There’s a hilarious Georgian film about a man who goes inside one of the largest clay wine amphorae in Kakheti to repair it. Goes in… and gets stuck. They try everything to get him out, to no avail, until the happy if somewhat bumpy ending (no spoilers here). The film is called “Kvevri” in Georgian, “The Amphora,” and it’s available to see on YouTube.
I was recently invited by Georgian friends to stay at a hotel built around this concept: it has about 14 huge amphorae on its territory overlooking the Alazani Valley in the village of Shalauri, very near to the city of Telavi. Now, these aren’t clay vessels, but each is large enough for a double bed and full bathroom to fit comfortably inside its curved walls, with a balcony attached facing Tusheti’s mountains to the north. Spectacular. There’s an excellent restaurant, a swimming pool, sauna, massage to order, masterclasses in cooking, and the sheer novelty of staying inside an amphora!
I only spent one night at the Qvevrebi Hotel (as they transliterate it), but it was delightful. Other guests were from Switzerland, the USA, Russia, and other countries. The qvevrebi also look out onto the hotel’s vineyard: a nice link with the local wine scene. Come autumn, the rtveli (grape harvest) here must be very popular.
I arrived at lunchtime, which starts at 2pm and features menus for both the Georgian and European restaurants, though I only tried the former. The food was all excellent, with plenty of dishes for the vegetarian should such be a guest, as well as the full complement of meat dishes. Supper is also by menu, but breakfast (from 8-11am) features a really sumptuous buffet, hot and cold, as part of the price for a night. Proper coffee, most importantly. I congratulate the owners of this establishment on their ingenuity, and on getting the whole concept right!
I found myself wishing for the equivalent of this innovation in Svaneti or Tusheti or Khevsureti: taking an actual, millennium-old stone watchtower and fitting out the inside as a multi-floor hotel space. You’d have to keep the exterior all original, and add plumbing, electricity, proper stairs and more to the interior. The thick walls would keep it cool in summer, and hopefully also retain heat in winter. Maybe this is being done already. But using an ancient national monument, instead of building a new one copying that, is a whole different story. I’m not sure what freedoms the owner would have to modify their old tower in this way, even. A new one, built to look perfectly authentic? Easy, though not cheap.
Given the range of different architectural styles available to peruse at Tbilisi’s outdoor Ethnographic Museum, next to Lake Park, there’s also plenty of room for taking such beautiful old construction and turning it into a unique hospitality experience in other parts of the country. Or, again, copying it to the last detail in a new construction. Carved wooden balconies… a ceramic stove for heating; clay tile roofs… authentic materials, design and techniques. These would offer not only a novel experience, but also a reminder of how diverse Georgia’s architecture is across its many provinces. I can only imagine that this would be a great success.
info@qvevrebi. Tel. +995 551 551 557, regular and WhatsApp (Georgian, English and Russian)
Blog by Tony Hanmer
Tony Hanmer has lived in Georgia since 1999, in Svaneti since 2007, and been a weekly writer and photographer for GT since early 2011. He runs the “Svaneti Renaissance” Facebook group, now with over 2000 members, at www.facebook.com/groups/SvanetiRenaissance/
He and his wife also run their own guest house in Etseri: www.facebook.com/hanmer.house.svaneti
