Lotte Palace Dushanbe

Nice place, though it’s quite far from the center.

The real surprise is inside the courtyard: it’s lovely, with plants, bridges and palm trees, and the lodging itself sits in a courtyard building. At the entrance you’re expected to take off your shoes and put on the provided footwear, that’s the rule. Inside, the lobby design is striking, with a huge chandelier hanging from the ceiling and bright furniture. From the street the new lodging looks rather plain, and the banquet room didn’t impress me either. The photos had looked fancier, so I was a little disappointed at first.

The location is a bit outside the center, around 6km away, and about 10km from the airport. Still, a taxi to the center costs less than $2, and the hotel provides a free airport shuttle, which is great. The Wi-Fi in my room sometimes dropped out. After I got a local SIM card with 4.5G internet, that stopped being a problem, and I really appreciated the staff’s help buying it. The furniture and hotel are new, and the young staff were very friendly and helpful. For this area and compared with the prices at other hotels nearby, Lotte feels like a 5 star place. Breakfast was very nice and tasty, and my room was clean and quiet.

The courtyard is really nice, and the place feels like a palace. My room was great, with a very comfortable bed, almost like one at Marriott. Breakfast was okay, the staff were friendly, and the airport transfer both ways was free.