Hotel Muso To’ra Review: Sleeping Inside the Walls of Old Khiva, Uzbekistan

There are hotels that are convenient, hotels that are comfortable, and hotels that are memorable because they could only exist in one place. Hotel Muso To’ra in Khiva belongs in that last category.

On my trip through Uzbekistan, I stayed at Hotel Muso To’ra while visiting Khiva, the westernmost of the great Silk Road cities on our route after Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, and a yurt camp in the desert. By the time we reached Khiva, the landscape had changed. We were no longer in the greener eastern part of Uzbekistan. The drive had carried us into a drier, more desert-like region, with dunes and open spaces that made Khiva feel even more like an oasis city.

Location: Inside the Walled City of Khiva

What made this stay special was not just that the hotel was in Khiva. It was inside the walled old city (a UNESCO World Heritage site), in a historic madrasa building. That meant that stepping out of the hotel did not feel like stepping into a modern city with historic attractions nearby. It felt like stepping directly into the story.

Staying inside the walls changes the experience. Instead of commuting into the old city for sightseeing, you are already there. Early in the morning, before the day gets hot and before more visitors appear, you can walk the lanes, see the light strike the minarets, and enjoy Khiva when it is at its quietest. In the evening, you can linger as the sun drops and the blue tiles, mud-brick walls, and carved wooden doors take on softer colors.

Khiva is not a city where you need a taxi to get from sight to sight once you are inside the walls. One of the joys of the old city is how compact it is. You can walk from one end to the other in a matter of minutes. That makes Hotel Muso To’ra especially practical for travelers who like to photograph in the early morning, return to the hotel during the heat of the day, and then head back out again toward sunset.

The hotel’s location also makes it easy to visit the city walls. You can walk along part of them, which we did early in the morning. The section open for walking is not necessarily the one closest to all of the famous minarets and madrasas, but it still gives you a strong sense of Khiva as a fortified city in the desert.

front desk Hotel Muso To’ra, Khiva, Uzbekistan

First Impressions and Public Spaces

Hotel Muso To’ra is not a generic chain hotel. It is a historic building adapted for travelers, and that is a major part of its appeal. The building was once a madrasa, a traditional Islamic school. In practical terms, that means the hotel has the bones of a historic courtyard building rather than the layout of a modern business hotel.

The public spaces reflect that history. You should not arrive expecting a glossy lobby with marble counters, a large business center, and layers of international hotel branding. The courtyard, the thick walls, the old doorways, and the sense of staying in a repurposed historic structure are the experience.

For a business traveler who needs large desks, meeting rooms, and polished public workspaces, this would not be the first hotel I would recommend. But for a traveler who wants to wake up inside old Khiva, it is hard to beat.

Room Features: Historic Character with Practical Comfort

My room at Hotel Muso To’ra was one of the most unusual rooms of the trip. It had been created from two former madrasa cells, the small rooms where students would once have lived. Part of the next cell had been converted into the bathroom. 

The room was comfortable, but the historic structure also came with quirks. The doorway into the room, and especially the opening into the bathroom, was low. I kept knocking my head when going into the bathroom at night because the opening was probably around five feet tall. The wall itself was thick, roughly two feet, which added to the sense that this was not just a hotel room decorated to look old. It was an old building that had been turned into a hotel.

There was still good wi-fi and functioning air conditioning, which the students historically would not have had. There was also a small refrigerator to keep your water bottle cold in the hot climate..

Food and Dining

The  Hotel Muso To’ra had a comfortable breakfast room just off the lobby. The selection was small but tasty. 

Khiva has several places to eat within walking distance. One of the memorable meals of our time in Khiva was our closing dinner in Uzbekistan, held at Terrassa Cafe & Restaurant on an upper-level balcony overlooking the walled city. At sunset, with minarets and old monuments spread out below, it was a beautiful way to end the Uzbekistan portion of the trip.

Food throughout Uzbekistan was a pleasant part of the journey. Travelers can expect dishes such as plov, kebabs, round breads, dumplings, soups, salads, tea, and melon. Meals in Uzbekistan can also be quite affordable by North American standards. In several places on the trip, dinner cost $4- $ 5 per person.

Facilities and Amenities

Hotel Muso To’ra should be understood as a historic boutique-style stay, not a resort. Do not expect a pool, large spa, gym, or business facilities. Its best amenity is its address.

Things to Do Nearby

The major sights of Khiva are right outside the door. Nothing in the walled city is more than a 5-minute walk from the hotel.

Don’t miss the Juma Mosque, with its forest of carved wooden pillars; the unfinished Kalta Minor minaret, covered in brilliant blue tile; the Konye-Ark fortress, once home to Khiva’s rulers; and the palace and harem quarters that reveal the city’s khanate-era history. You can also walk part of the city walls, browse local vendors selling hats, textiles, and souvenirs, and climb one of the minarets for a view over this remarkably preserved Silk Road city.

Conclusion

I stayed inside a former madrasa, in a room made from old student cells, within the walls of one of Central Asia’s great Silk Road cities. I had to duck through low openings. I had to remember that the charm of the building came with historic quirks. But those details are exactly what made the stay memorable. It was my favorite hotel of my trip to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

Rates at the hotel start at about $36.

Check rates for Hotel Muso To’ra, Khiva online at Expedia, Agoda.com, or Hotels.com.