Review: Courtyard by Marriott Tashkent [Uzbekistan]
I’ve decided to stay a night at the Courtyard by Marriott Tashkent for a night coming from Bukhara and Samarkand to fly to Nukus the next day to see the Aral Sea in Uzbekistan. I was feeling a bit under the weather from my trip in Central Asia during the time. So, my stay in the Courtyard came at a right time to get a good rest in a more comfortable hotel compared to my stays in Bukhara and Samarkand.
So far, the Courtyard is the only hotel in all of Uzbekistan under the Marriott Bonvoy program.
Courtyard by Marriott Tashkent- Booking
I’ve booked the hotel for 1 night for just 8,000 Marriott Bonvoy points! It retails at around $100 for the base room. This hotel is one of the rare ones where you can book a higher category room at the same rate as the base room. For this one, I ended up booking the Superior Room, which is a base room with a balcony that’s priced at ~$150. It’s definitely an excellent value even though it’s not an aspirational property.
Points redemption is ridiculously low at this hotel where you can expect to pay 5,600-16,000 points per night due to its Category 1 placement.
Courtyard by Marriott Tashkent- Location
The Courtyard hotel in Tashkent is located in the semi-outskirt of Tashkent, with closer proximity to Islam Karimov Airport (TAS) and Tashkent Train Station where you can take the Afrosiyob high-speed train to Bukhara and Samarkand.
Admittedly, I didn’t go out to the city at all during my stay at the Courtyard due to being a bit under the weather so I’m not sure what’s around the walking distance. But, getting around Tashkent is cheap and easily done with Yandex Go, a popular ride sharing app in Uzbekistan. It accepts Visa/MasterCard as payment options!
Courtyard by Marriott Tashkent- Check-in
I arrived at the hotel at around 6pm coming from Tashkent’s train station after spending a few nights in Samarkand. Check-in was smooth and easy. As a Marriott Titanium Elite, I was upgraded to a Long Stay Suite for the night. Amusing upgrade for such a short stay!
I also chose the $10 food and beverage daily voucher that can be used at the hotel’s restaurant and marketplace as the Welcome Benefit rather than 500 points. I was able to take advantage of the credits during the night of check-in and the day of checkout the next day, totaling to $20 credits utilized. On top of that, free breakfast is given at the restaurant as it should with Courtyard properties outside of US and Canada.
ATM machines are available by the front entrance to withdraw cash at a convenient place.
The front desk manager also gifted me a miniature doll of an Uzbek lady in traditional clothes. It makes for a great souvenir!
Courtyard by Marriott Tashkent- Long Stay Suite
I was assigned to the 7th floor (2nd highest). I was greeted by a fruit plate and a bottle of wine in the living room. Pretty cool for a Courtyard, I must say! But, because I was feeling sick, I could not drink the wine. Unfortunate.
The suite comes with a kitchen by the entrance, with complimentary cooking utensils, fridge, and a microwave. This explains the name Long Stay Suite. It definitely feels like a nice Residence Inn!
Turning left from the living room is the way to the bedroom, with the bathroom on the left behind the frosted glass.
There’s a working desk by the bed. In-room dining menu is on it if you’re interested.
Complimentary water bottles are provided on the pantry. A corkscrew is in the coffee/tea shelf.
Plush bathrobes are provided in the closet.
Courtyard by Marriott Tashkent Long Stay Suite Bathroom
The bathroom is behind the frosted glass by the bed. My first thought going in was “What the heck is going on with the toilet?”. Weird positioning, but amusing regardless. I guess it’s utilitarian?
The shower was fine. The pressure felt a bit on the weaker side though.
The bath amenities are mix of generic hotel brand and the Courtyard standard Nirvae, at least just for the dental kit. The mixed bath amenities reminded me of Sheraton Bishkek. There’s also the odd half-filled amenities like I saw in Hilton Tashkent City. Must be a trend in Uzbekistan, or do I have strange luck?
Bathroom is fine, just weird position for the toilet.
Courtyard by Marriott Tashkent- Breakfast
Breakfast is provided at their MEATme Grill & Bar. The food selections are quite nice. There was also a musician playing in the background to improve the breakfast experience during my stay.
Courtyard by Marriott Tashkent- MEATMe Grill & Bar
I dined at the hotel’s main restaurant MEATMe Grill & Bar. Just as the name suggests, their specialties are steaks. But, they merge with Ugolek Terrace that serves Central Asian cuisines like lagman noodles.
I’ve ordered a striploion steak from KazBeef, Kazakhstan’s marbled beef producer. Central Asian cuisines are heavy on meat, so I was excited to experience good ol’ steak through their lens. It did not disappoint. Really delicious!
However, it’s interesting that this part of the world recommends medium to medium-well for the “best” steak temperature. It’s possible that the nomadic culture around this region influences that thought since it’d be safer to cook meat thoroughly when you’re out in the wild. I could be wrong though. Regardless, I still think medium-rare is the best temperature for steaks!
I also ordered mashed potatoes on the side., which was really good too!
The price is on the higher-end for Uzbekistan, that even with the $10 voucher, the final bill came out to be around $34. Still, it was worth the splurge to me!
Courtyard by Marriott Tashkent- Market
The hotel has a market in the lobby where you can buy snacks, drinks, or even other necessities. The good news is that the $10 F&B voucher works here even if you buy a dental floss, for example.
You’d give your voucher to the bar to use it for the market items. Total over $10 would then have the remainder be charged to your room.
I personally got a great value out of the $10 voucher. I got myself 2 cups of noodles and a fruit drink. A good break from all the heavy meat dishes I’ve ate in Central Asia!
Courtyard by Marriott Tashkent- Pool & Fitness
The hotel has a pool and gym at the basement level.
The pool room also includes a Jacuzzi and a sauna room.
The gym is pretty decent too.
Conclusion
The Courtyard in Tashkent is a great hotel! While the location is a bit on the outskirts, it’s close to the airport and train station. Plus, getting around the town is easy and cheap with Yandex taxi. I had plenty of good rest that allowed me to recover from feeling under the weather. My minor complaint is just the weird positioning of the toilet, but I just find it more amusing than problematic.
I can definitely recommend this hotel, especially if you have some Marriott points to burn since the redemption value is outstanding!
