Hi! Today we will take a stroll through one of the most famous hotels in Tashkent, known as "Uzbekistan." This landmark is interesting not only for its convenient location in the city center but also for its unique architectural forms: a curved facade and a memorable sunshade lattice that stretches almost the entire height of the building.
How to Get There by Metro
One of the exits from the Amir Temur xiyoboni - Yunus Rajabiy metro interchange is directly facing the hotel building. Many well-known city attractions are located nearby: Amir Temur Square, Tashkent Chimes, the State Museum of the History of Timurids, and the House of Photography.
The hotel's address is Makhtumkuli 45. You can choose a room for your stay on the official website of the complex or through popular booking services.
A Bit of History
The idea of constructing a massive hotel complex emerged in the 1960s. Besides serving as a guest reception facility, the building had urban development significance: the monumental structure closed off an extensive promenade area situated between the city square and the modern Mustakillik Square (known as Lenin Square in Soviet times).
The hotel complex was built in 1974. A whole team of architects and engineers participated in the construction of the building. Interestingly, the same year marked the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Uzbek SSR; it can be assumed that the construction of one of the country's main and recognizable hotels was timed to this event.
The "Uzbekistan" Hotel belonged to the Tashkent branch of the "Intourist" organization, which was responsible for accommodating foreign tourists. The 17-story building initially had 479 rooms, but today their number has changed to 315. The hotel's portfolio includes seven standard rooms and one presidential suite.
I call it a hotel complex for a reason: in addition to residential areas and public spaces, the construction project included a so-called public catering block with a 450-seat restaurant, a banquet hall, a cafe, a tea house, and even a night bar.
Today, hotel guests can use the services of the "Vienna" cafe-bar, visit the panoramic restaurant on the 17th floor, or book the "Uzbekistan" banquet hall, which accommodates up to 600 people. Regarding the latter, it is located on the first floor of the building, right in front of the central entrance. I assume that the architects may have assigned a significant role to this space, hinting at the famous Uzbek hospitality.
One of the features of the historical hotel's interiors during its design was their rich decorative decoration with bright large-scale panels. In Soviet architecture books, the hotel complex is mentioned as an example of a successful synthesis of various techniques and materials.
Over the years, the building's appearance has changed somewhat. In my opinion, one of the main losses was the disappearance of a small separate building with an open pool. According to hotel staff, it has not existed for quite a few years. But it is worth noting that new objects are appearing here: for example, this year there was active work on arranging the outdoor terrace "The Terrace by Hotel Uzbekistan," its construction is part of the hotel's comprehensive renovation works. Well, I will definitely have a reason to come back here to see the updated interiors of this amazing historical building.
For now, I suggest you join me in going back in time to see what the interiors of the "Uzbekistan" hotel looked like many years ago. The hotel management kindly shared with me some photos of the building taken here during the Soviet era. In anticipation, I can say that even today, the historical interior design of the complex looks very stylish.
Have a nice trip!
