Asia Bukhara Hotel

The location was fantastic, right in the center, and the pool was lovely, though the space around it was very limited. Breakfast was nice, but the one evening meal we had there was grim and horrible. I stayed three nights as part of a Titan tour and shared a twin room with a friend. Reception staff kept looking at their phones and didn't look up unless you spoke first. We were initially told we'd get two key cards, then told the opposite, and there was no second card. Room servicing was sloppy too. Things weren't replaced routinely, so we had to phone.

The location is excellent and the air conditioning worked well, but the WiFi was very unreliable, working about half the time. Road construction means you can't drive right up to the hotel. Beds are very firm, which I like, though many people, especially most Brits, may not. The room had a kettle, a couple of tea bags, one packet of instant coffee, and robes. The safe was locked and unusable. The shower only has a partial glass partition, so water gets onto the bathroom floor. There's no soap dish, leaving the shampoo on the floor, and no conditioner is provided, so bring your own if you use it. The heated towel dryer worked well but was always on, making the bathroom warm. That could be nice in winter, but not in hot weather. Breakfast starts at 7:00 and is good, but the food isn't labeled. My vegetarian friend unknowingly picked up meat-filled items and wasn't happy. The egg station starts well after 7:00. The man at the coffee machines gets a long, slow line until demand eases about half an hour later; otherwise, the instant coffee is poor quality.

It's in the middle of everything, with lovely big rooms that feel homely, but the beds are like planks. After a day walking around exploring, you don't get a chance to recover. Put in comfortable beds and people would be leaving 5 star reviews. This could be a five star no brainer.

The rooms I saw when I visited Asia hotel the day before looked good, so I decided to stay overnight and see for myself. My single room was a letdown: old-fashioned and worn, with poor WiFi and a TV that had neither movie channels nor YouTube. There wasn't much to do without a notebook or a book. It faced the main street, where drivers sped and honked in the morning, so it was noisy. Water pressure was weak, and hot water took too long. The next morning reception showed me single and double rooms, which cleared things up. The double rooms were fully renovated and excellent; the single rooms were only partly renovated. Breakfast was acceptable for the off-season, though the corridor smelled unpleasantly of cooking if your room was to the left of reception. There's no elevator and a long staircase, so make sure you can manage your luggage, although a bellboy can help. You can stay here, but I'd make sure to book a double room facing the inner yard, to the right of reception.