Where to stay in Kutaisi
We run a hotel here, so treat this with the scepticism it deserves — but the honest answer to the question depends less on the neighbourhood than on what you are doing with your days. Kutaisi is compact. Almost nothing in it is far from anything else.
If you are here to see the city
Stay in the centre. The old town, the market, the fountain and the walk up to Bagrati are all within reach on foot, and the evening in Kutaisi happens in the streets around the centre rather than anywhere you would need a taxi to reach. This is the right choice for a two-night stop between Tbilisi and Batumi.
If you are using Kutaisi as a base
Then parking matters more than the address. Gelati, Motsameta, Prometheus Cave, Sataplia, Martvili and Okatse are all day trips by car, and a hotel with free parking on site saves you a nightly search. Somewhere near the river is quieter than the main roads, which counts if you are leaving early most mornings.
If your flight is at an awkward hour
Do not choose by distance to the airport — choose by whether the front desk is open when you land. Kutaisi flights arrive and leave through the night; a hotel that answers the door at 03:00 is worth more than one that is ten minutes closer and locked.