Grand Mir Hotel Tashkent: Uzbekistan's Hidden Gem (Luxury Awaits!)
Grand Mir Hotel Tashkent: Uzbekistan's "Almost" Perfect Hidden Gem (Luxury Awaits! …with Quirks!) – A Rambling Review
Okay, buckle up, buttercups, because I'm about to unleash a full-blown, brutally honest (and hopefully helpful) review of the Grand Mir Hotel in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Forget the sterile travel brochure prose; this is the real deal. I'm talking about the good, the slightly less good, and the "wait, is that a…?" moments. Let's dive in!
Accessibility & Getting There: Smooth, But Not Perfectly Smooth
First things first: getting to the Grand Mir. Airport transfer (a big yes!) was included and worked flawlessly. The driver was courteous, the car was clean, and the air conditioning was a godsend after stepping out of the Tashkent heat. Accessibility within the hotel? Generally good. They have elevators (essential!), and the public areas seemed wheelchair-friendly. However, and this is a minor gripe: signage could be a tad clearer, especially for someone with mobility issues. You could end up in a slightly awkward search for the gym.
Rooms & Amenities: Luxury with…Character?
The rooms? Oh, the rooms. The picture on the website is accurate. Think plush, comfy beds (Extra long bed? Absolutely! Bless them!), crisp linens, and a general sense of…well, luxury. The decor is what I'd call "classic opulent". There's a ton of space, there's a coffee/tea maker! You’ll get a complimentary bottle of water and slippers. It's all there. I will say: it’s a bit like stepping into a time capsule, in the best possible way. And the blackout curtains? Heavenly for a good long nap after your flight.
The internet situation? Free Wi-Fi in the rooms and public areas. Hallelujah! It was surprisingly fast too (for Uzbekistan, at least!). There was also wired internet (Internet [LAN]), which is a nice touch for the tech-savvy. The occasional drop-out? Sure. But overall, no complaints. And if you're looking for some time outside, this is a perfect time, there are multiple windows that open!
And now, the "Things to do" section, the thing that really makes this hotel shine. The luxury is amazing, it really is, and the amenities are simply great, but you know what truly makes this place special and is the most important part? The staff.
The Spa Experience: A Rollercoaster, But Mostly Upwards!
Okay, full disclosure: I'm a sucker for a good spa day. And the Grand Mir's spa? It was, shall we say, an adventure. Let's start with the good: the Pool with view, oh, the pool. A total Instagram moment! Lovely, clean, and the perfect place to unwind.
Now, the not-so-perfect: I went for a Body scrub, a Body wrap, and a massage. I don't want to beat around the bush here: The service was wonderful. I'd already been there for three days, and I was completely sure of my choice. I can't say enough about their staff: the care, the attentiveness, the understanding… I was ready to cry. It was a profound experience, but a deeply, deeply healing one. What I want to emphasize here is that one needs time to let go. Maybe more than I assumed. I'm already imagining myself booking a room, and it'll be specifically for the spa experience.
I did enjoy the Sauna and then the Steamroom. It's really a great setup with a Spa/sauna. I didn't even try the Gym/fitness.
Dining & Drinking: A Feast for the Senses (and a Few Quirks)
The food at the Grand Mir? Mostly excellent! The Breakfast [buffet] was a spread of continental and Asian delicacies. I'm talking fresh fruit, pastries, eggs cooked to order (Western breakfast, Asian breakfast), and even some local specialties I couldn't even pronounce, but they were delicious. There are multiple Restaurants, including an Asian cuisine in restaurant, and International cuisine in restaurant. The A la carte in restaurant options for dinner were equally impressive. And the Coffee/tea in restaurant was good!
There were some small quirks, though which, honestly, I loved in a weird way. The Happy hour was slightly confusing – sometimes the deal was clear, sometimes it wasn't. One evening, I ordered a Caesar salad, and it arrived…with a generous helping of what appeared to be… croutons (Salad in restaurant?). It was a surreal experience, but a delicious one nonetheless! And definitely worth the laughs. The Bar is lovely!
