White Sails in Batumi

White Sails is a complex by the developer AR Meridians on the first line of the New Boulevard, finished in 2021: aparthotels of 16 and 18 floors, a 20-floor residential building and an Ibis Styles hotel, with more than a thousand apartments and units in total. We work out what exactly is for sale and under what contract, renovate and let apartments to guests.

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The complex at a glance

Developer: AR Meridians
Address: New Boulevard, first line
District: New Boulevard
Completion year: 2021
Status: completed
Floors: 20

The buildings, number of floors, number of apartments and completion year come from the developer and press reports; the investment figure from press reports. The handover condition may differ between buildings, and we check it for the specific apartment. We check the legal use of the unit against the Public Registry extract.

White Sails is a complex by the developer AR Meridians on the first line of the New Boulevard. It has several buildings: two 16-floor aparthotels, two 18-floor ones, a 20-floor residential building and a hotel that operates under the Ibis Styles brand. According to the developer, there are more than a thousand apartments and units in total. The complex was finished in 2021, and the investment, according to press reports, came to about 190 million lari.

White Sails: aparthotels, a residential building and a hotel

The complex is designed as mixed use, and that is the main thing a buyer needs to understand. A unit in an aparthotel and an apartment in the residential building are different purchases. In the residential building the owner does what they like with the apartment: lives in it, lets it long term or by the night under the building rules. In an aparthotel the unit may work in a shared pool with an operator, and then the operator handles prices, guests and cleaning, while the owner receives a share of the income under a contract.

So the first thing we check is which building the apartment is in and what contract it has. This decides who will let it and how, whether you can live in it yourself and whether you can leave the operator scheme. How work with a unit pool is organised is described on the page about aparthotel management.

The first line of the New Boulevard

The complex stands right by the New Boulevard promenade, with the beach just across the road. Many apartments have a sea view, but not all: some windows face neighbouring buildings and the city. In summer there are many tourists around and cafés stay open late; in winter the promenade empties. On the first line the wind is stronger and the air saltier, and right by the water metal and facades age faster than further inland.

Buying in White Sails

We use the Public Registry extract to check the legal use of the unit: a residential apartment or a hotel-type room, the area, the owner and encumbrances. Then we read the contract with the operator, if there is one, and the building rules. In the apartment we look at the view, windows and balcony doors, traces of salt and corrosion, and how the air conditioners work. If the seller is not the first owner, we ask for the operator's reports for past seasons: they show how the unit actually let. What else matters when buying right by the water is covered on the page about beachfront apartments.

Renovation and letting

Renovation in an aparthotel unit is usually agreed with the operator: the hotel has uniform requirements for finishes, furniture and appliances. In an apartment in the residential building there is more freedom, but the building rules on noisy work and the service lift apply there too. For frequent daily lets we use materials that can stand a stream of guests and sea air. What such a renovation includes is described on the page about renovating apartments for daily letting.

Renovation in this complex

In an aparthotel unit with an operator, renovation usually follows the hotel's requirements: a uniform style, approved materials, design approval. Without this the unit may not be accepted into the shared pool. An apartment in the residential building gives more freedom, but we still agree hours for noisy work, the service lift and waste removal with the management company.

On the first line we use fittings, fixings and appliances that can stand salt, and we check balcony doors and windows for draughts and leaks before finishing.

Rentals and management here

If the unit works in the operator's pool, the operator runs the letting, and our job is to check the contract and reports: the operator's share, expenses, occupancy. If the apartment is outside the pool, the owner lets it themselves or through a management company under the building rules.

We prepare such apartments for daily letting, take photos with the sea view, run listings, meet guests, clean and send the owner a report once a month. In winter we compare daily letting with a let of several months.

Questions and answers

What does the White Sails complex include?

According to the developer, two 16-floor aparthotels, two 18-floor ones, a 20-floor residential building and a hotel that operates under the Ibis Styles brand. In total there are more than a thousand apartments and units. The complex stands on the first line of the New Boulevard and was finished in 2021. For a buyer it matters which building the apartment is in, because the contract and letting rules depend on it.

How does an aparthotel unit differ from an apartment in the residential building?

An aparthotel unit may work in a shared pool with an operator: the operator handles prices, guests and cleaning, and the owner receives a share of the income under the contract. An owner does what they like with an apartment in the residential building: lives there, lets it long term or by the night under the building rules. Before purchase we read the operator's contract, the terms for leaving it and the owner's right to stay in the unit.

Do all apartments have a sea view?

No. The complex is on the first line, and many apartments have a sea view, but some windows face neighbouring buildings and the city. We check the view on site rather than from advertising photos. For daily letting a sea view noticeably affects demand, so we show it honestly in the listing.

Can you renovate an aparthotel unit?

Usually yes, but under the operator's requirements: a uniform style, approved materials, design approval. Without this the unit may not be accepted into the shared pool. We request these requirements before the estimate and work to them. An apartment in the residential building gives more freedom, but the building rules on noisy work apply everywhere.

Terms used on this page

Aparthotel: A building where units belong to different owners and one operator lets them to guests, sharing the income with owners under a contract.
Public Registry extract: A document from Georgia's state registry: the owner, cadastral code, area, legal use and encumbrances of a property on the date of issue.