Dushanbe + Hyatt = friendship
Finally, the world famous company is going to operate its hotel in Tajikistan. Hyatt International signed a preliminary agreement with local Tajik company to open Hyatt Regency Dushanbe with 221 rooms and suites. It will be built in the center of the city next to Lake Komsomol.
Hyatt Regency Dushanbe will include over 1,400 square metres of conference and banqueting space, suitable for accommodating a large variety of meeting requirements, from discrete board meetings to large banquets and State functions. The hotel will also feature a variety of food & beverage outlets including one restaurant, a lobby lounge and bar. Other facilities will include an extensive Spa, Health and Fitness Centre, pool and car parking space.
Previously, on ru.tajikistan blog I was talking about the poor infrastructure which becomes the major obstacle for attraction of tourists. I made a link to the NBCA article about the tourist industry in Tajikistan and gave some thoughts. Tourists do not come to Tajikistan because there is no good road for safe travel and no good hotel where they can stay with comfort. Surely, Hyatt is not for all the tourists because of the high prices but at least the owners of old Soviet-style hotels will conceive the competition and hopefully they will start providing a better service.
on June 8th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
Last summer, I remember opening ceremonies for at least two other 5-star hotels on Rudaki. If just comfort availability isn’t enough to excite tourist inflow, what’s going to happen to all these empty hotel rooms?
on June 9th, 2007 at 7:29 am
Hello nonpon, I was glad to meet you yesterday.
It comes out that the news about Hyatt is not really a news Khushruz says that Hyatt hotel is already being built. That is strange.
“what’s going to happen to all these empty hotel rooms?”
I think if a luxurious hotel is there it does have to be full all the time. The important thing here is that, the city will be one step forward in its development.
on June 16th, 2007 at 10:45 am
“I think if a luxurious hotel is there it does have to be full all the time.”
Why should it? Never heard of money-laundering?
on June 16th, 2007 at 5:18 pm
Ataman Rakin, with a semi-criminal government and a drug-related economy it is almost inevitable to not “laundry your money”, especially on projects of a greater scale - opening one of Hyatt’s branches in Tajikistan. I would go with Vadim’s argument, and state that the opening of the hotel will boost the healthy hotel business competition within the country. Especially if you have other, 5-star hotel project as well. Moreover, the convenience would not hurt at all, as all of the current hotels in Dushanbe, including the same “Dushanbe” hotel are under-structured and thus do not meet even a basic standard of a decent hotel service.
I was in Dushanbe, last year and in fact did visit “Dushanbe” hotel for money withdrawal services, as it had an ATM machine inside. From the personal experience, I was strongly disappointed in the “one the best hotels” in Dushanbe, as even the minor defects of the interior in the lobby were very depressing. If I had a choice, I wouldn’t personally stay, or even advise one to stay in a place - with soviet-style old red rugs, cracked lobby windows - which locals and foreigners often use a rest-stop to satisfy their sexual needs bringing in prostitutes.
on June 17th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
I recently visited Dushanbe for work, and here are a few reflections:
1. I think the Hyatt will be good for Dushanbe. More hotel competition should, eventually, raise the overall quality of lodging throughout the city. Moreover, it’ll be nice to have first-rate conference facilities to attract regional gatherings.
2. I stayed at Hotel Mercury while in Dushanbe, and I thought it was reasonably priced and offered excellent accommodations and service.
3. There seems to be multiple hurdles to raising Tajikistan’s tourism trade. At least in Dushanbe, I’d start with…
A. Reforming the customs process at the airport (getting in is improved, getting out is still a mess). Speaking of getting in and out of the country, the burdensome Visa requirements are incompatible with building a significant tourism trade.
B. The practice of having flocks of underpaid traffic police on every block, who seem to do little to substantively improve traffic safety and who routinely resort to bribery, needs to finally end. I have a hunch removing this entrenched group will be politically difficult, but it has to happen.
C. Clean, safe water. Enough said.
on June 25th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
They should start with clean and safe water and for god’s sake allow airline competition! Everything else is more or less tolerable.
on November 29th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
I heard also about Hyatt coming soon and this will have the largest conference rooms and mdern in town.
I think that even if they are expensive they will have fantastic service. water available all day and night and value for money will therefore be very good.
At least >I am sure they will have high speed internet and decent price and excellent food and beverage options
Security will hopefully be high and no girls will be hanging in the lobby which will encourgae the local community like me and families to vissit such a nice place, dine and enjoy the true hospitality of a real five star hotel in Dusahnbe