Tashkent is often the first or last stop on an Uzbekistan itinerary, but it deserves more than a quick airport transfer and a night of sleep. The city has Soviet-era metro stations, leafy boulevards, craft museums, big markets, modern cafés, and a pace that feels different from the more obvious Silk Road stops of Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva.
I stayed at the Harris Hotel in Tashkent, which was a convenient, if not perfect, home base for exploring the city.
Location
The hotel is located at Rakatboshi 2A in Tashkent, in the same general area as the Kosmonavtlar metro station and the State Museum of Applied Arts. The neighborhood is tree-lined and is home to a number of consulates.
The hotel is also roughly 7 km from Islam Karimov Tashkent International Airport, which makes it convenient for either an arrival night or a final night before flying out. I paid around $2-$3 for a taxi from the airport, using the Yandex Go app.
From the hotel, I would not plan to walk everywhere in Tashkent. The city is spread out, and some of the major sights are better reached by metro, taxi, or ride-hailing app.
Arrival and First Impressions
Harris Hotel, Spa, and Fitness has the feel of a modern city hotel rather than a historic boutique property, with a lobby layout that makes it easy to arrive, check in, and hang out. That was useful for me since I had a morning flight and my room was not available until check-in at 2 pm.
Rooms
The rooms at Harris Hotel, Spa, and Fitness are modern and practical. The décor is contemporary if a bit spartan. Expect the essentials a traveler needs in Tashkent: Wi-Fi, a TV, a work desk, windows that open, and a comfortable bed.
What Didn’t Work
Electronics were a weak point of the Harris Hotel experience. My group was spread across 4 different rooms in the hotel, and none of us reported that the Chinese-brand mini-fridge in the room reached a temperature one could call cold. Similarly, the air-conditioning units seemed more decorative than functional. I did find that opening the window on a May evening cooled down the room sufficiently.
A flat-screen television was available, but the interface seemed to be in Mandarin, so I would bring your own entertainment.
Food and Dining
The hotel’s on-site restaurant is Luna Restaurant. I can only comment on the hotel breakfast, which was good, though it took about half an hour after the official start time to be fully set up. When set up, it offered porridge, eggs, cheeses, fruit, cereal, meats (no pork), and an omelet station.
- Get a Car Rental
- Get a universal plug adapter
- Buy Travel Insurance
- Get an eSim to be able to use your smartphone abroad.
Spa, Fitness, and Wellness Facilities
The hotel’s name makes its wellness angle clear. Harris Hotel, Spa, and Fitness is not just offering a token treadmill in a corner. The hotel has two fitness rooms (one large and one small) and a sauna.
Things to Do Nearby
The closest attraction I would put on a visitor’s list is the State Museum of Applied Arts. This is a particularly good museum, which all my fellow travelers highly recommend. Its collections include traditional crafts such as ceramics, textiles, jewelry, and decorative arts.
Kosmonavtlar metro station is also worth treating as a sight, not just a stop. Tashkent’s metro was long difficult for visitors to photograph, but it has become one of the city’s most distinctive attractions. You can also take the metro to other sites, such as Chorsu Bazaar or Amir Timur Square.
Final Thoughts
Harris Hotel, Spa, and Fitness is a decent hotel for exploring Tashkent. If they fix the air conditioning and mini-fridges, it could be a good hotel.
Rates for the hotel start at about $50 a night.
Check rates for Harris Hotel, Spa and Fitness, Tashkent online at Expedia, Booking.com, Agoda.com, or Hotels.com.
I stayed at the Hotel Karvan while visiting Samarkand as part of a larger G Adventures trip to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
