Mary Hotel

Basic hotel, but remember you are in Turkmenistan. The little internet there is, is only in the lobby. The door to my room didn't want to close all the way and took a bit of convincing. The hotel does offer breakfast, but it is lacking. I don't know how many other options there are in Mary, but the Hotel Mary is fine for a night.

The hotel's rooms are luxurious, spacious, and very comfortable, with soft bed linens providing a restful stay. The bathroom was adequate but showed some wear (stains in toilet and shower). However, dinner at the hotel’s restaurant was disappointing – the menu selection was poor and the food lacked taste. Breakfast service was disorganized, starting late (food arrived at 7:10 despite a 7:00 opening time) and offered limited options (a cheese, bologna, and bread plate), although the fried eggs and the coffee were good. Another drawback is the lack of drinking water in the rooms. It was still a very comfortable stay and the hotel has potential, but some areas need attention to elevate the guest experience.

Not much choice so this hotel will do but it really is shabby, smelling of sweat and cigarettes (you can open the window). You do get water and a safe, and the usual tv channels. Breakfast is instant coffee, white bread toast and sugar masquerading as jam. Our guide went to the market opposite to get us fruit and yogurt. We thought our toilet was broken and grabbed a house keeper in the corridor. With much amusement he raised two fingers and stuck them into both flushing buttons at the same time, pushing hard. We got the impression he enjoyed instructing tourists how to flush. However, it’s about the best stopover place for the archeological sites so just go with it, and you can walk to a nice Turkish restaurant a few streets away in the evening, plus visit the market and check out the wedding shops. The assistant loves to show off her glitter and meringue!