Orient Star Khiva Hotel- Madrasah Muhammad Aminkhan 1855

The location is perfect and the historic building amazing. The room was clean but the bed very hard and the shower a trickle. I hate to criticise the staff but they weren’t very helpful. The stairs are very narrow and steep but no one offered to help us with our luggage. Finally there was no cosy public space to relax. The hotel has so much potential but it isn’t quite there yet

Loved being in a madrasah and hence didn’t mind the minimal but sufficiently comfortable accommodation- it went with the historical setting. Taher at the front desk was most helpful and Farhad and an elderly man the bellboys carried our heavy luggage up and down the steep narrow stairs with smiling faces! A couple more electrical sockets, hot water, tea/coffee in the room, towel rack/rail in the bathroom, a lounge in the lobby even if small woukd make it even more perfect!

This hotel is located in what was originally an important madrassa. The structure & design are as original & the small classrooms have been turned into guest rooms. The rooms are small with a good sized bathroom which had a bath / shower. In my room, located on the ground floor, there was only one window high up letting in a bit of light & air. There are also rooms on the second floor reachable by a steep narrow staircase. There were two very small single beds as hard as a rock. There was TV but couldn’t work out how to use it. The wifi is free & strong but due to the thick walls hard to penetrate into the rooms. However outside in the big indoor courtyard and around reception the single is strong. Breakfast was included served in an adjacent building. There is a reasonable choice but nothing special. The hotel is in the heart of the old city so an easy walk to all the sites. It’s a nice looking authentic property adequate for a short stay.

Only rated 4 because of the location and the building. The facilities are not great. The wifi doesn’t work in the rooms. I guess because the walls are too think. We had a room on the second floor which meant we had a door we could open onto a balcony but no chairs provided. No drinking water provided. Access was via a steep twisty staircase. Breakfast is in another building round the corner, which is fine but the breakfast was not great.

Booked a single room in April. A week before departure a friend decided to join. I tried to change through ***********, but the hotel wouldn't allow for any changes, so contacted the hotel directly. New reservation was agreed & confirmed by email. On arrival of the hotel, twin room was allocated, but the price had more than doubled stating we had to pay the full hotel rate, not booking, com rate which was half the price. Rooms have no wifi, no reception area to sit, restaurant is across the road from the hotel. The hotel is trying to be something it is not. It is definitely NOT worth the money. After 1 night we checked out & booked into a much nicer, much cheaper guest house. Don't waste your money

We stayed here for two nights. We really like the location and the idea of converting an old madrasa to a hotel. The room is small without windows and we see most people just leave their door open during the daytime to get lights and breezes. However, it invites flies into the room by doing so. Our room is on the 2nd floor and the stairways are steep. Wifi doesn’t work in the room so most people stay in the courtyard or lobby to use it Breakfast is provided in another building next to the main facility. It has a good selection. Staff is friendly but not most helpful crew probably due to language barrier.

The location, inside the Ichan Qala, almost touching the Kalta Minor, is this hotels biggest selling point. We stayed for two nights in an upstairs balcony room. The corridors and balconies seemed in a very run down state, fallen bricks all around, terribly dusty. The room had no windows, no wifi connections, no tea/coffee servings, no chairs. The bathroom had no shelves for keeping toiletries and no hooks for hanging clothes. The bathtub was very high, and it was a slippery ordeal trying to step in and out of it without anything to hold on to. The carpet was so dusty and old that it’s best to ignore it. The door latches and the key latch were wobbly and barely held together or too tight. The hotel can definitely do the room better. The staircase to the upstairs is a nightmare, very steep, winding and with narrow treads. Downstairs rooms have better accessibility. Or choose a room upstairs, overlooking the inner courtyard. There are just a few chairs in the huge courtyard, nothing else. It’s a huge and beautiful space, they can definitely do it up better. The breakfast is in a different building across the street and it leaves much to be desired. Even their coffee machine was not working. Overall, the location is the hotels only USP.

The building itself is a beautiful historic madrassa. After that, not much good to say. We booked rooms with a balcony, but they didn’t have when we arrived. The room we were given was a cave with no windows and no ventilation. Wifi didn’t work in the rooms. Only one working outlet. They offered to change our room and told us to come back at 8pm. When we did, the couldn’t find the key and insisted that they already gave it to us. The finally took a master key and opened the room to find someone else’s belongings. Seems someone gave the room away. Breakfast was adequate. We looked at other locations in the old city and think there would be Better options