Grand Villa

We only managed one night with our child before moving somewhere else the next morning. The room carpet hadn't been vacuumed, and there was a stain that looked like dried vomit. The blankets smelled bad, as if they had never been washed or dry-cleaned. The bedding wasn't very fresh either, and the creaky bed had a wobbly mattress that kept me trying not to roll onto the floor all night. I booked a standard room, but there was nowhere to store or hang clothes. One room I was shown had no street-facing windows, so I refused it; another had a window but a terrible sewer smell. The rooms felt like tiny cages, some more like mole holes. Card payment wasn't available because the terminal was out of order. That night reception was staffed by a rude teenager, about 15, and there wasn't an adult on duty. I had seen so many glowing Booking.com reviews, but they felt like lies. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. Turkestan may have become a regional and religious center, but this hotel made the city's service seem very poor.

After a packed day and 25 km of walking, I was glad to get some rest here. The travel company had chosen the hotel for our group, and the staff helped when our joint trip, arranged by two companies, ran late. Some travelers had finished their trip by evening, while our group had to choose between resting and eating on time or continuing without dinner. The hotel saved dinner for us, so we could eat close to midnight. The rooms were cozy and compact, with the needed bathroom amenities. Still, there was only one set of towels per person in a double room, and no slippers, refrigerator, or drinking water in the room. I recommend the place.

I was very disappointed with the staff and the hotel, and I wouldn't recommend it. The room wasn't cleaned after each stay, the receptionist seemed lost, and the breakfast and cold cuts were tasteless. It's a new hotel, but it has plenty of problems. I had booked a month before arriving in Turkestan and sent a 50% deposit to be safe. When I called the management before my arrival, they said I hadn't booked or paid any deposit. I tracked down the manager's number, and she excused it by saying an employee had cheated them out of money. Claiming generosity, I still arrived and checked into that same hotel. I've stayed in world-class hotels around the world, but when a family team runs a hotel, it can turn into a money-losing, disservice-prone place.

Breakfast comes with the stay and was tasty. The selection wasn't huge, but it was decent, and the sour cream and eggs seemed farm-raised rather than store-bought. It's a nice little hotel, with a clean room. The shower head is mounted right under the ceiling, though, and the water doesn't come out evenly.