ISRA Hotel

Right on the high street, and a great spot to stay for conferences or team-building.

Getting to and from the airport is very convenient from this location.

The breakfast was good, and the staff were lovely.

The main drawback was the service. Later in the day there was only one person at reception, with a small staff onsite, so group check-in could take a while, though the desk staff did let people into their rooms while processing them. Breakfast was generous, but the kitchen opened late, a problem if you’re on a tight schedule. Our air-con failed during a summer visit to Dushanbe. Rather than move us, staff called an offsite repair person and couldn’t say how long it would take. After about half an hour in a hot room at bedtime, I insisted on changing rooms. We were on an organized tour of 16 guests, and more than half the rooms lacked toilet paper. Getting our passports back also took over an hour. The usual answer was “in 10 minutes,” so we kept going back to reception every 10 minutes, unable to shower or rest after arriving late. The hotel is newly built, a bit like a hotel garni or B&B, with the facilities expected for that kind of place. It has a pleasant breakfast room and a conference room. Our room was modern, clean, and had the usual conveniences, including a fridge, kettle, TV, hair dryer, and safe. Universal outlets meant no plug adapter was needed. But there were no reading lights, so getting out of bed meant switching on the overhead lights and waking everyone. The streets are busy, with lots of restaurants and shops, and public transit is close by. That also means it can be noisy.