Mercure Tbilisi Old Town

The rooftop terrace is the real reason to book here, a perch for Georgian wine with the old city spread out below. This modern hotel sits a short walk from Metekhi Cathedral and the famous sulfur baths, which puts it ahead of most of the crumbling-charm competition nearby. Rooms run bright and contemporary, with parquet floors and jewel-toned accents, and there's a working fitness center, a detail that sounds minor until you try finding one in Old Tbilisi.

One honor, in evidence: