I’m a huge advocate of budget travel here on the blog. One of the best ways to save money on the road is by cutting accommodation costs. And staying in hostels is one of the best ways to do that! You can read all about how much this trip to the Caucasus cost here. I’ve written a lot of hostel reviews, since I want people to have real advice from people who have stayed there. I recently stayed at Fabrika Hostel in Tbilisi, which is most definitely the place to stay in Tbilisi! It was a former Soviet button factory, that is now a hostel/restaurant/bar/co-working space all rolled in one, with so many dorms. It’s basically an institution in Tbilisi. Here’s my full review of the hostel – book Fabrika Hostel in Tbilisi here!

Location

Fabrika has a great location. It’s close to a Metro station (Marjanishvili, an 8-minute walk away). It’s also close to Davit Aghmahenebeli Avenue for all types of restaurants and bars. While it is about 20-30 minute walk to Tbilisi’s Old Town, Fabrika certainly makes up for this with what’s provided on site. The area is very hipster-y, and felt safe.

Rooms at Fabrika

I stayed in a 6-bed dorm room for my 3 nights at Fabrika. The dorms were spacious, with really high ceilings. There were lockers in each room, although they weren’t wide enough to fit large backpacks and any suitcases. The beds were really comfortable, with an individual reading light and mini cabinet built in. There were also 2 plugs by the head of every bed, although my plugs didn’t seem to work. They also have big “apartment” rooms, and private rooms in addition to dorm rooms.

Fabrika, Tbilisi: Price

Fabrika isn’t cheap, and it’s definitely not the cheapest stay in Tbilisi. I paid £12 per night for my bed in a 6-bed dorm, and you can find other options in Tbilisi for far less than that. However, Fabrika really goes above and beyond a normal hostel, which in my opinion explains the prices. It’s big, it’s well-run, and there’s so much else going on. With a restaurant, bar, massive lounge, rooftop, and cafes/shops/bars in the courtyard, you wouldn’t even need to leave if you didn’t want to! This is not the type of hostel situation everyone would want to pay for though, and I understand that. But it was certainly great for my stay.

Bathrooms in Fabrika

The bathrooms are divided for male and female, and for toilets and showers. They’re absolutely massive, about 20 toilet stalls/showers in each bathroom, with big mirrors. The bathrooms are cleaned regularly, and since they were so big, I never had to wait to take a shower or use the toilet. This is one of the (many) benefits of staying at a big, well-run hostel like Fabrika!

Fabrika Staff

All the staff, from the people working at the front desk, to people working the restaurant/bar, were really nice and friendly. Everyone spoke perfect English (in addition to other languages, I’m sure!), and were really useful for recommending places around Tbilisi.

Common Areas

Fabrika has a huge lounge/common room, that doubles as a co-working space and also as seating for the bar. Since Fabrika is so big though, it can be a bit anonymizing—if I had been traveling solo, the lounge might not be the easiest place to meet people and make friends. Both the bar and the restaurant have lots of seating—service in the restaurant was quick and the food was good!

There was also a rooftop, and the courtyard outside was full of cute restaurants, cafes, bars, shops, and anywhere else to meet the hipster needs. They also have an ATM outside (attached to the hostel) which was really useful. There is a guest kitchen, although it is very small and wasn’t the best for wanting to prepare your own meals. There was no stove or oven, only a microwave and a fridge, and there weren’t that many dishes. For example, I could only find 2 bowls in the whole kitchen. This was one of the only downsides of my stay at Fabrika, so maybe don’t plan on cooking your own food.

Amenities

All of Fabrika is air-conditioned, which if you’re traveling to Tbilisi in summer, is a MUST. It was so cool and so nice to come back to sleep and relax without sweating through heat and humidity! The wifi worked exceptionally well throughout the entire hostel. They offer a few walking tours, these tend to be lengthy (more than just 1 hour), and cost money. They also had certain activities/events on, like a rooftop BBQ!

Security in Fabrika, Tbilisi

The security was really one area where Fabrika stood out. I felt so safe there—all the rooms had keycard security, which I love in hostels. The lockers in my room weren’t large enough to fit my main backpack. But they could certainly fit all my valuables so I could lock them up while I was out. There aren’t any locks on the main entrance, but there is a 24/7 doorman, so security outside the rooms is great. I felt very safe here.

Verdict: Would I Return?

If I was planning a trip where I wanted to stay somewhere super cheap and cook my own food for all my meals, I probably wouldn’t stay at Fabrika again. However, in pretty much all other instances, I would absolutely return. Fabrika is a Tbilisi institution and with good reasons—it offers everything travelers might need, all in one place! It is certainly convenient for travelers and that was something I was happy to pay a bit extra for, and would happily pay extra for again if I was so inclined. This is a very professional, well-run hostel and I’m glad I had the chance to stay here.

Book Fabrika Hostel in Tbilisi here!

Looking for tours in Tbilisi? Check out the options below!

I was not compensated in any way by this hostel – my opinions are always my own.

Check out my other posts on Georgia:

20 Photos to Convince You to Visit Georgia

9 Things to Do on a Trip to Kutaisi

The Best Bars in Tbilisi, Georgia

A Daytrip to Kazbegi and the Russian Military Highway in Georgia

A Daytrip to Gori From Tbilisi: Stalin and Caves

44 Awesome Things You Must Do in Tbilisi: A Complete Guide to the Georgian Capital

The Best Viewpoints in Tbilisi, Georgia

How Much Does it Cost to Travel the Caucasus and Istanbul For 2.5 Weeks?

What do you look for when you stay in hostels? Share your thoughts in the comments below!