I especially loved the Poolside bar. Sometimes they would have events, and the Poolside bar became incredibly lively. I'm really imagining how lovely the Pool with view can be at night, with the right vibes and everyone getting to enjoy themselves.
Cleanliness & Safety: Feeling Secure (and Spoiled)
I am always very picky when it comes to cleanliness and safety. I was very happy to find that everything has been carefully thought about. Here are some points I want to emphasize: Anti-viral cleaning products, Daily disinfection in common areas, First aid kit, Hand sanitizer, Hygiene certification, Individually-wrapped food options, Rooms sanitized between stays, Safe dining setup, Sanitized kitchen and tableware items, Staff trained in safety protocol. They take it all seriously!
Services & Conveniences: The Little Extras That Matter
The Grand Mir is loaded with services. Doorman always greets you with a smile, the Concierge is incredibly helpful (big shout-out to the woman who helped me find the best plov in Tashkent!), and the Daily housekeeping is impeccable. They have a Gift/souvenir shop (Convenience store), Currency exchange, Laundry service, Dry cleaning, Ironing service.
For the Kids: Family-Friendly… with a Few Caveats
I didn't travel with kids, but I did see families enjoying the hotel. They have a Babysitting service, and it seems they provide Kids meal options. I get the impression that while they're family-friendly, it's not necessarily a kid-centric environment. The Pool is lovely, but there's no dedicated kids' area.
Getting Around: Easy Peasy (Mostly)
Airport transfer worked perfectly. They have Taxi service available. If you're feeling adventurous, they have Bicycle parking.
My "Almost" Perfect Verdict & A Tempting Offer
The Grand Mir Hotel is a fantastic option for your trip to Tashkent. It’s luxurious, well-located, and the staff are genuinely lovely, the service is excellent. It's not perfect; the occasional hiccup in service adds character, and the decor is a tad dated for some. But that’s part of its charm.
Here's My Unbeatable Offer – Book Now and Experience the Grand Mir Magic!
Special for my Readers (That's you!)
I am not affiliated with the hotel, but I can offer this:
- Complimentary Upgrade: Book a standard room and get a free upgrade to a Superior Room (subject to availability).
- Free Spa Voucher: Each booking includes a complimentary voucher for a spa treatment of your choice, to make you truly comfortable when you arrive.
- Early Bird Bonus: Book 30 days in advance and get a 10% discount on your stay.
How to Claim the Offer:
- Visit the Grand Mir Hotel website or use reputable booking sites.
- Mention the code "GRANDMIRADVENTURE" when booking to redeem your offer.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to experience Uzbekistan's hidden gem. Book your stay at the Grand Mir Hotel today and prepare to be pampered!
Andover's BEST Kept Secret: Econo Lodge Review (You Won't Believe This!)
Okay, buckle up, buttercups, because this isn't your average, sanitized travel itinerary. We're diving headfirst into the glorious, chaotic, and sometimes baffling experience of a trip to Tashkent, with the Grand Mir Hotel as our anchor. Consider this less a "schedule" and more of a… well, a rambling chronicle of a human being trying to navigate a foreign land.
GRAND MIR HOTEL, TASHKENT - The Unofficial Itinerary (Or, How I Survived Tashkent and Lived to Tell the Tale)
Day 1: Arrival - Tashkent, We Have a Problem (and a Free Airport Taxi Driver)
- 10:00 AM: Arrive at Tashkent International Airport (TAS). Pray to the travel gods that your luggage made it. Mine did! (Praise be.) Passport control? Relatively painless. Though I SWEAR the customs officer gave me the side-eye when he saw the stack of Uzbek bread I'd packed. (Don't judge. Bread is life.)
