Anisa Hostel

A few staff members were kind and helpful, especially the lovely cleaning lady in our section. The rest of the experience was the worst hospitality and hostel stay we’ve had across Asia, and we wouldn’t recommend this place. We were moved from a double room with a separate toilet into an en-suite room, which at first seemed like an upgrade. It turned out to be a poorly managed room that was clearly unfinished. There were no windows except a tiny one in the bathroom, so there was no ventilation, and no AC, which was unmanageable in the Tajik summer heat. The room was supposedly clean, but there was sawdust and dust on the bedside tables and floor, used razors, a sock and soap left in the bathroom, and stained bedding and towels. We believe the towel had faecal stains and the bedding had blood stains. The hostel advertises views and WiFi, but there was nothing to brag about in the views, and the WiFi didn’t reach our room, which was in a separate building from reception. The next day after checking in, we had to ask for a bedroom key, which seemed odd. We’d asked the front desk if we could put a drink in the fridge and were told yes, but a staff member drank some of it and left it half empty. After our second sleepless night, we asked the main receptionist to move us. He was incredibly rude and bullying, refused even though some dorm beds were empty, and told us to wait until evening for an update. No update came. It felt like nonexistent potential guests were being prioritized. They shouldn’t advertise a private double room if it isn’t ready or fit for purpose, especially in the heat. We also asked at 8am to have our laundry done, an amenity offered on request, and handed over the clothes. By 5pm they still hadn’t been washed or hung out to dry. When we asked because we were leaving the following morning, my partner was met with aggression and dismissal: “what is your problem bro”. After several more interactions, the clothes were washed and put out as the sun was going down. A staff member insisted they’d be dry by evening. Around 11pm, my partner went to get them; some were still damp, and when he said so, the response was “too bad bro”. I went out shortly after to check we had everything, and the same man immediately asked whether we wanted to pay for laundry. We said no after all the hassle, aggression, and poor service. He also seemed agitated that we’d contacted the owner about a shower drainage problem after he ignored us online. The service felt lazy, unprofessional, and needlessly confrontational. The hostel was hard to find, had a different name on site, and felt unsafe, with rusty nails, metal, building materials, and wood scattered around. We stayed a few months ago, and have experienced hostels and hospitality across Asia. This was by far the worst.

The location is quite far from the city center, and we wouldn’t stay here again. On our second night, we were told we’d been given the “wrong room.” The front desk man knocked twice after 10pm, insisting we pay extra even after we’d refused the first time. It was their mistake, so demanding more money made no sense. Another staff member then kept messaging my phone about it. The whole thing felt very unprofessional and uncomfortable.

They eventually agreed to a 10% discount, but only if we didn’t leave a bad review. The experience was terrible, so we had to speak up. At payment, the owner tried to charge more than the Booking price, claiming the Tajik bank’s exchange rate differed from the official one. We asked to see the rate and she was lying, so we managed to pay the agreed amount. Then we were told our booked room wasn’t available because a previous guest had chosen to stay an extra night and had been given our room. Instead of the double bedroom we booked, we got a four-bed dormitory that reeked of smoke. We asked for at least a partial refund, but after a lot of back and forth, they said they’d only refund us if we canceled the booking, which we couldn’t do because Booking.com’s cancellation deadline had passed.

We’d booked a couple’s room but were put in a four-bed dormitory that smelled strongly of smoke, because, they said, a previous guest had stayed an extra night. We asked for our money back, but had to haggle for a 10% price reduction since we didn’t want to find somewhere else at that point. They also tried to get us to agree not to review them in exchange for the discount. We’re writing this so other travelers know about what felt like a hostel scam attempt. We’ve traveled enough to play along, but less experienced people might fall for these tricks. The trouble began at payment, when the owner tried to use a bad exchange rate to charge us extra. We asked her to show us the source, and she admitted she was overcharging.