Krokus Plaza Hotel3

The Krokus Plaza hotel comes across as a modern and welcoming business hotel that has earned an excellent reputation for its exceptional staff hospitality, frequent complimentary room upgrades and convenient location near the airport. However, the hotel has a pronounced specificity: it is primarily geared towards Chinese guests and business travelers, which directly affects the atmosphere, clientele and cuisine. For many European travelers, the main drawbacks are the peculiar breakfasts, largely devoid of familiar European dishes, as well as occasional cigarette smoke in the corridors and weak Wi-Fi signal in the rooms.

Key Observations

Generous loyalty program: Guests regularly report unexpected pleasant bonuses from the management, such as complimentary room upgrades to a suite or deluxe at check-in, as well as free early check-in without extra charges.

Chinese orientation: The hotel essentially positions itself as a Chinese property (among Chinese guests it is known as “Meihua Kaiyue”). This provides ideal conditions for guests from the PRC (communication in Chinese, familiar food, mutual settlement options), but creates some discomfort for other visitors.

Smoke issues: Several independent guests have complained that the smell of cigarette smoke is periodically present in the corridors and even inside rooms due to smokers, and in March 2025 a guest's room fire alarm was triggered by smoke from the corridor.

Trajectory: Compared to the 2021–2023 period, when guests more frequently complained about technical flaws (noisy ventilation, faulty locks and leaks in the bathroom), reviews from 2025–2026 mention these issues less often. However, complaints about monotonous Asian breakfasts and the complete absence of fresh coffee — previously substituted by instant coffee from a microwave — have sharply increased.

Main Pros

• Complimentary airport transfer both ways, often arranged in business-class vehicles.
• Spacious, clean and bright rooms with fresh Art Deco interiors and comfortable large beds.
• Genuinely friendly staff, ready to assist with anything from buying medicine to ordering a taxi.
• Cozy inner courtyard with an open seasonal pool and loungers for relaxation.
• Access to a Finnish sauna and Turkish hammam in the spa zone.

Main Cons

• The buffet breakfast is almost entirely Asian (noodles, rice, spicy dishes); the European selection is limited to eggs and sausages.
• No fresh coffee at breakfast (only instant is served, and the coffee machine is often broken or absent).
• Weak coverage and unstable Wi-Fi speed in some rooms, forcing guests to step into the hallway for calls.
• Cigarette smoke seeping from corridors into guest rooms.
• A single review from September 2025 reports bed bugs and poor cleaning, although other guests praise cleanliness.

Overall Grade: B

Hotel Overview

Basic Information:

• Name: Krokus Plaza Hotel
• Address: Tashkent, Shokh-Jahon Street, 5
• Year opened: 2021
• Year renovated: 2024
• Number of rooms: 76
• Positioning & category: 4 stars, geared towards business travelers and tour groups

Description: Krokus Plaza is a contemporary four-star hotel decorated in elegant Art Deco style. On the ground floor, guests are greeted by a spacious lobby with a pleasant perfumed aroma, and the inner courtyard features a cozy relaxation area with an open pool and sun loungers. The hotel is under Chinese management, which influences its concept and services. The room rate includes a buffet breakfast and access to the spa area (sauna, hammam, pool).

Target Audience: The hotel is ideally suited for business travelers, transit passengers (thanks to its proximity to the airport), as well as tourists from China and lovers of Asian cuisine. Families with small children and travelers who prefer classic European breakfasts and strict non-smoking zones may find the hotel less comfortable.

Location & Transport

Location: The hotel is located in the Yakkasaray district of Tashkent, in a quiet residential neighborhood away from noisy avenues. The surroundings are a tranquil residential area, but infrastructure is well-developed nearby: there are shops, pharmacies and a small local market where you can buy fruit and souvenirs.

Key Points of Interest: The hotel is roughly 4 km from the historical and business center of the city. The Alisher Navoi Opera and Ballet Theatre and the Fine Arts Museum can be reached by car in 5 minutes. The distance to the Amir Timur monument is about 5.3 km.

