When the handing over of your room key is accompanied by the words ‘it’s the best room in the hotel’, it’s a good sign, particularly when you’re staying for three nights. The reason for the ‘upgrade’ at the Malika Prime Hotel in the Uzbekistan city Samarkand was probably because our guide worked the night shift on reception.
Room 14 had a king-size bed, which on arrival had a thick cover, but due to the heat, was instantly removed, leaving individual empty duvet cases which were fine, although the duvets were in the cupboard. The room was relatively standard with a desk and stool, TV, wardrobe with safe and slippers and a long seating area, ideal for our cases. There was no tea or coffee making facilities although bottled water was provided and the much-needed air-conditioning and WiFi both worked well. However, what made it special was the double balcony above the entrance which made it ideal for checking out the comings and goings!
The reasonable-sized bathroom had a shower over the bath which was not ideal for either short or tall people. The inside of the bath was higher than the floor, and created an incredibly big step out, not ideal for short-legged guests. And although the water pressure was good, the shower head, positioned half way up the pipe, could not be adjusted, so tall guests needed to duck. However, there was a washing line, plenty of towel rails, a good shaving mirror, decent hairdryer and mirror combination and basic toiletries. Whilst there was the usual message about conserving water, towels were replaced daily even though we left them hanging.
Although the hotel didn’t have an evening restaurant or bar, a fridge at the entrance sold a range of cold drinks and beers. There was also a café next door which appeared to be part of the hotel, but its irregular opening hours meant we didn’t use it.
There was a covered rooftop terrace with a tapchan, the unique central table which people sit around, but we preferred our fridge-drinks from the comfort of our balcony.
Breakfast, from 7am to 10.30am, was served in a small ground-floor dining room. The buffet had a selection of juice, fresh fruits, yoghurt, cereals, savoury pastries, tomatoes and cucumber, cold meats and cheeses. There was a toast machine for the bread, and hot dishes included porridge, fried eggs, sausages and omelette pieces.
In terms of location, there were pluses and minuses. The Amur Timur Mausoleum was literally a five-minute walk, and there was a small park opposite which our balcony looked onto. However, in terms of eating out, there was only one restaurant within walking distance, and this was a slight disappointment.
