Uzbekistan - Central Asia - page 190

for a blue wooden door, also marked No 18.
Madina now has an annexe with 10 rooms at
Mehtar Ambar 15. Call for free pick up from
the airport, bus or train station.
o Amulet¨ hiSToRiC hoTeL $$
( % 224 53 42; www.amulet-hotel.com; Bakhowud-
din Nakshabandi 73; s/d/tr US$50/70/90; aW )
Housed inside the converted 1861 Said
Kamol Medressa, this charming 8-room
place has all the comforts you need with-
out sacrificing an inch of its traditional
flavour. Out back is a fabulous, decaying 18th-
century mosque that the hotel plans to con-
vert into a restaurant, while the traditional
sandal (sitting area), complete with heated
floor, makes for a cosy place to relax in the
winter months. Book way ahead if you plan
to stay here.
o Amelia¨Boutique¨Hotel¨ BoUTiQUe hoTeL $$
( % 224 12 63; www.hotelamelia.com; Bozor hoja
1; s/d from US$50/65; aW ) It's the proactive
and passionate management here that really
puts this boutique hotel on the map. Unlike
so many hotels, the owners seem to have re-
ally thought long and hard about how best
to make people enjoy their stay. Housed in
the former house of a Jewish merchant, the
hotel's ten individually named rooms are all
very different, including a mud-walled suite
and a recreation of the famous Sogdian
fresco from the Afrosiab Museum in Samar-
kand. Bathrooms are modern and in great
condition, with free goodies, while the stun-
ning 18th-century breakfast room is reason
enough to stay here alone.
o Komil¨Hotel¨ BoUTiQUe hoTeL $$
( % 223 87 80; www.komiltravel.com; Barakyon 40;
s/d/tr/ste from US$45/60/75/80; aiW ) This
friendly 18-room hotel has stunning ghanch-
work and a young, laid-back proprietor who
speaks fluent English. The rooms are gor-
geous, and the 19th-century dining room is
a pure pleasure to breakfast in. Even some
of the recently built rooms are decorated in
a very traditional style, while the interiors
of the older ones are all original. This is also
a great place to eat (real coffee is even on
offer!) and a popular choice for vegetarians,
for whom Komil is a lifeline.
o Hovli¨Poyon¨B&B¨ B&B $$
( % 224 18 65; [e-mail]; hoja gulrez
13; s/d US$45/60; aW ) Few Bukhara B&Bs
are more memorable than this one, set in
a 19th-century house dripping with both

character and history. It was a gift for Emir
Ahad Khan, and both the grand aivan and
huge vine-strewn and ethnography-filled
courtyard festooned with fruit trees are
emir-worthy. The rooms, of various sizes,
have all been recently renovated and feel a
bit too modern to be truly traditional - the
rooms at the front of the house are the most
authentic.
o Lyabi¨House¨Hotel¨ B&B $$
( % 224 24 84; www.lyabihouse.com; husainov 7;
s/d/tr US$50/70/90; aW ) No place in town
better combines authentic old-Bukhara de-
sign with modern amenities. Highlights are
the eclectic range of rooms and the digni-
fied and vast aivan with carved wooden
columns, where breakfast is served - worth
stopping by to see even if you're not staying
here. Request a room away from the noisy
reception area.
Salom¨Inn¨ B&B $$
( % 224 37 33; www.salomtravel.com; Sarrafon 3;
s/d/tr US$50/75/90; aW ) Housed in the
courtyard of an old mansion in the Jewish
Quarter, this charming place has lively and
enthusiastic management who have created
smart rooms stuffed full of handicrafts that
boast traditionally carved wooden ceilings
and handmade local sheets. The vine-clad
courtyard is also a great place to relax. High-
ly recommended.
Mehtar¨Ambar¨ hiSToRiC hoTeL $$
( % [phone], 224 41 68; mekhtarambar@
inbox.ru; Bakhowuddin Nakshabandi 91; s/d/tr
US$43/53/65; aW ) Mehtar Ambar is more
austere in all senses than the next door
Amulet; it's a more authentic medressa ex-
perience, but it's also rather less friendly.
The 2nd-floor rooms are brighter than the
ground-floor rooms, while the breakfast
room is a ghanch -laden gem.
Emir¨B&B¨ BoUTiQUe hoTeL $$
( % 224 49 65; www.emirtravel.com; husainov 17;
s/d/tr US$35/50/65; ai ) This place consists
of two old Jewish Quarter houses set around
twin courtyards and run by the friendly and
knowledgeable Milla. One has traditional-
style rooms filled with antiques, ghanch and
trinket-laden niches, the other is all new
and shiny - both have comfy beds and good
bathrooms.
Sasha¨&¨Son¨B&B¨ B&B $$
( % 224 49 66; www.sashasonhotels.com; eshoni Pir
3; s/d US$60/68; aW ) Behind a beautifully