DRIMIN - by Sunrise Caravan boutique Guesthouse and hostel

Great location, close to the train station. What I enjoyed the most was the cute courtyard to relax in the evening, and confortable dining room.

The private family rooms were great and very well designed, with a nice big bathroom, felt more like a hostel especially with the free breakfast.

Not applicable

The common area,

Bed too hard, toilets should be cleaner.

The women preparing the food were warm, smiley and welcoming, and the breakfast was included despite the very reasonable price. The other travellers staying here were also excellent company. There was a lively backpacker atmosphere, including some definite party people, but everyone I met was friendly, sociable and respectful. In fact, there was a genuinely pleasant atmosphere among the guests and the women working around the guesthouse. Unfortunately, one particular member of staff at reception managed to leave an impression strong enough to overshadow much of it.

From the moment I checked in, the man at reception seemed remarkably unhappy to have a guest standing in front of him. There was no smile, questions were generally met with curt or dismissive answers, and almost every interaction gave the impression that I had interrupted something considerably more important than checking guests into a guesthouse. It was such a consistently unusual style of hospitality that, for a moment, I wondered whether I had accidentally discovered a particularly specialised Tashkent tradition. As a cross-cultural experience, it was certainly educational. The contrast was especially striking because the women preparing the food were friendly and smiley, and the backpackers staying here created a genuinely pleasant atmosphere. So I do not think this was representative of Uzbek hospitality — rather, it appeared to be a rather individual contribution from the gentleman at reception. He also seemed to spend a considerable amount of time smoking and looking deeply unimpressed with the world around him. Perhaps management might consider providing him with ten cartons of cigarettes and some good news. With sufficient investment, a smile may eventually become possible. I sincerely hope so. As for the property itself, I did see staff cleaning regularly, so I do not think the problem was a lack of effort. Rather, the facilities are old and parts of the guesthouse have a noticeable smell. Some renovation and better maintenance would improve the experience considerably. The price was low and breakfast was included, so I can accept that the facilities will not be luxurious. What I find rather more difficult to understand is the exceptionally high review score. There is a potentially very nice backpackers’ guesthouse here: friendly travellers, kind women preparing the food, inexpensive accommodation and a sociable atmosphere. It is quite an achievement for one reception desk to overshadow all of that.