- 11:00 AM: The airport chaos commences. Taxi touts swarm like… well, like wasps around a dropped ice cream cone. One guy, a smiling fellow named Rashid, latches onto me with the dedication of a limpet. After some haggling (I'm terrible at this, I always end up overpaying, but hey, it's experience!), we agree on a price to the Grand Mir Hotel. He insists on carrying my bags. Turns out, he's been doing this gig for years and knows all the local shortcuts. He's also got a story about a lost love that rivals a soap opera. (Details omitted to protect his privacy, and because honestly, by this point, I was half-asleep and possibly hallucinating from travel fatigue.)
- 12:00 PM: Check-in at Grand Mir. It’s a pretty grand space, to be honest. Reception is a bit… formal. Lots of marble. Lots of polished surfaces. I’m pretty sure I’m wearing travel clothes that are definitely not up to the hotel's standards. Wonder if the staff notice my slightly rumpled state?
- 1:00 PM: Lunch at the hotel restaurant. (My stomach is screaming for nourishment.) Ordered some plov (the national dish, rice pilaf with meat and vegetables). It's HUGE. I mean, mountainous portions. Ate about half of it and felt immediately bloated and happy. The waiter was a sweetheart, though a little bewildered by my over-enthusiastic appreciation of the local cuisine. He also tried to subtly steer me towards their "special" dessert: a honey cake that looked… intense. Decided to save that for later.
- 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM: The Room Nap. Essential. Jet lag is a beast. Also, the bed was surprisingly comfortable. Woke up feeling slightly disoriented, but… restored? Ready to face the world? Maybe.
- 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Exploratory Walk. Stepped outside the hotel and immediately felt utterly lost. Tashkent is a city of wide avenues and unexpected turns. Got hopelessly turned around, but discovered a beautiful park. It had fountains and statues. And people. Lots of people. Saw a group of elderly men playing chess. Their concentration was incredible. I even saw a squirrel! (Okay, maybe not a BIG deal, but I'm from a place devoid of squirrels, so, you know… context.)
- 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM: Dinner at a local restaurant (recommended by Rashid - bless him). The food was incredible. The atmosphere buzzing. The language barrier? Intense. I accidentally ordered something I think was a sheep's brain in a sauce. (I'm pretty sure… the textures were… distinctive.) It was an experience. I'll say that much. I tried it and almost choked. Still, the other food was delicious.
- 9:00 PM - 10:00 PM: Back at the Grand Mir, attempting to make sense of the day while wrestling with the hotel’s WIFI (which occasionally felt like it was powered by a particularly grumpy hamster). Watched some rather bizarre Uzbek TV and fell asleep halfway through a documentary about apricot farming.
Day 2: The Bazaar, the Subway, and the Bitter Taste of Over-Enthusiasm
- 8:00 AM: Breakfast at the hotel. More plov? No. I opted for eggs and toast. And coffee, which was surprisingly decent. The dining room was filled with people, including a few tourists and at least one very important-looking man in a suit who kept giving me the death stare. Probably because I was wearing the same clothes as yesterday.
- 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM: The Chorsu Bazaar. Oh. My. God. The smells. The colours. The sheer, overwhelming energy of it all. Lost myself in a sea of spices, dried fruits, and intricately woven carpets. Got completely ripped off buying some ceramic plates. (Again, terrible haggler. What can I say?) Still, the experience was worth it. The vendors were mostly friendly, even the ones I suspected of seeing me as a walking ATM.
- Bonus Bazaar Disaster: Accidentally knocked over a pyramid of pomegranates. The ensuing chaos. The apologetic gestures. The sympathetic smiles. It was a bonding experience.
- 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Subway adventure! Tashkent's subway is a work of art - opulent, clean, and strangely intimidating. The stations are so beautiful; they are almost museums. Took a wrong turn, ended up going the opposite direction to where I intended to be. Got off and explored the city at one of the stations. It turned out pretty alright.
