Boulevard Palace

The family room was spacious, and the location was very convenient. There are plenty of good fast food places nearby. The receptionist and manager were helpful and quick to respond.

I was among the first guests at this new hostel. It had what a backpacker needs: Wi-Fi, charging points, and air conditioning. A great stay.

The rooms were clean, and the location was good, but the stay came with maintenance problems, awkward service when things went wrong, and charges we hadn't expected. The place has an ornate, almost Soviet-style look, with patterned wallpaper and carpets. Our rooms were clean, though there was a little mold near the bathtub. Breakfast was decent. The Nescafé Americano cost an outrageous 25k, so I'd skip it. The beds were rock-hard, though that may be common in Uzbekistan. The air conditioning was only passable when it worked, and only in a small room. When it's 35 degrees or hotter outside, which can be any time from May through September, don't expect it to cool the room well. The shower was fine in our first room and poor in the second. Staff were friendly until we had a problem. The air conditioner in our first room wasn't working properly. Someone at the front desk tried the remote for a few minutes, then left without telling us whether it was fixed or what would happen next. After 90 minutes with no improvement, we asked to change rooms. They took another 45 minutes to decide. We spent 10 minutes at the desk ringing the bell and calling reception, while the night manager was in a room beside the lobby with the door open. He walked past us, so I had to follow him and explain what was wrong and what we wanted. He yelled on the phone to his boss, which made us very uncomfortable because we couldn't tell why he was angry. Then he walked away without a word and wouldn't help. After waiting and eventually searching the hotel for him, I asked what was going on. He said he didn't know, then suddenly agreed to move us. The hotel wasn't even half full. The clean replacement room had just one double bed, so all that waiting and cajoling only got us that decision. We agreed they would separate the beds while we went to dinner. The problem prompted them to check all the air conditioners, and they were replacing three units, which says a lot about the maintenance. Paying was another issue. I booked directly, but management said the reservation total didn't include a tourist tax of US$3 per person, per night. There was no mention of extra tax in the reservation, so I thought it should have been included. After a lot of arguing, he wouldn't accept that the room rate should include the tax or clearly say it didn't, and he wouldn't refund the extra charge. He claimed it was listed in the website terms, but couldn't find it after searching for 10 minutes. I couldn't find it either. He blamed his IT guy and was on the phone to him when I left. Apparently a piece of paper on the desk explaining the tax was meant to override my booking email, the website, and normal practice. Their terms also didn't let me cancel once I arrived, so it seemed they could add whatever charges they wanted. Be careful. They also charged a bank fee for paying by credit card. The manager said everyone in the world pays a fee when using a credit card, and that the bank charged it, not the hotel. That's not been my experience anywhere else in Uzbekistan, so these seemed to be charges specific to this hotel. The place was clean, but the rest of the stay involved compromises, and it was expensive. With the unexpected costs, the total was 10-15% more than the rate I thought I'd pay. At that higher price, I would have considered other options.

We had a lovely walk to Registan, about 1.2 kilometers away, along a shady, beautiful boulevard. Cafes, restaurants, and coffee houses nearby also made it easy to try local food. Our family room was spacious, with a queen bed, two twin beds, one and a half bathrooms, a TV room with a couch, and a small balcony for coffee. It was well kept and had what we needed. The staff were very friendly and went out of their way to help with questions and requests. Having laundry service was handy while traveling with two kids. Breakfast was buffet-style, with porridge, fried and boiled eggs, sausage, pastries, fruit, and vegetables like tomatoes and cucumbers. A great place to stay in Samarkand.