Hotels in Tashkent tend to be a bit overpriced compared to the other cities in Uzbekistan. There is a lack of budget accommodation, and especially in the mid-price segment there are few inspiring options for now: Tashkent lacks the charming bnb’s of Bukhara, Khiva and Samarkand.
However, economic liberalisation has set the concrete mixers spinning in motion, and new hotels are springing up like mushrooms in autumn.
Apartment rentals have been legalised recently. This has vastly increased options: we recommend the area between the metro stops Kosmonavtlar and Oybek and Mirabad Bazaar as the prime location.
Quick links: Tashkent main page – Transport guide – Samarkand accommodation – Bukhara accommodation
Which neighbourhood?
Tashkent is a big, sprawling city with 2 cores: old Tashkent centered around Chorsu bazaar and Khast Imam, and new Tashkent centered around the Opera and Amir Timur Square.
You are bound to take transport while navigating Tashkent: staying within walking distance of a metro stop makes a difference. A quick rundown of the central neighbourhoods:
Opera Square
The only square in Tashkent you could deem “cosy” instead of “vast treeless expanse”, within walking distance of the 3 main museums and Anhor Canal, a few high-end restaurants and Broadway, the locus of Tashkent’s passeggiata. Metro: Kosmonavtlar
Amir Timur Square
Vast treeless expanse dominated by iconic run-down hotel. Close to Broadway, otherwise just a bit less central compared to the Opera. Best choices to eat and drink are around Sodiq Azimov-Istiqbol. Metro: Amir Timur.
Mirabad street and bazaar
The Korean neighbourhood. Lots of food options, lively in the evening, not so far from the train station. Metro: Oybek.
Chorsu
Residential district centered around Chorsu bazaar, near Khast Imam. Winding streets, single-storey houses instead of highrises. Metro: Chorsu.
UzExpoCentre
Near metro Bodomzor north of the centre, the UzExpoCentre holds Tashkent’s major exhibitions and the National Bank Headquarters. A number of high-end hotels cater to the business community in this area.
Recommendations
Best budget accommodation in Tashkent
Art Hostel has been the best budget accommodation in Tashkent for some time now. Gulnara Guesthouse is a good alternative, but Art Hostel has a better breakfast, a better location and a swimming pool. Sunrise Caravan is a good option as well – 3rd place.
Topchan tends to get a bit dirty, Anvar’s Guests is a bit weird and in need of remodeling, while Mirzo’s place shows its age and is far away.
Best mid-range accommodation in Tashkent
Difficult choice here when it comes to hotels. Renting an apartment is probably the best value for money: there are several aparthotels and professional landlords to make this an attractive option.
In the lower price range, we can recommend homely Jahongir: good for singles who want some privacy. For 20$ more you can stay at Hotel Bek, which promises a swimming pool, cheerful staff and a classy feel, rather than the morose options far out of town.
Citizen Hotel is not a bad option either for those who like to feel on top of the world: big views and huge rooms. At the top end of the range (~100$), we are mostly positive about Aster (a lot of attitude) and Sharq (classic elegance).
The rest: Art Hotel, Grand Art, Silver, Safar, Grand Mir, Pearl Tashkent, Shodlik Palace
Best high-end accommodation in Tashkent
All high-end hotels in Tashkent have issues with getting staff up to an international standard. As so often in Central Asia, it all looks great at first sight, but once you start poking around, things tend to fall apart quickly. There is no consistency.
The second problem: hotels are overpriced. The building boom in Tashkent should lower prices in the future, but for now, it is bad value for money.
Ichan Qala offers the best value for money, and you get the added bonus of sleeping in what used to be Gulnara Karimova’s private property. Good choice if you want something romantic. The International has the most stylish rooms, Lotte City Palace has the best location overlooking the Opera.
Wyndham, Radisson Blu and Hyatt Regency are decent options for the business traveler, but for this price, we were expecting more.
Hotel reviews
Anvar’s Guests
Anvar is the lovely host of this homely stay, but his rooms are very tired, the walls are made of paper and the general lay-out of the building is, let us say, quirky. Hope you like mirrors. Not a bad place to stay, but not a good place to stay either.
- Owners are very friendly and helpful
- Functional bathrooms, but cramped
- The kingsize room has been renovated
- Good location in walking distance of Kosmonavtlar metro
- Most rooms are in dire need of renovation, walls are thin
- “Quirky” construction
- Breakfast is the standard sausage and eggs or similar, breakfast room is not inspiring
Check rates at Anvar’s Guests on Booking.com
Art Hostel
With a pleasant atmosphere, dedicated cleaning ladies, fun receptionists, a breakfast buffet and a small swimming pool, Art Hostel stands head and should above the other hostels in Tashkent. Management has an eye for detail and keeps prices low. Couples and singles who don’t mind sharing a bathroom will also feel right at home, despite the hostel moniker.
