Samarkand Imron Hotel

The room was clean, but it had no TV, and although there was a rod, there wasn’t a shower curtain. There was sometimes a sewage smell, and the pillows felt too thick and uncomfortable. The breakfast, though, was by far the best I had in Uzbekistan or the wider region, with generous spreads and lots of vegetarian choices.

They double-book rooms. This was the least professionally run accommodation I’ve ever reserved, despite having traveled all over the world. Our booking was confirmed, but when we arrived at 6 pm, they said there was no room because we hadn’t replied to a message asking for our arrival time. They offered no help while we scrambled to find somewhere else at the last minute. I had to ask him to cancel the booking on Booking.com so we wouldn’t be charged, but he refused. It seemed like he might be trying to charge us for a full night anyway. After I kept insisting, he eventually agreed to mark it cancelled. UPDATE: I spoke with Booking.com, and because he asked me to cancel, I lose any evidence I had. That makes me think he understands how the system works and how to avoid being held accountable. If he tells you to cancel after double-booking you, don’t do it, because Booking.com’s policy could put the blame on you.

Getting picked up was difficult for the Yandex drivers. We had to walk about five minutes away from the property before they could find us. At checkout, we also had to wait while the hostess went into our room to count and find all the towels. In all my years of traveling, I’ve never experienced that. It’s bad business to make a guest feel distrusted over a towel. The room itself was clean, and since the place is newer, hopefully it’ll stay that way with good upkeep. Still, there were two large holes in the wall, each bigger than a large door, covered with tarps. One tarp was held down with a car battery. Back home, laws wouldn’t allow a place like that to operate. The promised “window view” was a joke too, since both windows faced right up against a fixture, as pictured. Our original reservation was at Samarkand City centre, but on arrival they said there had been an accident and the room smelled bad, so they sent us here and promised a window view. That was frustrating because this put us a 15-minute walk from Registan Square instead of five minutes from the original place, although we were at least closer to Amir Temur Mausoleum. After a long travel day, I didn’t want to call the taxi back and go elsewhere. They wanted cash for all three nights, so I asked to see the rooms before agreeing to stay. I thought breakfast was okay; my husband thought it was really bad, especially the coffee ☕. He didn’t eat there again.

The buffet breakfast was generous and tasty, and I loved the pancakes with apple purée. You can refill your water bottle for free, and they also offer laundry service. The owner studied in London for two years, so his English is great. His wife is kind, and their kids are so cute and funny! It’s just a 10-minute walk to Registan and about 15 minutes to the bazaar and other lovely buildings. The rooms are very clean, fully furnished, and have incredibly comfortable beds. For the price, this is the best hotel I found in Samarkand. An 11/10, definitely my favorite place to stay in Uzbekistan.