Although our stay was brief, it was long enough for me to vouch for this excellent Hyatt property in the heart of Tajikistan’s capital city of Dushanbe.
We arrived early in Dushanbe and negotiated a cab from the airport to the hotel—about a 15 minute drive—for $5. Arriving at the hotel, we were met by an overly-helpful bellboy who offered to take us on a tour of the city. We politely declined (it had been a long day already and we wanted to explore the city on our own terms) and he seemed quite crestfallen.
I used cash + points to book the room, a steal at 4,000 points + $46/night. The paid rate was only $150, but this was a better buy.
I was thanked for being a Globalist member and informed that I had been upgraded to a corner suite on the 1oth floor. A manager came out of the back room to welcome us, but I don’t think he had any idea that we were bloggers, just Globalists. The hotel’s architectural structure made for an interesting room layout.
Hyatt Regency Dushanbe Corner Suite
Walking in, I turned right and found a door to the bedroom and a long hallway down to the living room and dining room. The living room featured a loveseat and coffee table while the dining room featured a table big enough for four (though only two chairs were provisioned).
Past the living room was a work area with a large desk and chair on wheels.
On the desk was a note detailing my Globalist amenities:
The bedroom contained an oversized chair and a king bed with crisp white bedding.
The entrance to the bathroom was inside the bedroom. It contained nice stonework and floor-to-ceiling windows. Portico amenities, standard at Hyatt Regency properties, were provisioned.
A small chocolate cake and dish with a peach, orange, and apple were sitting atop the minibar. I figure that was my welcome amenity, but about 20 minutes later I heard the doorbell ring and a large bowl of fruit and bottle of New Zealand red wine was delivered.
The amenity came with the following note:
The room had great views:
Hyatt Regency Dushanbe Internet
Internet speeds sputtered, going from comfortably slow to unstable. The hotel must address this. Even the wired internet was no better.
Hyatt Regency Dushanbe Regency Club Lounge
The lounge was beautiful…and empty. We never saw another guest. Smartly, the hotel does not offer breakfast in the lounge, but did offer a spread of evening appetizers (6-8pm) that was far better than what the Regency Club in Tashkent offered. Still, it was not enough for a meal. The lounge is open daily from 7am to 11pm.
The coffee was so bad…absolutely disgusting. The cookies were also stale.
Hyatt Regency Dushanbe Dinner + Breakfast
We had both dinner and breakfast in the hotel restaurant, called Focaccia Grill. While breakfast was not quite as nice as the Hyatt Regency Tashkent, there was nevertheless a nice spread of food and far better coffee than in the lounge.
After a long walk around the city, we did not feel like going out again in the intense summer heat and opted to eat dinner at Focaccia Grill. I ordered chicken shawarma. I’ve certainly had better, but it hit the spot.
Hyatt Regency Dushanbe Spa + Salon
Massages were cheap–a 90 minute full body massage was $35. Ben did not receive a good massage, but I did.
The men’s locker room was well-equipped with toiletries and featured a jacuzzi, sauna, and steam room.
Nearby the spa was a hair salon…but I had already cut my hair in Uzbekistan the day prior.
Hyatt Regency Dushanbe Fitness + Pool
Below the spa was an excellent fitness center with a wide variety of strength training and cardiovascular equipment as well as a swimming pool.
Hyatt Regency Dushanbe Location
While not in the heart of the city, Ben and I walked into the (not-so-bustling) city center. It only took about 15 minutes to walk. You can reach all major museums and monuments by foot, though an inexpensive taxi will be more ideal on hot day.
The airport was 15 minutes by car on the way in and it seemed like only 10 on the way out.
CONCLUSION
This is the best hotel in Dushanbe, for sure. It’s not as luxurious as the Hyatt Regency Tashkent, but in many ways better. Massages and restaurants were affordable, the lounge was better, and service was equally friendly.
Check out Ben’s review here. He received a different suite than I did.
Your suite definitely does have an odd design and has a lot of wasted space. Ben’s suite seems much more practically laid out and therefore looks a lot bigger. Did you both have the same suite type?
I believe they are both “Regency Suite King”. I kind of like mine better just because it was unique, but indeed a lot of wasted space.