Islambek Hotel

The location inside the walls is perfect, and the place is great value for the money. The rooms are a little older, but that seemed fair for the price and setting. Mine had a small fridge, handy for keeping fruit and drinks cold. The manager spoke English well and was very helpful. When I mentioned I needed power adapters because I’d only just arrived in Uzbekistan, he said he was heading out and picked them up for me. He didn’t charge extra, and they cost about $1 each. The other staff and drivers spoke only very basic English.

We stayed at the hotel and arranged two trips through them, an Aral sea adventure and a tour of the Khorezm ancient fortresses. Communication was great from the first email, and the arrangements went smoothly. A few technical issues came up along the way, which can happen on trips like these, but they were handled professionally. The drivers don’t speak English, though the manager speaks very good English and was always available by phone to help. I can recommend them 200%. The attached photos are random shots from our tours.

The rooms were nice, and since the hotel is inside the fortress, there’s no need to buy an entry ticket for ichan kala. The owner was very humble and gave us directions. We were short on som, so he exchanged dollars for us, then arranged a taxi back to the station at a reasonable rate. They also offer day tours if you want to join one.

The owner was kind even before we arranged anything. I first came in because the airline site wouldn’t accept my card for a flight back to Tashkent. He offered to let me use his card, and refused even when I offered to pay him 20% extra. For a day trip to five ancient Khorezm fortresses, he arranged a private driver. We were out for over seven hours, and it cost just USD40. The driver took me to an ordinary local place for lunch rather than a tourist trap. I offered to pay, but he didn’t take advantage, ordering only two modest somsas and no drink. The owner also books shared day trips for USD20 per person, with daily departures guaranteed. That’s far below the high prices I saw on Viator and quotes from other local agencies I contacted before arriving. I get the sense the owner cares more about keeping work available for the drivers who depend on it than making big money from individual tourists. The kindness here really impressed me. Those of us in the money loving capitalist West could learn a lot from people in this area.