Dated rooms, beds you have to make yourself, mattresses either as hard as board or sagging like valleys, water that gets turned off in the afternoon, surly staff who think it is more important to chat on their mobile than deal with guests, bad food.
At $100 a night for the room, this is perhaps the most overpriced place I have ever stayed.
It is a shabby soviet era hotel with large rooms in desperate need of maintenance. Cleanliness was poor although the sheets were clean. Wifi does not reach all rooms but each floor has a reasonably comfortable lobby area.
Breakfast was ok but came no way near justifying the room price tag. Water supply was a little temperamental. Location was good though.
Staff not that interested in trying to help you unless you speak Tajik or Russian.
Checked in about 0500. Checked out about 1100.
First, I was told I was getting a renovated room, and the price would be higher. Okay. Got to room - NOT renovated in any form or imagination. Had not seen a vaccuum cleaner in months. Old toilet paper under the pillow. (True.) Shower hose ripped and leaking. Door to balcony broken. TV (500 cable channels! they said) had a single snowy Tajik TV station. Wireless internet - Got the passwords but nothing would connect. Not Avesto 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 12. Breakfast? Must have been cooked Thursday and served through to Monday.
Can I change room - none available.
Will you discount? - Ask manager.
Where is manager - will return tomorrow.
May I have clean towels - tomorrow.
No matter what friends tell you, Avesto is not a good deal. If you are on a tourist charter (I saw a group) then you probably came for rough conditions and the Avesto is for you!
Fair price - 30 - 45 US dollars per day
Asking price - 100 dollars per day
"Discount" - 70 dollars per day
I checked out after only a few hours and very happily checked into the Hotel Kayon II (Guest House), just 2 blocks from Opera. Slept like a baby!!!!!!!
It is a centrally located Soviet-era hotel with spacious rooms that have reliable hot water. The breakfast buffet was a bit of a mess the day I was there. Hotels in Dushanbe are overprices and this one is no exception at US$70 for a single. Still, it worked for me in a pinch.
It is a central location on the main drag through the city. We walked easily to most places from here. Dushanbe is probably not a place for a long stay, so you can see what you want and move on! For obvious reason (the border with Afghanistan) there are more Mercedes running round here than in most places I know!
The lift is quaint, but nearly killed my wife - there is not any mechanism to stop the doors trying to continue closing if you get caught in them
The lobby is interesting for its Soviet classic style
The air-con worked in our room, which as in a re-furbished wing. Friends in another room in "old" wing had to change twice to get a room with functioning air-con.
I certainly did not find the hotel scary - it had a sort of period charm, not a luxury hotel, but "interesting" enough to merit a visit
