Tashkent Hotels – The Iconic Hotel Uzbekistan

Pretty much every ex-Soviet republic has a fallen giant of a hotel that was THE place to stay during Soviet times. In Tashkent it is the Hotel Uzbekistan.

Way past its prime, this gargantuan hotel is not just a massive presence in the city centre, but still remains popular with business people and tourists alike. And yeah, all the extra seediness that you would expect.

What the Hotel Uzbekistan

Opened in 1974, Hotel Uzbekistan was one of the flagship hotels of the Uzbek SSR and a symbol of Soviet modernity in Central Asia. It was built to host Communist Party officials, foreign delegations, Intourist groups, and carefully selected international visitors during Soviet times. At the time, staying here meant you were either important, controlled, or both.

The hotel sits on what was once Lenin Square, right in the centre of Tashkent, and was designed as a showcase of Soviet ambition — huge scale, heavy concrete, and a sense of permanence.

After the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the hotel entered a long decline. It never fully shut down, but it slowly lost its prestige. Parts were renovated over the years, but much of the original structure, design, and atmosphere remained intact. Today it still functions as a hotel, hosting a mix of business travellers, tourists, and people chasing Soviet-era nostalgia. It’s both a working building and a relic — still standing, still used, still slightly frozen in time.

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The Rooms at the Hotel Uzbekistan

The lifts and the hallways of this hotel have pretty much not changed since Brezhnev, save the fact they also now host some kind of private enterprise as well as rooms. The rooms though have been given a modern touch at least. Mine at least was big open plan with a nice bed and a baller balcony.

Room details

• Total rooms: approximately 300
• Floors: 17

Room types and prices

• Standard Room – 700,000–950,000 UZS ($55–75)
• Superior Room – 950,000–1,300,000 UZS ($75–100)
• Deluxe Room – 1,300,000–1,800,000 UZS ($100–140)
• Suite – 1,900,000–3,200,000 UZS ($150–250)

Facilities at the Uzbekistan Hotel

Main Restaurant

Hotel restaurant serving breakfast and basic Uzbek/international food.

Upper Floor Bar

Top-floor bar with city views over central Tashkent and the surrounding skyline.

Private Restaurants

There’s and independent Italian restaurant inside the complex, as well as an Uzbek burger/kebab joint that is open late right out the back of the restaurant. Both are decent.

Location wise means you’re also walking distance form he best restaurants of Tashkent. Georgian food. seems to be a big deal here.

Other Facilities

• Massage services (unsure if its dodgy)
• Sauna
• Beauty treatments
• Conference rooms
• Currency exchange
• Laundry services
• Airport transfers
• 24-hour reception

The Vibe art the Hotel Uzbekistan

This is pure post-Soviet decay and reinvention. The building itself is a huge grey monster that towers over the city. And yeah there has been some renovation, but the lack of money is obvious as well as its very Soviet past.

This though is where the charm comes from. There are guys outside smoking cigs and looking sketchy, there are people milling around outside, and you get to see what might have been if they’d preserved the USSR. Combine this with the Lenins and the hammers and sickles everywhere and you get some proper Red Tourist vibes at the Hotel Uzbekistan.

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