Hotels

Grand Samarkand Hotel is a good stopover to explore stunning Samarkand. The hotel is located a bit far from the main tourist attractions (30 min walk) but with taxis very cheap ($1-2 for a ride) the distance should not be much of concern. The hotel is in the new modern part of the city, and there is generally nothing interesting there except for shops and some eateries. This hotel should not be confused with the Grand Samarkand Superior which is situated directly across it.

The hotel is a three story rather old building that has recently been refurbished quite nicely. There is no elevator. There are 30 rooms in the hotel equipped with the following amenities: air-conditioning, shower (bath tub), TV, mini-bar, a desk and chair, a side chair, a night stand, and a portable closet with safe, hair dryer and telephone. All rooms are elegantly decorated in pastel fabrics with Uzbek artefacts. All rooms come with a flat-screen TV(with many international channels), a refrigerator and a private bathroom with bathrobes and slippers. The rooms are large and comfortable, clean and well-maintained, good hot water pressure in the shower. Big bathroom with shower and bathtub. Bathroom amenities include a bottle of shampoo and a bar of soap. Bed mattress is hard.

Hotel features a rooftop swimming pool with a sun terrace and loungers, but the views around are rather upsetting. The central courtyard is very nice with good plants and comfortable for sitting, including upstairs bar area. Although the hotel is designed in modern style, it has national Uzbek "choy-hona", where you can relax, drink some tea and taste national fruits and sweets. The in-house restaurant is decorated with traditional Uzbek rugs and serves up some local and international dishes but due to poor reports better avoid it. There are some interesting restaurants a few blocks from the hotel, "Platan" restaurant at 300 meters is highly recommended.

Free Wi-Fi is available in the lobby area. A small gift shop is also just off the lobby.

After a day of sightseeing guests can have a massage, relax in the Finnish sauna and swim in the indoor pool. A fitness centre is also available on site.

Breakfast is very good with a lot of variety including local fruits, pastries, salads as well as cooked items.

The staff are terrific, nothing is too much trouble. Very friendly, especially the front desk, smiling and helpful.

It is a standard tourist class hotel as far as Uzbek hotels go. Neither great nor bad overall. Staff is helpful. Rooms are good. Location is a bit further away from historic centre.