The very name Tashkent conjures up exotic images of the fabled Silk Road that traversed Central Asia, linking China with the West since the days of Marco Polo. Even today, Tashkent is one of the most important portals for tourists wishing to admire the architectural marvels reflecting the wealth generated by the legendary trade route; and visitors would be hard pressed to find a better place to stay in the capital of Uzbekistan than Regal Stay.
The upscale boutique Regal Stay is designed primarily for businessmen sojourning in the largest city in Central Asia. But travelers of all sorts will find it a most welcoming temporary abode, offering comforts associated with the most luxurious international chains – at prices that are substantially more reasonable.
There are two primary reasons for the more agreeable rates: the hotel is not in the center of town – but taxi fares are so cheap that the inconvenience is a small price to pay. Secondly, there is no bar, and no alcohol is served on the premises; Regal Stay observes the strictest Muslim regulations: not only is there no pork or ham at meals, each room contains a qibla indicating the direction of Mecca for devout practitioners wishing to pray.
Posh rooms — plus an indoor water playground
The compensation is the deluxe accommodations: even the most basic room (Standard) is spacious, ranging from 215-300 sq. feet, thus able to accommodate a seating area in addition to your choice of king-size bed or two large twin beds — boasting, by the way, extremely comfortable mattresses. The other five categories of rooms and suites are incrementally more sizable.
Every room is equipped with user-friendly climate control, 40” LCD satellite TV, non-alcoholic minibar with separate complimentary bottled mineral water, laptop-sized personal safe, and an electric kettle for making tea and coffee. Free high-speed Wi-Fi extends to all guest units and public areas.
The marble bathrooms complement the bedrooms with the same level of pampering, starting with robes and slippers, embossed washcloths and towels, hair dryer, towel warmer, and the most complete set of toiletry amenities and personal hygiene products you could wish for. Just open the drawer under the sink to find whatever is not displayed in plain sight.
Bathrooms come in different configurations, depending on the room category: large shower stalls with both overhead and hand-held shower heads, combined showers and bathtubs, and suites with separate shower stalls and bathtubs. Similarly, there are some rooms with balconies, although most are without.
Guests at Regal Stay enjoy a complimentary breakfast buffet at the hotel’s sole dining facility, the “Pearl of the East” gastrobar. The food reflects more local than international cuisine, but there is certainly ample selection to provide a hearty morning meal. A distinctive touch that I never before encountered in any other property to date is live instrumental music (performed by soloists) that serenades diners: during my stay, one morning it was a violinist, the next a clarinetist.
As befits a hotel designed to serve the business traveler, there is a fully equipped business center in the lobby that is staffed around the clock. And when a guest decides to take a break and relax, there is a handsomely appointed spa center with tempting wet and dry saunas, whirlpool bath and inviting indoor swimming pool, complete with invigorating hydromassage showers. There is also a small but adequate fitness center, open at convenient hours.
Tashkent, the “City of Stone”
As mentioned, the main reason hotel guests are in Tashkent (if not for business) is because the city’s international airport is the main gateway to the beautiful attractions along inland Uzbekistan’s Silk Road. This may change now that Samarkand is just starting to become a player in the airline hub game; meanwhile, however, there are still some sights worth seeing in the capital which justify an overnight or two.
Lamentably, the ancient sites of Tashkent itself were destroyed in a 1966 earthquake, leaving Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva as the main Uzbeki Silk Road pilgrimage sites. Some landmarks, however, have been restored, including the Hazrati Imam Complex, comprising several mosques exemplifying traditional Moghul architecture, as well as a library displaying a stunning Koran believed to be the oldest extant version of Islam’s holiest book.
Amazingly, the Tashkent Metro is considered a tourist attraction, since each cavernous station of the subway system is different, and some with museum-worthy murals. Additionally, the Chorsu Bazaar is the country’s largest, with – inter alia – mind-boggling arrays of dried fruits, nuts and sweets in gift combinations that have to be seen to be believed.
Finally, do not leave Tashkent without having lunch at Besh Qozon Central Asian Pilaf Center, where the spectacle competes with the tasting experience. Inside the open kitchen is the largest pot of rice imaginable, requiring two grown men using long paddles to stir Uzbekistan’s national dish (plov).
Rates at Regal Stay start at a mere $70/$80 per night (single/double occupancy, including breakfast) in low season – which in Uzbekistan translates to winter and summer, when the extremes of freezing cold and sweltering heat (respectively) make visiting inhospitable. Higher rates prevail in the high season for tourism – i.e., spring and fall, when the temperatures are moderate. (You may also go to Booking.com to see if you can get an even better rate.)
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Text and photos by Buzzy Gordon, who was a guest of the Uzbekistan Ministry of Tourism during his stay in Tashkent. Additional photo courtesy of Regal Stay. (A review of a hotel elsewhere on the Silk Road may be found here on this site.)
