Wyndham Garden Zomin

We spent an extended weekend at Wyndham Garden Zomin in early August and came away feeling relaxed. The hotel sits among the mountains in the national park, where the scenery is beautiful and the weather stays pleasant. While Tashkent was very hot, Zaaming was about +12-+17 during the day. There are lots of lovely hiking spots, and stargazing is possible if you’re lucky. Meals were included in the room rate three times a day, and we enjoyed the food: salads, fresh fruit, a soup, and two main dish options. Soft drinks, tea, and coffee were unlimited. Lunch and dinner each ran for three hours, so even with the hotel full over the weekend, we didn’t run into buffet queues. The hotel itself was cozy and up to standard. The team were helpful. There’s a swimming pool, spa, and massage next door for a relatively small fee. Outdoor playgrounds draw many families with small children, and locals visit the area often. We’d like to come back every summer.

The views are stunning, and the rooms are clean, but that’s about where the positives end for me. Cheap materials show in the flimsy furniture and fixtures, as if corners were cut. The food was the biggest letdown. Ingredients seemed low quality, including cheap yogurt and questionable meat that appeared to be a horse and cow mix. Nearly every dish used ground meat instead of proper cuts, and the sausages were the cheapest, heavily processed kind. It also seemed like food from earlier days was being reused. Bread was stale, and the dough-based dishes tasted as though they’d been left out too long. Service was slow too. My room didn’t have a toothbrush, and after I asked reception, it took a full hour for one to arrive. The staff were sluggish with requests. With the food, room materials, and service all falling short, I can’t recommend it. The scenery is enjoyable, but I’d eat and prepare elsewhere.

We chose Wyndham Garden for a winter holiday in Zaamin. The inn is at 2,400 meters above sea level, surrounded by beautiful mountains, and the views from the suites are breathtaking. The staff seem to understand that guests value the scenery. The rooms and hallways are stylish and kept up well. Our accommodation was spacious and modern, with fresh linens and a large double bed, though nothing unusual for this level. Lunch and dinner offered enough variety, sometimes with live music, but the food was plain and at times not very good. Having to pay an extra $2 for each breakfast coffee isn’t a plus either. Prices on Booking and the hotel website seemed surprisingly high. They work with local travel agencies, though, and we found a decent rate that way, around $75 a night. Even in winter, it was quite cold inside. The temperature control was inconsistent, and rooms warmed up slowly. At night, the shower water was sometimes only lukewarm. Not great :D There are plenty of activities nearby. A high bridge, horse racing, ski passes, and a spa are within a 10-minute drive and cost around $10 per person. There are also deluxe fish and meat restaurants in the area.

A great spa and spectacular views make this mountain plateau resort a nice place to get away from it all. It’s a very modern hotel with spacious rooms, balconies, good food, and staff who are really helpful, with several of them speaking English. The cable car and spa are within walking distance.