Must-see hotels in Uzbekistan

  • Gulnara Guesthouse

    Tashkent

    Gulnara's has long been Tashkent's budget favourite, though it's lost ground to the new hostels in recent years. There's a friendly-family atmosphere in…

  • Topchan Hostel

    Tashkent

    This well-run hostel south of the railway tracks has a good mix of dorm and private rooms, all of which share the clean bathroom blocks. The friendly…

  • Antica

    Samarkand

    A gorgeous garden courtyard shaded by pomegranate, persimmon and mulberry trees make this family home a joy to stay at. The new rooms around the garden…

  • Jipek Joli

    Nukus

    Exactly what a struggling backwater like Nukus needs – a well-run hotel with enthusiastic and responsive English-speaking staff to help you make onward…

  • Hotel Islambek

    Khiva

    This 20-room place (and 13-room annexe) is perhaps the best budget option in the Ichon-Qala. The migraine-inducing wallpaper in the rooms may not scream…

  • Minzifa

    Bukhara

    Traditional Bukharan style is faithfully on display at this superb courtyard hotel, although the decor is toned down by flashes of modern art and subtler…

  • Amelia Boutique Hotel

    Bukhara

    It's the proactive and passionate management here that really propels this boutique hotel to the top of its class. Housed in a Jewish merchant's house,…

  • Jahongir B&B

    Samarkand

    This charming place in an old town neighbourhood unaltered by Samarkand's relentless modernisation has two courtyards sprinkled with vines and flowers and…

  • Hovli Poyon B&B

    Bukhara

    Few Bukhara B&Bs are more memorable than this one, set in a 19th-century house dripping with both character and history. It was once home to the father of…

  • Meros B&B

    Khiva

    Staying at this gorgeous, professionally run place is an absolute treat: four of the seven rooms have charming balconies and all have modern bathrooms…

  • Komil Hotel

    Bukhara

    This friendly 27-room hotel has stunning ghanch work and a young, laid-back owner who speaks fluent English. The rooms are gorgeous, and the 19th-century…

  • Hotel Arba

    Samarkand

    This well-run place in the Russian part of town has some boutique touches, featuring exposed brickwork and colourful ikat silks, and the rooms have good…

  • Bibi Khanum Hotel

    Samarkand

    This well-run place is popular for its fresh pine-clad rooms, central location and the stunning views of the next-door Bibi-Khanym Mosque from the…

  • Emir B&B

    Bukhara

    This wonderful place consists of two old Jewish Quarter houses set around twin courtyards and run by the friendly and knowledgeable Mila. One has…

  • Hotel Grand Samarkand

    Samarkand

    Probably the best top-end option in town, with a boutique feel to the spacious, exposed brick rooms. The hotel consists of two buildings on either side of…

  • Lyabi House Hotel

    Bukhara

    No place in town better combines authentic old-Bukhara design with modern amenities. Breakfast is served in the dignified aivan with carved wooden columns…

  • Emir B&B

    Samarkand

    The 12 rooms here are clean and cosy and have heated floors in their bathrooms, which is great in winter. There's a large and very pleasant communal area…

  • Hotel Sharq

    Tashkent

    This recommended place is just what Tashkent needs – a well-located, upmarket but affordable hotel that has style, security and good service. It has a big…

  • Ikat House

    Fergana Valley

    The family of ikat weaver Abdullah Mirzoakhmedov run this 13 room guesthouse just south of the centre. The spacious sitting areas are decorated with…

  • Hotel Bek

    Tashkent

    With friendly and professional English-speaking staff, spotless rooms, stylish touches and a small but very welcome plunge pool, this hotel is a great…

  • Taj Mahal Hotel

    Fergana Valley

    This modern hotel has no link to India – the owners told us they simply liked the name – but it's nevertheless the best choice in town, with a very…

  • Art Hostel

    Tashkent

    This sociable hostel sets the bar high for Tashkent's budget accommodation. The pine fresh rooms and shared bathrooms are spotlessly clean and the clued…

  • Rumi Hostel

    Bukhara

    This sprawling converted house on the southern edge of the old town is the best shoestring option and particularly popular with overlanders (there's…

  • Hotel Orient Star

    Khiva

    This unique hotel offers the rare opportunity of staying inside the 19th-century Mohammed Amin Khan Medressa. Accommodation in the 78 converted hujra …

  • Amulet Hotel

    Bukhara

    Housed inside the converted 1861 Said Kamol Medressa, this charming eight-room place has all the comforts you need without sacrificing an inch of its…

  • Ichan Qala

    Tashkent

    An impressive place built in a faux medressa style with 60 rooms in five villas, nice outdoor seating and clever touches like a poolside clicker to call…

  • Hotel Marokand

    Samarkand

    The eight fresh and bright rooms here have clean tiled bathrooms and good mattresses, plus there's a small but pleasant courtyard and helpful staff, all…

  • Kavsar Boutique Hotel

    Bukhara

    There's an intimate feel at this B&B. There are just eight comfortable and modern rooms (with good mattresses) set around a small intimate split-level…

  • Mirzoboshi

    Khiva

    This mud- and brick-walled B&B is located right in the heart of the Ichon-Qala (the entrance is around the back). There are just three renovated rooms,…

  • Salom Inn

    Bukhara

    Housed in the courtyard of an old mansion in the Jewish Quarter, this is a charming, well-managed and good-value place. The rooms are spacious and modern…

  • L'Argamak

    Samarkand

    The 23 modern rooms at this French-Uzbek joint venture vary in size but all feel quite lush, with quality bedding and fluffy pillows. Breakfast on the…

  • Hyatt Regency

    Tashkent

    One of Tashkent's five-star options is a huge fortress of a place, taking up an entire city block. It's easily the best hotel in town, featuring a top…

  • Registon Hotel

    Samarkand

    The Registon looks good, if a little uninspiring, with 70 spacious rooms that have fridges and decent bathrooms, although some have an odd layout. Wi-fi…

  • Lotte City Hotel Tashkent Palace

    Tashkent

    This grand Soviet-era place (built in 1958 as Tashkent's first hotel) is now Korean run but still enjoys the same superbly central location. The fully…

  • Sasha & Son B&B

    Bukhara

    Behind a beautifully carved wooden front door is a maze connecting several small buildings with new rooms elaborately done up in traditional decor. All…

  • Hostel Lali-Opa

    Khiva

    This hostel run by the Guest House Lali-Opa is 2km north of the Ichon-Qala in the owners' spacious home. The four quiet dorms here are much more…

  • Timur the Great

    Samarkand

    The four simple but pleasant original rooms here surround an awning-covered courtyard. It's good value and well located on the edge of the old town. A new…

  • Kizil-Kum Hotel

    Nukus

    Surely the winner of Central Asia's 'least likely location for a budget hotel', the Kizil-Kum is southwest from the centre in a truly forlorn stretch of…

  • Hotel Uzbekistan

    Tashkent

    This old dinosaur towering over central Amir Timur maydoni has reinvented itself as Tashkent’s best-value top-end hotel. Helpful receptionists have…

  • Ayaz-Qala Yurt Camp

    Uzbekistan

    Right next to Ayaz-Qala, this somewhat charmless yurt camp has eight concrete-based yurts lined up in a row, each big enough to hold five to eight people…