- Excellent dorm rooms. No bunk beds and plenty of plugs
- Clean, well-functioning bathrooms
- Breakfast buffet
- Little swimming pool
- Super-helpful staff
- Good location between Kosmonavtlar and Mirabad Street
- For this price, there is nothing to find fault with
Check rates at Art Hostel on Booking.com
Art Hotel
Not to be confused with the Art Hostel, this is a basic hotel for a basic price, but better located than others in this category. Just a place to put your head down. Take the double suite, it is much roomier than the cramped twin rooms for a mere 5$ extra.
Check rates at Art Hotel on Booking.com
Aster Hotel Group
Business travellers sick of beige interiors will welcome this new boutique hotel with themed floors. You gotta like purple though, and funky-fresh plastik. If that is your style, Aster is a great 90-100$ hotel.
Gloria (3rd floor) has fresh doubles. Dervish (4th floor) is an elegant mix of Swedish design and Uzbek ikats. The deluxe rooms are bling.
- Great coffee shop and restaurant
- Spacious rooms with walk-in showers
- Design is a love-it-or-hate-it experience
Check rates at Aster Hotel Group on Booking.com
Bek Hotel
For around 50$, this is one of the best mid-price options in Tashkent at the moment. Similar in terms of room sizes, amenities at half the price of other hotels in Tashkent, Bek is a good choice.
- Standard rooms are standard, but the best value for money in the mid-range scale
- Suites are extremely spacious
- Small garden and swimming pool. You need it in summer.
- The breakfast buffet is decent, but does not offer real coffee
- A 20-minute walk to the metro (Kosmonavtlar)
Check rates at Bek Hotel on Booking.com
Citizen Hotel
Formerly known as the Mustaqillik, the Citizen Hotel is a surprise winner. We had low expectations going in, but rooms are very spacious, well equipped, reasonably priced and have some of the best views in town. The restaurant is good, staff is responsive and the location is great.
- Rooms are very spacious, clean and well-equipped
- Some of the best views in town
- Restaurant has a very good chef and great window views
- Knowledgeable staff
- Good location overlooking Soviet-planned Tashkent
- The hotel is only located on the 10th and 11th floor and the entrance lobby is a bit funny
Check rates at Citizen Hotel on Booking.com
Grand Art Hotel
Another contender in the category of basic overpriced midrange hotel, the Grand Art Hotel does not hit the mark. It isn’t terrible, it just made us feel a bit sad.
- Rooms are smallish, but the tv is big and there’s a water boiler on hand
- Bathrooms are a bit sad. Same goes for the courtyard, swimming pool area and the restaurant.
- Overpriced: A double for 30$ would be decent value for money, but management charges more
- Far from a metro stop
Check rates at Grand Art Hotel on Booking.com
Grand Mir Hotel
Formerly known as the Hotel Rossiya, the Grand Mir is just a bit too old to contend with other 4-star hotels. Rooms, bathrooms, breakfast, … are standard. A good mid-range hotel for the price of a luxury hotel, we are not sure who the Grand Mir is trying to please. You can find a better place to stay.
- The roof terrace is an asset
- Excellent location near Mirabad Bazaar and Oybek metro
- Standard room size, standard decoration, standard bathrooms
- Everything a bit older than its competitors
Check rates at Grand Mir Hotel on Booking.com
Gulnara Guesthouse
Gulnara and her family have perfected the art of hosting. They are just wonderful, kind people. The courtyard is a great place to hang out, the rooms are clean and the location in the old part of Tashkent is good.
- Pleasant atmosphere thanks to sweet hosts
- Rooms are a bit more basic than its competitors
Check rates at Gulnara Guesthouse on Booking.com
Hyatt Regency
Advertising itself as the top hotel in Tashkent, the Hyatt Regency instead badly underdelivers. Sure, the food is great and the rooms are nice, but other luxury hotels do the same (and better) at half the price. On top of that, there are too many little annoyances for a 5-star hotel, from furniture that is already starting to break down to underperforming staff.
Finally, there is the matter of design. A random collection of showpieces and bad corporate art, the lobby is filled with shiny abstract curves that signify nothing at all. If there is a theme to the whole affair, it must be the meaninglessness of casino capitalism.
- The food is really tasty
- Good if you are organising a conference or a party for the nouveau riche
- Overpriced
- Cannot walk in or out, the property is gigantic. You can only be driven in and out.
