The Khayyam Hotel came warmly recommended by my guide book. It proved an excellent choice for a 2 star hotel and I was very happy to have found it. It is situated in South Tehran, much cheaper than North where premium hotels are found. It is a few minutes from Mellat metro station and close to Imam Khomeini Sq. and its metro station too. The Bazaar also is within walking distance and so are the Golestan Palace complex and the Treasury Museum. It is off a main street, tucked in an alleyway that is quiet. I had no problem returning to it at night. The hotel felt very safe.
The staff is particularly helpful, pleasant and forthcoming. They organised taxis (at the correct rates) and can arrange travel bookings. They are a mine of information in Farsi, English and French. My room was spacious, equipped with a fridge, writing table, sofa, comfortable bed and a pristine bathroom with a very good shower. Breakfast is good and generous, including fresh food.. The air conditioning was noisy on one occasion (bring ear plugs) but worked well. The free WiFi is good and available throughout the hotel. When it failed once I was promptly given another channel. I returned to the Khayyam after my tour of Iran. The staff could not have been nicer and provided all sorts of help, including chasing my lost luggage.
A good tip was the various street food outlets by Khomeini Sq. where I regularly ate excellent vegetarian food.
At such budget prices, the Khayyam is clearly a first choice; I cannot fault it. I had a wonderful time in Iran and can’t wait to return. I would definitively stay at the Khayyam again. They are very good ambassadors for this remarkable country.