Medina Samarkand Hotel

The tasty breakfast was the one real positive. The pool also looked poorly maintained, with cloudy water that made me wonder if it was cleaned regularly. I’m sharing our experience so others can make an informed choice. On arrival, the front desk said our reservation had been canceled by Booking.com, although we had booked through Agoda. When I pointed that out, they made some calls and eventually found us a room at another nearby hotel. It seemed clear to me they had overbooked and were trying to cover it up. After one night there, we were heading out sightseeing when we were suddenly told to leave that room immediately. Nobody had warned us beforehand. Only then were we moved to our originally booked room at the Medina, but we couldn’t check in until 2 PM. This was a huge inconvenience, as we were meant to have two full nights there from the start. The whole thing was chaotic and badly handled, so I came away with very mixed feelings.

The service was just OK. The hotel seems popular, and its location is handy, with eateries and convenience stores nearby. Many attractions are within a 10-minute drive. The room was a decent size and the bed fairly comfortable, though the decor felt tacky, which seems to be the design norm here. The bulky wardrobe made the entryway quite cramped. Breakfast had a decent selection and tasted pretty good.

The facilities and cleanliness were acceptable, but service varied. Some staff were attentive, while others seemed uninterested in their work. The restaurant service was frustratingly slow. Once I ordered a coffee after being told it would take five minutes, waited 20 minutes, and never got it. The same thing happened at Yasmin restaurant inside the hotel. We were also concerned by something we saw near the pool. One day, my partner noticed a man leaning out of a window, aiming his phone at teenage girls in swimsuits and recording them. When he realized we were watching, he quickly shut the curtain and stopped. There should be more staff presence and supervision in that area to prevent this. We also suspected that some employees were using the facilities themselves, which came across as unprofessional. If the hotel wants to welcome tourists and leave a good impression, these are important problems to address.

Mr. Dan and Mr. Firuz made us feel welcome and valued throughout our stay at Medina Hotel, Samarkand. We’re very grateful for their kindness, support and professionalism. Their care, attention to detail and readiness to help at every turn made our visit comfortable and truly memorable. We’ll carry fond memories of the hotel, thanks in no small part to their gracious presence. Thank you for going above and beyond.