Transport: The nearest metro stations are outside comfortable walking distance (guests recommend using taxis, which are inexpensive in Tashkent — around 1–2 USD per ride). A huge plus is the proximity to Tashkent International Airport (about 10–15 minutes by car). The hotel offers guests complimentary transfer to the airport or train station.

Walkability: Strolls immediately around the hotel are limited by residential buildings; some guests noted that roads directly next to the property may be partially dug up or in a neglected state.

Grade: A-

Rooms & Cleanliness

Rooms are spacious, bright, with high ceilings and stylish contemporary finishes. Guests note very comfortable beds and fresh linen. Rooms have all the essentials: bathrobes, slippers, minibar, safe, tea-making set and individual toiletries. However, there are drawbacks: some rooms have TVs with a limited channel selection and no Smart TV support. Air conditioning sometimes struggles in summer, and bathrooms can get excessively hot due to the way pipes are laid. Housekeeping is generally regular, though on rare occasions guests complained about inattentive cleaning (e.g., hair in the bathroom at check-in).

Grade: B

Service

Staff are one of the main prides of Krokus Plaza. Guests express sincere gratitude to the front desk team, particularly Egor, Ozodbek and Rostislav, for their professionalism, efficiency and readiness to help with any everyday issues. The hotel owner, Mr. Jiang, deserves special mention — he personally oversees service quality and often delights guests with complimentary room upgrades. The team communicates easily in Russian, English and Chinese. On the negative side, there is an old report of poor handling of a theft complaint, as well as a waiter’s inability to open wine bottles (one guest mentioned a crumbled cork in a bottle in May 2026).

Grade: A-

Dining

The buffet breakfast is the most contentious part of the hotel’s offering. Because the cuisine is geared toward Chinese guests, hot Asian dishes, noodles, rice and spices dominate. For European guests, the choice narrows to fried eggs, sausages and baklava (which guests rave about). Fresh coffee is absent at breakfast — only instant is served, and milk runs out quickly. Moreover, Chinese tour groups arrive right when breakfast opens at 7:00, so by 9:00–9:30 the buffet may be nearly empty. The restaurant on the minus-first floor also serves lunch and dinner from a Chinese-style à la carte menu.

Grade: C+

Facilities & Amenities

The hotel's facilities include a cozy outdoor seasonal pool in the courtyard (open in warm weather, may be closed in April), a small but clean Finnish sauna and a Turkish hammam. The fitness room is equipped with basic machines and is open 24/7. There is a spacious, convenient free parking lot with several dozen spaces. Spa treatments and massages are provided by a third-party company leasing space from the hotel, and they receive cool reviews due to inflated prices and mediocre quality. Wi-Fi is stable in the lobby, but the signal can be very weak in rooms farther out.

Grade: B+

Important Notes

• The hotel has a pronounced Chinese specialization, which affects the guest mix and the restaurant menu.
• Smoking is permitted or tacitly allowed in corridors and rooms by some guests, which can cause tobacco smells.
• International cards are accepted, including some Russian UnionPay cards (e.g., Rosselkhozbank).

Practical Tips for Guests

• If you are not a fan of Chinese cuisine, consider booking a room without breakfast — there is a market and cafes with national Uzbek cuisine nearby where you can have a tasty and inexpensive breakfast.
• Come to breakfast early, ideally before 8:30, to catch the full selection before large tour groups arrive.
• Take advantage of the hotel’s free transfer service — contact the front desk via messengers in advance and provide your flight details.
• Upon check-in, test the Wi-Fi signal in your room; if it's weak, immediately ask to be moved to a room closer to a router.

Final Verdict

Krokus Plaza is a comfortable and clean hotel with excellent service and a very friendly attitude towards guests, yet its pronounced Chinese specificity and issue with breakfast quality for Europeans prevent it from scoring top marks.

Overall Grade: B

Breakdown: Location: A- | Rooms: B | Service: A- | Dining: C+ | Facilities: B+ | Value for Money: B+

Best for: Business travelers, transit passengers, tourists from China, and those who value spacious rooms and free transfers.

Not for: Lovers of traditional European breakfasts, those who demand flawless in-room Wi-Fi, and people sensitive to cigarette smoke.