Art Inn Hotel

Our room was spacious and the strong AC was great in the warm weather. The beds felt firm, which suited us, though it might not be everyone’s preference. We stayed three nights at Art Inn Hotel and loved it. The staff were helpful and friendly, and breakfast was included, simple but satisfying. It’s in a calm neighborhood near museums, and we enjoyed wandering around and eating at nearby restaurants. Comfortable stay and good value!

We booked through booking.com, but when we arrived at 11 p.m., the receptionist said the hotel was full and our reservation had been accepted by mistake. They offered another hotel at the same price. We agreed because it was late and we didn’t speak any language, then a taxi took us to a disaster of a place. The standard was very low: it wasn’t even listed on booking, had no WiFi, used bedding, a socket right under the shower, and a very poor breakfast. We later saw comments about art in hotel describing the same thing happening to other people. It seems they may be booking more rooms than they have and pushing guests into a badly maintained “friend” hotel. They seem to be up to something shady. Disgusting.

We’d booked ahead, but the hotel had no room for us and never sent a message through Booking. They waited until we arrived late at night to tell us. They already had a solution ready: a nearby “hotel” that wasn’t listed on Booking. It was bad and not worth the price we were supposedly paying Art Inn, which kept the fare for the other accommodation. Later, I found Booking reviews describing similar cases. The hotel calls it a “schedule management mistake,” but repeating the same mistake seems VERY SUSPICIOUS. The other “hotel” must be happy to get redirected Art Inn reservations, especially at that price.

I stayed twice, two nights each time. The rooms were pleasant otherwise, but one had broken air conditioning and a broken shower, while the other was beside the boiler room and the whole floor was very hot. Breakfast was a nice, varied buffet, and the staff were friendly. They also stored our bags while we visited the Fergana valley. Still, they charged 51,000UZS per person per day as tourist tax for registration, something I haven’t paid anywhere else in Uzbekistan. I also found out today that a 10/10 Booking.com review had been posted in my name, clearly to boost the property's rating. I don’t know how Booking allows that, and I have a complaint in progress. Be warned, I’m not convinced the property is as good as its reviews suggest.