- Advertising banners in the lobby: for this price we expect to be left alone
- Designed in the “international style”: a stylish kind of butt-ugly
Check rates at Hyatt Regency on Booking.com
Ichan Qala
A stay with a touch of history… Anyone with a fascination for Uzbekistan’s Karimov era will love this place. Built in 2010, the Ichan Qala was opened to the public in 2016 after being confiscated from Gulnara “Googoosha” Karimova, who used it as a guesthouse for her friends.
Tacky is not a style here, it is a way of life. We advise to let go of your “good taste” and indulge in your dictator daughter fantasies instead: standard rooms are more spacious and inviting than others at this price point in Tashkent. The senior suite is a major upgrade and well worth the money for everyone who loves to add a theatrical touch to their night of romance.
- An opulent breakfast buffet in an opulent breakfast room accompanied by live piano music
- Best showers in Uzbekistan
- 2 swimming pools: indoor and outdoor
- Locally managed, the staff is not up to standard of international chains. Expect slight annoyances.
- It’s a 15-20 minute walk to the metro (Kosmonavtlar)
Check rates at Ichan Qala on Booking.com
International Hotel
Previously known as the Intercontinental, this showpiece hotel was bought and renovated by Hilton in 2017, and rebranded to the International. Luckily, the renovation is much better than the name. We think this is the best business and luxury hotel in Tashkent.
Standard rooms are perfectly sized and artfully designed – perhaps the most stylish in all of Central Asia – their sleek surfaces embody all that is good about the loaded term “luxury.” Get a backside room with view over the lake and the Japanese garden, or a frontside view with big city lights come evening.
- Room design is as good as it gets
- Rendez-vous bar is very cozy with lakeside views
- Restaurants offer choice and high quality
- Often better prices than its competitors
- Located near UzExpo Center, it’s perfect if you are doing business there. If not, you will have to take some transport
- Still under renovation in 2018
- Staff is not always up to international standards
Check rates at International Hotel on Booking.com
Jahongir B&B
A homely, private place to stay, Jahongir Tashkent does not have the charm of its sister in Samarkand. Nonetheless, it is a good place to stay. Economy rooms are okay, but we recommend to go for the small upgrade: it makes a big difference. Jahongir is not nearby anything of tourist interest, but it is close to a metro station, so getting around is easy enough.
- Homely atmosphere
- Good breakfast
- Not central, but close to the metro
- More expensive rooms are great, standard rooms are a bit smallish
Check rates at Jahongir B&B on Booking.com
Lotte City Palace
Overlooking the Opera Square, the Lotte probably has the best tourist location in Tashkent. It does tend to overprice itself: 220$ is a lot of money for their standard rooms, 150 would be more reasonable. But if you are tired, knackered and looking to get pampered, want everything in walking distance and don’t mind paying a bit extra, this hotel will suit you perfectly.
- Top location: try to get a room overlooking the square
- Good facilities: pool, gym, courtyard up to standard
- Lovely al fresco dining area
- Overpriced
- Standard rooms are not very roomy
- Room design is rich and classic: it’s not for everyone
Check rates at Lotte City Palace on Booking.com
Mirzo Bed and Breakfast
One of the first hostels in Uzbekistan, Mirzo has since been superseded by other, better hostels. Sure, the host family is friendly, but the place is in need of upkeep, something that is unlikely to happen as the owners are building a new hotel near the Circus: all attention is diverted there.
- There is one beautiful old room with a painted and carved ceiling
- All other rooms are very utilitarian
- Bad location far away from a metro stop
- The courtyard is not inviting
- Amenities are old, rooms are dark and cramped
Check rates at Mirzo B&B on Booking.com
Radisson Blu
Across the street from the International, the Radisson is a standard business hotel with a wonderful swimming pool area. An excellent choice if the company is paying and you need to be at UzExpo. If you want a luxury hotel experience instead, it pales in comparison to its neighbour. Expensive, the rooms are a bit boring and restaurant choice is limited.
- Hotel is designed for getting some work done
- Swimming pool area is a big plus
- Expensive, not good value for money without a loyalty card
- Restaurant offers little choice, rooms are a bit boring
- Located near UzExpo Center, it’s perfect if you are doing business there. If not, you will have to take some transport
Check rates at Radisson Blu on Booking.com
Safar Hostel
As a single traveller, this is the cheapest deal for a single room w/o ensuite we could find. There is good reason for that: it isn’t very nice. It is mostly used as a cheap place to overnight for local men on a work-related trip; single women might feel uncomfortable here.