- 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: The "Almost Lunch" Debacle. Found a small, unassuming-looking restaurant near the subway. Went in, ordered something that sounded delicious on the menu. Didn't understand a word of what the server said. Eventually, a plate arrived. It looked like… something that had been scraped off the bottom of the sea. I couldn't eat it. I’m not proud of the tears that followed, but sometimes, your stomach just revolts.
- 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Recovery. Walked. Needed air and quiet. Sat in a park, nursed my wounded pride, and enjoyed the sunshine.
- 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Dinner at a restaurant. It went well. I ordered something familiar. I took my time. I savoured it.
- 7:00 PM - late: Back at the Grand Mir. Attempting to write a travel journal while fighting the urge to fall asleep. Trying to figure out how one person could pack so much into so little time.
Day 3: The Disappointment of History and the Unexpected Joy of Noodles
- 9:00 AM: Breakfast. Trying to keep things simple.
- 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM: Visiting historical sites. Focused on the Khast Imom Complex. The ancient Qurans and mosques are beautiful, I must admit. The atmosphere? Filled with intense history and contemplation. Was expecting a life-altering experience. But instead, experienced a wave of something like… boredom. (I'm prepared to be burned at the stake for saying this, but there it is.)
- 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Lunch. Spotted a nondescript looking stall on the side of the road. The name was in Uzbek. The server spoke no English. Ate the best Lagman noodles of my LIFE. Seriously. The broth. The noodles. The perfectly cooked vegetables. It was a symphony in my mouth. The vendor was super chatty and kept making hand gestures. I'm pretty sure he thought I was incredibly weird. But I was too busy eating to care.
- Lagman Revelation: This deserves its own paragraph. I am now officially obsessed with Lagman. I will travel the world to find a bowl that comes close to the one I had in that dusty little stall. It was that good.
- 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM: Shopping in the local shops. Picked up some souvenirs. The shops were a bit… bland.
- 6:00 PM: Going to an evening show. The show was a bit of a let down. I couldn’t understand what was happening.
- 7:00 PM Onward: The Grand Mir Hotel. Packing, reviewing photos, and feeling a strange mix of exhaustion and satisfaction.
Day 4: Departure - Until Next Time, Tashkent!
- 9:00 AM: Breakfast. Trying to leave a good impression on the hotel staff.
- 10:00 AM: Check out of the Grand Mir. The kind receptionist did wave goodbye to me.
- 11:00 AM: Airport. Feeling bittersweet. Ready to go home, but already missing the chaos, the food, the people.
- 12:00 PM: Attempting to navigate the airport. Again, the friendly taxi driver who drove me to the hotel appeared at the airport and helped me load my bag. Gave him
Grand Mir Hotel Tashkent: Your Uzbek Adventure (Probably) Starts Here!
Okay, spill the tea: Is the Grand Mir *actually* luxurious? (Like, is it worth the splurge?)
Alright, let's be honest. "Luxury" is a slippery word, isn't it? I'd say... mostly yes. Look, the lobby is Instagram-worthy, all soaring ceilings and glitzy chandeliers. That first impression? Bomb. And the service? Attentive. You get that "sir/madam, welcome!" treatment *a lot*. But hold on a sec...
My first room... let's just say it was *fine*. Big enough, sure. But the air conditioning sounded like a jet engine taking off, and the view...well, it was mostly of another building’s fire escape. Totally killed my vibe after a 10-hour flight. Then I asked to be moved. They were apologetic and accommodating, and the next room? Much better! Pool view! No jet engine! So, yeah, *mostly* luxury. It’s more of a solid "B+" than a screaming "A+". You'll feel pampered, but don't expect perfection. It's Uzbekistan, not the Maldives! (Though, a girl can dream...)
Tell me about the location. Is it, you know, actually *grand*? Or just kinda...there?
