«Askaneli» hotel lobby

The lobby of the ASKANELI Hotel in Kakheti tells the story of Georgian winemaking through architecture, materials, and bespoke design elements. Our goal was to create the atmosphere of a country estate’s living room — warm, welcoming, and enriched with natural stone, wood, and art. The central feature is a reception desk shaped like a monolithic rock, with a luminous spring emerging at its base.
Guests are welcomed by a traditional Georgian qvevri displayed in a mirrored niche. We clad the massive columns in mirrors to visually lighten their appearance, surrounding them with a museum-style exhibition of soil samples from local vineyards. Arches, wooden beams, bespoke lighting, and a timeline of the ASKANELI wine house together create the impression of a distinctive museum dedicated to wine and Georgian hospitality.

Project team
Kristina Esenina, Mikhail Esenin, Natalia Afanasyeva,
Ekaterina Khoroshavina, Yulia Afanasyeva

Visualizations
Yulia Zhidkova