Fabrika Hostel & Suites - Hostel

There are several restaurants and bars in this lively spot, with a relaxed, youthful feel that makes it a nice place to spend an afternoon or have a drink. It sits in the courtyard of a hostel housed in an old industrial building. Highly recommended.

I stayed at Fabrika Tbilisi (Fabrika Hostel) for 4 days over New Year. It’s a little away from the main city center, though buses and the metro make getting around Tbilisi manageable. The staff were the bright spot: kind, friendly and helpful. Their attitude is the reason I gave 2 stars instead of 1. The common areas and general atmosphere are nice in theory, but the restrooms were a huge letdown. They were the worst I’ve ever experienced, with poor cleanliness and maintenance that seriously affected my comfort. For such a popular, well-known hostel, that was shocking and unacceptable. Restroom hygiene is basic and non-negotiable. If management improves the cleanliness and upkeep, the place could be much better. Until then, I wouldn’t recommend it to travelers who care about basic comfort and hygiene.

The atmosphere felt uneven to me as a woman traveling alone, something I do often and usually feel comfortable doing. Some moments were just awkward, while others felt genuinely unwelcoming. Late one night, two large men banged loudly on my door during a headcount (??). It felt intimidating, not reassuring, and left me feeling unsafe. I can see why Fabrika is popular, but I didn’t connect with it. It came across as fake, like a poor imitation or a hipster Truman show. The place looks striking and very “hip”, but that style felt imported rather than tied to Tbilisi. It reminded me of creative hubs in Berlin or Amsterdam, almost exactly like the interior of volkshotel, without much sense of the city’s history, tensions or culture. Even the graffiti seemed generic and detached from the place. It was just expensive import beers. Why not the lovely local wine? Copying the look won’t make you “the new Berlin”. Without the values, care and social fabric behind it, it feels like an empty shell.

The rooms were clean and the location was alright, but the basics were a problem. For a large hostel, I expected running water. Even when it was on, it was usually cold, so there was no reliable hot water. When I asked reception for help, they just shook their heads and weren’t very helpful. There were no curtains on the beds, and the bathroom on our floor wasn’t working, so we had to walk to another one. For the same price, I’d recommend a better hostel that feels more homely and less pretentious.