Istirohat Guest House

The host is polite and helpful, and I like how close the location is to Registan, about five minutes away.

The family running this guesthouse were helpful and friendly, and the place felt cozy and very clean. It’s about a 10-minute walk from Samarkand’s main Registan square. The bed is small and the mattress is a bit hard for foreigners, perhaps because local mattresses are different, and there was just one pillow per person. Still, it’s a great budget-friendly place.

The room was fairly priced and within walking distance of the Registan and bazaar, but the rest of our stay felt bizarre and uncomfortable. At 6:00 one morning, someone pounded on our door and tried to force it open for about two minutes. We were shaken and thought someone was breaking in. It may have been someone mistaking our room for the lobby, but the curtains were closed and it was very early, so that behavior was inexcusable. I don’t blame the hosts for that incident, though. The hosts themselves were generally rude and hostile. Maybe manners can get lost in translation, but attitude comes across. At check-in, we said we could pay whenever, though we needed to get cash first. Two days before checkout, the host knocked and demanded payment right away. We politely said we’d get cash when we went out later, and he gave us a patronizing lecture about how things are different from Europe and we couldn’t just pay whenever, as if we were trying to swindle him. We said we had no problem paying, but he kept going and became confrontational. The guest who had banged on our door that morning stood beside him through the whole exchange, like a strange sidekick. The host even tried to raise the price when we paid, despite our earlier verbal agreement. His slurred, accusatory manner made the rest of the stay miserable. There was no hospitality or professionalism. Laundry costs $5. We’re tourists, not idiots.

A really peaceful place to sleep, even with the windows open. The rooms are new and clean, although the garden is old. A nice family runs the guesthouse.