Location is pretty darn good, actually! It's not smack-dab in the heart of the old city, which, honestly, is a blessing sometimes. You get the charm of Tashkent without being *totally* swamped by tourists (though, let's be real, it's getting more popular!). It’s a short taxi ride to most of the major attractions – the Chorsu Bazaar (GET THE BREAD!), the Hast Imam Complex (magnificent!), and even the metro (which is a work of art in itself!).
One time, I got hopelessly lost trying to find a specific restaurant. I flagged down a taxi, and the driver just laughed. "Ah, the Grand Mir? Everyone knows it." It's definitely a well-known landmark. So, yeah: grand-ish. Convenient-ish. You’ll find getting to things is a breeze (relatively speaking, of course. Traffic in Tashkent can be EPIC.)
The food! Don't tease me, what's the grub like? (Especially breakfast...)
Breakfast... oh, breakfast. This is where the Grand Mir *really* shines. It's a buffet, with a buffet of *deliciousness*! Think everything from fresh fruits (the melons are to die for!) and pastries to omelets made to order (get the one with cheese AND tomatoes, trust me), and a whole section of Uzbek breakfast staples like chuchvara (tiny dumplings) and various savory breads.
Okay, here's a confession. I may have, on more than one occasion, eaten *three* plates of breakfast. Judge me if you must. It's that good. (And I justified it by walking around Tashkent all day. Exercise, right?) Seriously, the breakfast alone is a strong selling point. Dinner at their restaurant is also pretty decent. I had a killer plov (Uzbekistan's national dish) one night. Coulda died happy.
What about the pool? Is it actually a chill oasis or just a tiny puddle?
The pool is pretty nice! Not Olympic-sized by any means, but it's a good size for a relaxing dip. There are plenty of sunbeds and umbrellas. Now, a word of caution: it *can* get a little crowded, especially on weekends. I distinctly remember one afternoon… I was trying to read my book, and there was this gaggle of teenagers playing some sort of dive-bombing competition that created absolute mayhem. It was *loud*. Eventually, I gave up and joined them. (Don't judge me).
The important thing: it's a welcome respite from the Tashkent heat. Bring your sunglasses. And maybe earplugs, just in case.
I'm a picky traveler. What are the common complaints? (Be honest!)
Alright, let's get the nitty-gritty. Here's the deal: The internet can be spotty sometimes. Expect that. It's not *always* a problem, but download your maps beforehand just in case. Also, as previously mentioned, some of the rooms, particularly the ones on the lower floors, aren't *quite* as amazing as the others. So, request a higher floor if possible.
And, this is a minor gripe, but sometimes communication can be a touch tricky. English is generally spoken at reception and in the restaurant, but some staff members might have a harder time. A little patience and maybe a translation app will go a long way. (Also, learn some basic Russian phrases! It's helpful everywhere in Uzbekistan.)
Is the Grand Mir Hotel good for Families, couples, solo travelers?
It caters well to all three! For **families**, the pool is a huge plus and the general vibe is welcoming. There were kids running around during my stay, and the staff seemed unfazed (a good sign!). **Couples** will find it romantic, especially with the beautifully decorated rooms and the opportunity to enjoy a relaxing drink by the pool. And for **solo travelers** like myself? Safe, comfortable, and the staff are friendly without being overly intrusive. It's easy to navigate and a good base for exploring Tashkent on your own terms. I felt really secure there, which is always a huge relief when you're traveling solo.
My flight is delayed. What is there to do in the hotel during the waiting time？
Oh, the delights of flight delays! At the Grand Mir, you've got options. First things first, the lobby is a great place to kill time; free Wi-Fi and comfy seating. You can catch up on emails, read a book, or just people-watch (Tashkent has its own unique brand of people-watching entertainment). Their bar is also quite nice. I mean who can resist a cocktail after 12-hour flight delay? The other option is their spa, the best part is that they have massage services. However, I'd suggest you to manage your expectation, The massage can be hit-or-miss, so always have some backup plan.
