, its greatest value lies not so much in the scale of the gathering as in the opportunity to demonstrate that commitments are being fulfilled through tangible results.
The Construction Site Speaks Louder Than Promises
The centrepiece of the programme was a visit to the Pontus Rotana Resort & Spa construction site in Gonio.
Investors toured the 27-storey building, where the main reinforced concrete structural works have already been completed. Construction is now focused on the next stages, including façade installation, mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems, and interior finishing.
All works are being carried out in accordance with international standards and the technical requirements of Rotana, the hotel operator that will directly manage the property upon opening.
The mock-up guest rooms attracted particular attention, giving visitors an opportunity to assess the layouts, materials, and quality of the future interiors.
During the site visit, representatives of the engineering team presented updates on construction progress, the technologies being implemented, and the upcoming stages of development. Investors were able to address their questions directly to management and technical specialists.
“My wife and I are very glad we made the decision to invest in a company that takes its investors seriously. What I saw on the construction site today confirms that the people managing the project take their work very seriously and pay attention to even the smallest details. And I now understand why - because Rotana closely monitors and checks everything,” shared Gili, an investor from Israel.
This approach turns transparency from a stated commitment into a practical reality: investors can personally compare the developer’s plans with the actual progress achieved on site.
An International Hotel Project with a Distinctive Investment Model
Pontus Rotana Resort & Spa will become the first five-star hotel operated under the international Rotana brand in Georgia.
Located in Gonio, directly on the Black Sea beachfront, the development will feature more than 500 hotel rooms, a spa, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, restaurants and bars, conference facilities, beach amenities, and a casino.
A defining feature of the investment model is professional hotel management. Rotana will operate the property directly rather than through a franchise arrangement.
The project offers a passive investment model in which revenue is generated from the hotel's entire room inventory and distributed among owners according to their contractual terms. As a result, an investor's income depends on the overall performance of the hotel rather than the occupancy of an individual room.
The combination of an international hospitality brand, centralised professional management, and extensive facilities is particularly relevant to Batumi, where expanding the supply of high-quality hotel accommodation remains an important factor in the continued growth of the tourism market.
Trust That Crosses Borders
According to Farhan Shubailat, Corporate Director of Development at Rotana Hotels, international interest in the project has grown noticeably over the past year.
“Compared to last year, I see many new investors, which reflects growing trust in Pontus and Rotana. I was particularly impressed by the international reach, with investors coming from South Africa, Canada, Ireland and beyond. Many are already familiar with Rotana, which confirms our strong international brand recognition and the growing interest in Georgia’s tourism market,” said Farhan Shubailat.
For international investors, familiarity with an established hotel brand provides an additional layer of confidence. Equally important, however, is the reputation of the developer itself - its ability to fulfil commitments, maintain communication, and ensure transparency throughout the project's implementation.
In this context, annual investor meetings take on significance beyond the event itself. They help strengthen existing relationships while creating opportunities to attract new investors.
Discovering Not Only the Project, but Georgia
The organisers also placed special emphasis on the cultural programme, allowing international guests to become better acquainted with Georgia and its traditions.
Participants visited the Adjarian Wine House, where they took part in traditional khinkali and churchkhela-making masterclasses, followed by a wine tasting featuring Pontus Land Invest, the winemaking company within the Pontus Capital Group. The programme also included a traditional Georgian dinner accompanied by national music and dance performances.
Such experiences help investors develop a broader understanding of the country in which they are investing. Discovering Georgia’s culture, hospitality, and tourism potential becomes an important part of building long-term relationships.
From Trust in One Project to Confidence in an Entire Market
The development of international hotel projects is closely linked to the tourism and investment potential of the region.
According to revised data from the National Statistics Office of Georgia (Geostat), foreign direct investment (FDI) in Georgia reached USD 1.9 billion in 2025, representing a 19.3% increase compared with 2024. The real estate sector attracted USD 254.7 million, accounting for 13.4% of total foreign direct investment.
At the same time, the tourism sector continues to expand. According to Geostat, Adjara recorded approximately 2.7 million visits by international visitors in 2025, making it one of Georgia's leading tourism destinations.
These figures highlight the importance of two interconnected drivers of the regional economy: international capital and tourism demand.
However, sustainable market development depends not only on the volume of investment but also on the quality of the projects being delivered. International hotel developments can contribute to higher standards of tourism infrastructure, job creation, and the growth of related industries - from construction to services.
When international investors witness genuine construction progress, receive direct answers to their questions, and return to the site year after year, confidence begins to extend beyond an individual company to the broader investment destination.
Such experiences can lay the groundwork for future investment decisions, stronger international business connections, and further capital inflows into the economies of Batumi and Adjara.
Reputation Is Built on Promises Kept
The Third Annual Investors’ Meeting of Pontus Rotana Resort & Spa demonstrated how consistent communication and openness can become an integral part of a long-term investment strategy.
For Pontus, this is not a one-off PR initiative but an established practice that the company has maintained for several years, giving investors the opportunity to independently assess the results of its work.
“From the very beginning, we made a commitment to every investor: transparency, openness and the highest standards of quality. Year after year, with every investors’ meeting we hold, we demonstrate that these are not just promises but principles we stand by. Seeing our investors’ trust grow stronger each year is the greatest confirmation that we are on the right path,” said Irakli Varshalomidze, Founder of Pontus.
As competition for international capital intensifies, reputation is becoming one of a developer's most valuable assets. And while such formats of open investor engagement remain relatively rare in Batumi’s real estate market, initiatives like these can help strengthen confidence in the industry as a whole, building the city's reputation as a destination for long-term international investment.
For more information about the project, please visit Pontus.ge
