The quality of hotels is relatively high in Uzbekistan. Even in backwaters a decent hotel can be found. In the main tourist cities, some wonderful restored mansions are beautiful advertisements for the arts and crafts of the nation. These small-scale boutique hotels or bnb’s are the best option for independent travelers.
In high season, the most desirable rooms are booked out weeks in advance, so secure your room early on RocApply Hotels Page. The big hotels are used by larger tour groups; they tend to be characterless. And filled with large tour groups.
Hot water is a typical summer issue in the Uzbekistan that is often outside of the control of hotels. When the utility company decides to switch it off, they are left standing. Ask politely if there will be hot water once you are here.
Take note also that electricity black-outs also occur in winter in Uzbekistan. Ask in advance what kind of measures your hotel has in place if it worries you. Heating, on the other hand, is unlikely to be a problem. In summer, air-conditioning is not an excessive luxury in Uzbekistan.
One other thing to keep in mind: a lot of hotels are not yet online in Uzbekistan. If you want to book in advance, use an agent inside the country. If you have time and you are not picky, you can simply rock up to the scene, if they are not online, they are unlikely to ever fill up completely.
Tourists are still required to stay in hotels that are licensed by Uzbektourism, and most hotels are run by them. However, a growing number of independent hotels are now being licensed. It’s necessary for visitors to have a slip of paper stamped by the hotel to prove that they have stayed there. Most receptionists will remind you of this when you check-in but do remember to always keep the slips safe.
Services and facilities are not generally up to Western standards, but efforts are being made to improve them and there is a growing number of Western-style hotels owned by foreign companies.
Most tourist hotel rooms have a shower and WC ensuite, although supplies of bathing soap and toilet paper can be unreliable. Rooms tend to be clean and will usually be decorated in the typical Central Asian style, with rugs, carpets and rich colours. Front doors and entrance gates may be locked relatively early at night so it pays to enquire what time reception closes.
All regional capitals have at least one Uzbektourism hotel that will accept foreigners. Many tourists will have booked tours which include accommodation, others will have to pay in USDs, unless they have special exemptions.
Many large city hotels are Soviet in style, especially in the capital, so they can look very dated to western eyes and are often a bit overpriced. Samarkand and Bukhara have the widest range of accommodation options, some with excellent views and atmosphere; often these are good value too, including breakfast and outdoor areas in which to relax.
You can now book and reserve hotels directly through RocApply.
