Art Marakand

Our train problems meant we unexpectedly had to spend the night on board instead of arriving as planned. Even so, Firuz stayed up late and welcomed us very early the next morning with a warm smile. After such a tiring journey, the guesthouse felt like an oasis. The family were incredibly kind and helpful, and you can tell they enjoy running the place and take pride in it. The courtyard is beautiful, and breakfast was varied and delicious. We had such a wonderful stay that we booked again.

The owners made Art Marakand Hotel feel like home. It’s run by a whole family, and everyone was kind and helpful. My Uzbek and Russian are very bad, but they spoke enough English to have a conversation, which was lovely. They even called me a taxi to the station on my last day. I was sad to leave and could easily have stayed longer. I’d definitely return and highly recommend it. There’d been a little confusion with the guesthouse I’d booked, and they unfortunately couldn’t accommodate me, but said a nearby guesthouse could. That turned out to be Art Marakand Hotel. It was brand new when I arrived, and I was literally its first guest, travelling solo as a woman. Everything was new and clean, and the rooms were nicely decorated, with a choice of a double bed or two singles. The shower room had everything I needed, a really nice shower, and hot water. The floor is heated for winter. The air conditioning was efficient, which was perfect in the heat of 35 degrees plus, yet the room stayed comfortable at night, so I didn’t have to sleep with it on. I had the best nights’ sleep of my whole trip. The food was very good, especially breakfast, and they kindly brought me fresh fruit as a welcome snack. The neighbourhood is quiet and easy to walk around. The location is great, about 15 mins on foot to shah I zinda and 20 mins to registan.

After long days exploring unique Samarkand, it had everything we needed to rest: a great bed, shower, and amazing breakfast. The guest house was brand new and very clean, and the family running it were the most welcoming.

The hotel is very close to the city center, with everywhere within max 20min. We were welcomed warmly, and everything was perfect, from breakfast and laundry to the hosts’ service. Thank you very much! S&S