Explore #1 of the ‘Love Bears’ Tour

Following on from my first report from the ‘Soviet Riviera’ Georgian spa resort of Tskaltubo, in which I explored Sanatoriums Iveria and Imereti, this report covers four of the town’s former hotels:

– Hotel Medea
– Hotel Metallurgy / Metalurgi
– Hotel Tbilisi
– Hotel Sakartvelo

Hotel Medea

Built between 1954 and 1962, and formerly known as Sanatorium Tsekavshiri, Hotel Medea was a hotel and sanatorium with a capacity of 326 beds.

It was abandoned after Georgia regained independence and the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, but still remains home to a few of the ‘Internally Displaced Persons’ (IDP) families who took shelter there after fleeing the war in the neighbouring breakaway de facto state of Abkhazia in 1992.

On with my photos… I’m afraid they’re not the best, as this was actually the first location we shot at that day, and I think I was still waking up after the tiring flight and late-night arrival the day before. Of all the locations in Tskaltubo, this is the one I would most want to revisit and reshoot. Still, it’s better than not having been at all I suppose…

The grand entrance, which is a popular local for wedding and fashion shoots…

Front entrance exterior external outside Hotel Medea Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

Arches columns blue front entrance Hotel Medea Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

Whilst the others shot the front, I ventured up a crumbling staircase to find this room adorned with faded 80s and 90s stickers, which suggests it was once a children’s bedroom.

room football stickers Hotel Medea Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

football stickers old retro Hotel Medea Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

Looking up one of the ornate staircases…

staircase spiral stairwell stairs Hotel Medea Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

The ground floor, near the entrance foyer…

reception area Hotel Medea Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

Whilst most of the IDPs live in severe poverty, this family seems to be doing okay, judging by the Merc!

Residents IPDs Hotel Medea Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

…and another shot of the grand entrance columns. This is the part I wish I’d shot more of…

Columns blue front foyer entrance Hotel Medea Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

After 30 minutes or so it was on to our next hotel…

Hotel Metallurgy

The Stalin-era Hotel Metallurgy was, as the name suggests, built as a resort for Soviet Union metal factory workers.

The entrance foyer remains relatively well-preserved and gives a glimpse of the building’s former glories…

Reception entrance foyer lobby chandelier columns Hotel Metallurgy Metalurgi Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

Upstairs landing Hotel Metallurgy Metalurgi Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

chandelier entrance reception lobby upstairs Hotel Metallurgy Metalurgi Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

stairs Hotel Metallurgy Metalurgi Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

Broken plasterwork, dumped in the basement…

Bssement broken plasterwork Hotel Metallurgy Metalurgi Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

Former kitchens, with funky retro tiling…

old broken tiles kitchen Hotel Metallurgy Metalurgi Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

In one wing I managed to climb through a broken window to shoot this former theatre / entertainment room…

Cinema theatre entertainment room Hotel Metallurgy Metalurgi Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

Cinema theatre entertainment room Hotel Metallurgy Metalurgi Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

…onwards…

Hotel Tbilisi

Hotel Tbilisi was one of Soviet-era Tskaltubo’s most popular places to stay, with a capacity of 732 beds in its heyday. Built in the in the early 1950s, further reconstruction and expansion works took place in the 1960s and 1980s. As with many other former hotels, it too still houses IDPs displaced by the 1992 war in Abkhazia.

The imposing edifice…

Front entrance exterior external facade outside Hotel Tbilisi Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

The lobby / reception area…

entrance reception lobby foyer blue columns peeling paint Hotel Tbilisi Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

The overgrown central courtyard. Spot the resident on the balcony above…

Garden fountain IDPs residents palm trees Green columns central courtyard peeling paint Hotel Tbilisi Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

Green columns central courtyard peeling paint Hotel Tbilisi Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

Green columns central courtyard garden fountain peeling paint Hotel Tbilisi Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

rubbish litter peeling paint Hotel Tbilisi Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

Hotel Sakartvelo

Our final hotel for the day was the impressive Hotel Sakartvelo.

This hotel had a much more brutalist / 1980s Soviet feel to it, and had many more IDP families living there than the other locations we explored. As a result, we kept ourselves only to the stripped and abandoned section, and didn’t stay very long.

The remains of a now ruined pool, with Soviet-era mosaic still intact…

mural soviet pool mosaic overgrown concrete Hotel Sakartvelo Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

mural soviet pool mosaic overgrown concrete Hotel Sakartvelo Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

soviet mosaic mural Hotel Sakartvelo Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

Many IDP families still inhabit the upper floors of some parts…

exterior IDPs residents concrete Hotel Sakartvelo Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

concrete zigzag stair staircase escher Hotel Sakartvelo Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

concrete zigzag stair staircase escher Hotel Sakartvelo Tskaltubo Georgia Adam X Urbex Urban Exploration 2018 Abandoned Access History decay ruins lost forgotten derelict location creepy haunting eerie security

The final instalment of my three reports from Tskaltubo is coming soon, and will cover a couple of Bathhouses and the town’s former train station.

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Thanks for checking in.

Adam X