Hayat Plaza Hotel & Spa

The hotel is comfortable, and the staff are pleasant and accommodating. They moved us from the ground floor to the third floor on our third day after noise and music from people using the basement pool kept us awake all night. The new room was lovely and quiet. It’s about 10-15 minutes from the centre. Breakfast had plenty of different items, but the mix didn’t really suit our tastes. The breakfast staff were very friendly and did their best to help. The location is reasonable, though I’d choose somewhere closer to Registan.

The hotel is good value for money, with helpful staff and flexible 24-hour check-in. The lift was a surprise in Uzbekistan. The area is quieter and cleaner than the main square, which suited a family visit, and a taxi to the historical sites took about 10 minutes and cost less than $2. The pool water was kept very clean, and breakfast was fresh, with both continental and oriental food. The sauna costs extra. Some towels and bedding had stains, though I suspect that was down to customers. The bathroom could use attention: the floor is very slippery, and a bad smell never goes away.

The nearby attractions, around 2 to 2.5 km away, were the only positive. The rooms had a poor layout with no privacy, the AC didn’t work, there was no Muslim shower in the bathroom, and the sockets weren’t near the bed. Room service was useless. Breakfast was a joke for what we paid. It was a dull, limited English breakfast, and although they know many visitors come from India, Pakistan, and other Asian countries, we didn’t even bother eating it. I’d give it zero. Around 2 or 3 AM, someone tried to open our door from outside. It was locked from inside, thankfully, but that felt completely unsafe and unacceptable. I wouldn’t recommend Hayat Plaza Samarkand to families or couples coming from the UAE, India, Pakistan, or anywhere else. It wasn’t worth the money, comfort, or peace of mind.

The hotel is close to the main attractions, and we found YandexGo a cheap, reliable way to book taxis. We spent seven nights here as a family. The room was super clean, with beautiful interiors, and staff were courteous, helpful, and spoke English. They cleaned almost every day, and the customized breakfast was delicious. The pool, jacuzzi, Russian and Turkish Hamam, and spa service were all great.