The double rooms with ensuite for around 40$ are better insulated and quite spacious, but you still feel you are sleeping in a Soviet-era hospital. Hotel Bek nearby is a much better option and just slightly more expensive. Similar to that, Art hotel has smaller twin rooms but feels a bit nicer – definitely a better choice as well if you take the suite.
- Located in a quiet upscale neighbourhood halfway between Mirabad street and Kosmonavtlar metro station.
- Cheapest place for singles who don’t want to share a hostel room
- Hospital-type rooms where you can easily partake in the neighbours conversation
- No English is spoken, breakfast is basic and there is no garden
- The toilet gets nasty and the shower is right next to it
Check rates at Safar Hostel on Booking.com
Sharq
A good hotel with an upmarket feel, a sumptuous breakfast buffet and a pleasant swimming pool area, the only thing wrong with the Sharq in our opinion is the price. Room prices hover around 100$, and you get more for that money at Ichan Qala. 20$ less and it would be a clear winner.
- Rooms are dressed in good taste
- Swimming pool area is inviting
- Sumptuous breakfast buffet sumptuous
- Good choice in a leafy suburb close to the Kosmonavtlar metro stop
- Twins are a bit cramped. Other rooms are spacious, though.
- Just a tad overpriced – you get more bang for your buck at the Ichan Qala
Check rates at Sharq on Booking.com
Shodlik Palace
With its downbeat atmosphere, tired rooms and unmotivated staff, all the Shodlik has left is faded glory. It’s not bad for 40$. Sadly, we were quoted 160$.
- Kept clean
- Amenities are old. Staff is tired. The shower cup holder was placed too low, the air-con rumbled.
- Overpriced
Check rates at Shodlik Palace on Booking.com
Silver Hotel
It is ugly as hell and a bit smelly, but it’s another contender in the basic price category. All amenities are working, and the price is similar to its competitors.
- Friendly staff
- Breakfast buffet
- Decent location
- Not a lot of English spoken
- Rooms are a bit smelly, design is ugly.
Check rates at Silver Hotel on Booking.com
Sunrise Caravan
There are few negatives we can think of at Sunrise Caravan: it is one of the top hostels in Tashkent. We’d say the Art hostel still wins because of its swimming pool and breakfast, and Gulnara’s is just a bit homelier, but Sunrise Caravan has excellent room facilities to compensate. You can enjoy your visit to Tashkent with Sunrise Caravan as your base.
- Great dorm rooms with all amenities, doubles are likewise very pleasant for this price point
- Lovely little garden to chill
- Knowledgeable staff
- Breakfast is ok, but not great
- Reasonable location. A bit of a walk, but not an annoying walk
Check rates at Sunrise Caravan on Booking.com
Pearl Tashkent
Another contender in the basic hotel category, Tashkent Pearl is not a winner. Near the UzExpoCentre, rooms are simple, the bathroom is cramped and breakfast is basic. It’s worth 30$ but sadly owners price it much higher.
- Little swimming pool
- Overpriced
- Basic breakfast
- Location not ideal for tourists. Business travelers might like the location, but they need better amenities. For the budget business lodger?
- Cramped bathroom, beds have very simple mattresses
Check rates at Pearl Tashkent on Booking.com
Topchan Hostel
A step below the top hostels due to a lack of hygiene, poor breakfast, and a bad location, Topchan Hostel still remains popular with backpackers. If Gulnara and Art Hostel are full, this is your best bet
- Friendly staff
- Cool wall graffiti
- Really good showers
- Lack of hygiene
- Breakfast is poor
- No outside seating area
- Not centrally located
Check rates at Topchan Hostel on Booking.com
Wyndham
Soviet-era travellers will recognize the Wyndham as the old Dostlik Hotel, but the international chain did a good job remodeling the place. Perfect if you are organizing a conference. If you are not, we feel everything is just a bit too simple for a 5-star hotel (with 5-star prices). The Van Gogh reproduction above the bedhead asks a poignant question: lack of imagination, or just playing it too safe?
Like other high-end hotels in Tashkent, Wyndham also suffers from exaggerated prices and underperforming staff, but in the end, the wi-fi is good and the pillows are fluffy, so it’s a decent option for those who carry the loyalty card and need to get some work done.
- Strong wifi and comfortable, pleasant rooms
- Overpriced, staff is not always up to standard
- The restaurant is basic (stolovayas in Tashkent have more interesting design these days), the shower is in the bathtub and there isn’t even a lobby bar.
Check rates at Wyndham on Booking.com
Other cities
Have a look at our accommodation guides for Samarkand and Bukhara.