Tehran
Apr 9, 2015, 6:18 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1999
Location: New York,NY USA
Posts: 1,481
Tehran
I will be visiting soon and while I know that there are no 5* hotels, I was wondering if anyone knows which hotel is the best?
Apr 9, 2015, 10:27 am
#2
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Here there and everywhere
Posts: 6,303
According to Iran's hotel listing system, just about all their hotels are 'five star'!
Apr 9, 2015, 12:19 pm
#5
Join Date: Apr 2011
Programs: We love to Fly, Hotels and Discovery
Posts: 1,471
Apr 9, 2015, 1:10 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: UK
Posts: 1,644
In Tehran I think it's the Amanadinejad.
Back in the day, original hotel guru Rene Lecler included the Abassi in Isafahan among The 300 Best Hotels in the World.
Good luck with your trip. Let us know how you got on.
Back in the day, original hotel guru Rene Lecler included the Abassi in Isafahan among The 300 Best Hotels in the World.
Good luck with your trip. Let us know how you got on.
Last edited by Pausanias; Apr 9, 2015 at 11:39 pm
Apr 9, 2015, 8:18 pm
#7
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 148
I was in Tehran a few months ago and stayed at the Espinas Hotel. The rooms were relatively new and comfortable. Of course don't expect Peninsula or Four Seasons standards, but I'd say the rooms are better than some of the 5 star hotels in New York that have not been refurbished.
I also stayed in Abassi hotel in Isfahan. One can still feel the grandeur of its glorious past. It has the potential to be a great hotel again if someone put serious money to refurbish the rooms.
I also stayed in Abassi hotel in Isfahan. One can still feel the grandeur of its glorious past. It has the potential to be a great hotel again if someone put serious money to refurbish the rooms.
Apr 16, 2015, 11:58 pm
#8
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: PVG / BNE
Posts: 131
I'm sad because this is one of the funniest posts I've ever read and it's going to go unnoticed, buried in this lonely thread.
Apr 17, 2015, 8:37 am
#9
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: UK
Posts: 1,644
This is the first time I've ever had to thank a llama!
Apr 17, 2015, 8:54 am
#10
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: BWI
Posts: 1,782
There was a trip report in that forum not that long ago. I don't remember where they stayed, but you might check with them. Perhaps they have an idea.
Are you going for work or pleasure?
Are you going for work or pleasure?
Apr 17, 2015, 5:16 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: San Francisco
Programs: All-Around Kettle
Posts: 3,289
May 9, 2015, 1:27 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1999
Location: New York,NY USA
Posts: 1,481
Azadi
My hosts put me at the Azadi hotel. According to them (and they stay at RC and FS when traveling abroad) it is the best in Tehran and in the best area which is the northern part of the city.
I would give it a 3 star but it was clean and fairly comfortable. OK linens and towels and a nice shower and firm bed The internet access in the room was spotty so I sat in the lobby where it was better. There is a BICE restaurant that is supposedly part of the chain and uses their logo but, who knows? Breakfast was fairly good but amusing because you could hardly find a table as it was so crowded, generally shared a table with strangers and the waiters would clear your plate before you were done. Wonderful tasting fruits and vegetables.
The television has one English channel (by the way, Samsung flat screens throughout) which is a 24 hour news channel owned by the government. It shows the same anti American, anti-Israel and anti- Saudi stories continuously.
The staff was polite and there are absolutely no security issues. I only saw a couple of policemen during my stay mostly devoted to traffic issues. I never saw any sign of the military. The city is spotless and well landscaped.
I could not help laughing to myself when I checked in; the lobby background music was the theme to Love Story-- American music everywhere.
Slightly off topic and the only glitch was the immigration upon arrival. I strongly recommend you use the VIP service which my hosts had arranged. However, as an American my visa was obtained through the Pakistani embassy in Washington, DC. That is probably confusing enough. When I arrived it took them about an hour to verify it was legitimate and then another hour to get their fingerprint machine working.
Overall, the hotel and the experience exceeded by far my expectations.
I would give it a 3 star but it was clean and fairly comfortable. OK linens and towels and a nice shower and firm bed The internet access in the room was spotty so I sat in the lobby where it was better. There is a BICE restaurant that is supposedly part of the chain and uses their logo but, who knows? Breakfast was fairly good but amusing because you could hardly find a table as it was so crowded, generally shared a table with strangers and the waiters would clear your plate before you were done. Wonderful tasting fruits and vegetables.
The television has one English channel (by the way, Samsung flat screens throughout) which is a 24 hour news channel owned by the government. It shows the same anti American, anti-Israel and anti- Saudi stories continuously.
The staff was polite and there are absolutely no security issues. I only saw a couple of policemen during my stay mostly devoted to traffic issues. I never saw any sign of the military. The city is spotless and well landscaped.
I could not help laughing to myself when I checked in; the lobby background music was the theme to Love Story-- American music everywhere.
Slightly off topic and the only glitch was the immigration upon arrival. I strongly recommend you use the VIP service which my hosts had arranged. However, as an American my visa was obtained through the Pakistani embassy in Washington, DC. That is probably confusing enough. When I arrived it took them about an hour to verify it was legitimate and then another hour to get their fingerprint machine working.
Overall, the hotel and the experience exceeded by far my expectations.
May 9, 2015, 2:32 am
#13
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Monaco
Posts: 317
My local hosts who operate luxury boutiques in Iran always book us in the Sepehr Hotel, located in the VIP and expat neighbourhood, which I can recommend (although it is rather small, quiet and private).
May 9, 2015, 2:35 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: May 1999
Location: New York,NY USA
Posts: 1,481
It's called PressTV and is highly recommended if you want to get a more balanced worldview, with less brainwashing than in the West. Why do you think PressTV is censored (off air) in many Western countries? And why do you think hardly no one on FT has been in Teheran? Talk about one-sidedness.
My local hosts who operate luxury boutiques in Iran always book us in the Sepehr Hotel, located in the VIP and expat neighbourhood, which I can recommend (although it is rather small, quiet and private).
My local hosts who operate luxury boutiques in Iran always book us in the Sepehr Hotel, located in the VIP and expat neighbourhood, which I can recommend (although it is rather small, quiet and private).
May 9, 2015, 2:40 am
#15
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Monaco
Posts: 317
It definitely helps to watch outside news channels. Not only in Iran - at least there they are NOT censored!
Last edited by RichardInSF; May 9, 2015 at 7:23 am Reason: Deleted comments on moderation