The Shahar

We stayed at the Hotel Shahar for two nights and it was a lovely treat to finish our trip to Uzbekistan. As for the transport, it takes around 15-20 minutes to get to the nearest metro station from there; and the reception staff was helpful in arranging taxi to the airport for us. The hotel design and décor give a radiant, welcoming vibe and we could say the same about our room. Really comfortable, spotlessly clean, with bottles of water and little tasty snacks. The bathroom was beautifully decorated, spacious and with many toiletries. Breakfast - pleasant seating offered in the courtyard - was made to order; fresh, delicious and plentiful. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would recommend this place. Thank you very much!

I was going to give the hotel a decent review, but I just had a really bad experience in the restaurant, where I was deliberately and rudely ignored. I waited patiently at first while others were served - though it really wouldn't have taken long to acknowledge me with a nod and give me a menu. After 10 minutes I waited impatiently, and tried waving at the staff. There was only one other table occupied. Eventually I called out to the staff - who still ignored me! So I sat there and ordered from a food delivery app. When I walked out, after 30 minutes, I walked past the table where the waiter was sitting with his friend. I made a remark and he said, quite aggressively NO ENGLISH. Well, no, a lot of people in Uzbekistan don't speak English and I have managed perfectly well until now. You don't need to speak English to give me a menu, or to take my order for manti or plov. It shouldn't be up to the staff to decide they can't be bothered serving English-speaking guests, and the owners, who are perfectly nice and friendly, should not allow it.

I travelled to The Shahar Hotel directly from Tashkent airport. It isn’t far but took a little while owing to the busy traffic. The hotel is situated a little bit out of the centre of Tashkent but still within walking distance. The hotel has been built in a traditional style. I really liked it from the moment I arrived. There is an outdoor seating area where you can also enjoy breakfast and then there is the main entrance to the hotel. The staff were all great. I particularly liked the young gentleman on reception who checked me in. I found him to be very helpful and he even ordered some food on my behalf which was then delivered to the hotel. He then served it to me in the hotel restaurant, definitely going above and beyond. My bedroom was on the ground floor and was fabulous. It was really large, having a dressing area with a big wardrobe and then a very large bedroom area with additional seating and tea/coffee making facilities The hotel thoughtfully provides everything the traveller may need. They also provided different snacks which was a nice touch. The rooms were immaculately clean. The bathroom nicely decorated and with a good shower. The wifi was also good. The breakfast served was very generous and delicious. Across the road from the hotel is a river with a pathway that runs along side it. Following this pathway creates a pleasant walk which takes you into central Almaty. The walk is approximately 20mins but public transport is also available. The hotel also arranged a car and driver for me to take me to Samarkand. All in all an excellent stay in a very good value hotel.

This is a fairly small hotel with very helpful staff who went out of their way to make our stay as pleasant as possible. We were a group of 6 and everyone was pleased with the rooms and the friendly hotel staff. The breakfast was very nice. It was very good value for money, and I would definitely stay here again if I visit Tashkent in the future.