Looking for a place to stay in Ashgabat? Then look no further than The Grand Turkmen Hotel, a quiet hotel that brings the best of Ashgabat to your doorstep.
Guest rooms offer amenities such as a flat screen TV, and guests can go online with free wifi offered by the hotel.
Ashgabat Sheraton features a concierge and room service, to help make your stay more enjoyable. The property also boasts a pool and free breakfast. If you are driving to Sheraton Ashgabat, free parking is available.
Given the close proximity to Ertugrul Gazi Mosque (1.3 mi), guests of Sheraton Ashgabat can easily experience one of Ashgabat's most popular landmarks.
Travelers looking for Italian restaurants can head to Sha Coffee, Sazada Kafe, or Kofe 30.
Ashgabat is also home to Wedding Palace, a popular architectural building that is not too far from The Grand Turkmen Hotel.
We’re sure you’ll enjoy your stay at The Grand Turkmen Hotel as you experience everything Ashgabat has to offer.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Quiet
Mid-range
Languages Spoken
Russian
Location
No. 7 Gorogly Street, Ashgabat 744000 Turkmenistan
The location of this hotel was really its biggest forte. Short walking distance from just about any downtown needs, including Russian market, pubs and government buildings. The service was good, food ok, the views really nice, and big plus for a spacey pool. In general a bit worn down, nothing new here, but nice value for money.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2019Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Had stayed several items in this hotel during my business trip. It is a decent one, the main advantages are, it is located in the center of the capital city Ashgabat and the market is nearby. Pool and other facilities were under renovation during that time, it should be ready by now.
Read more
Date of stay: May 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Adequate hotel, but do not expect what is listed of facilities. No cleaning of the rooms, lack of toilet paper, no 24 hour service, not very well maintained. Pool is empty. On the other side: Very good location, friendly staff, a “karaoke” bar (where smoking is allowed - - . Decent breakfast. In general - OK for a basic stay.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed in the Grand Turkmen during March of 2002 while on a business trip. Considering where we were, it was pretty luxurious accomodations. My fellow travellers had been there before, but when assigning rooms to us, they put me in a separate wing of the hotel than the others. It was curious as to why that was. I suspect that I was under closer surveillance in the wing I was placed in. If you look closely, you could see the camera lens behind the mirrors in the bathroom and the bedroom, at least that what I thought I saw.
In the hotel, the staff all spoke English, at least enough to get by. As I speak a little Russian, I was able to negotiate the town with little problem. The locals were invariably friendly, though a bit distant consistent with always being aware that somebody is probably listening.
The food was passably good. Breakfasts were usually American style, with a chef cooking omelettes made-to-order. Other choices include fresh fruits and cereals. I had dinner in the hotel only once, as the locals were throwing parties for us on a nightly basis. Take advantage of the caviar, as this is likely the only place on earth where the stuff is cheap.
Read more
Date of stay: January 2005
Value
Rooms
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled on business
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The first time I visited Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, there were no major hotel chains. Back then, in 1997, the choice was the Grand Turkmen, or the newly built Ak Altyn. I stayed at the latter; it was so new that the lift still smelled of sawdust. It was surprisingly good. Five years or so ago, the Sheraton group moved into Ashgabat. The Ak Altyn is now a Four Points and the Grand Turkmen has been renamed the Sheraton Grand Turkmen (wow, must have been the brainchild of a creative consultant!). I have not stayed at The Four Points since then, though there was an Indian restaurant there, which I frequented a few times. They even had a belly dancer, whose other job was at the local circus (I was told).
I’ve stayed at the Sheraton Grand Turkmen maybe five or six times in the past five years, for its location rather than the service; it is improving steadily but still has a way to go and it seems to be a case of three steps forward, two steps back (or is it the other way around….)
LOCATION The Sheraton Grand Turkmen is in the heart of the city. Across the road is the Carpet Museum, which also serves as the Ministry of … hang on, let’s backtrack a moment. Quick local lesson. Turkmenistan is extremely rich in natural gas, but little is being exported to the west. The other main product is cotton, and one of the main productions is carpets. Turkmen carpets are not as well known as Persian or Kashmiri, but they are wonderful. However, because carpets of a certain age are considered antiques and national treasures, if you want to export a carpet you need a certificate from the “Ministry of Carpets” which is just over the road from the hotel. Carpet baggers be warned, Customs WILL stop you and, if your carpet is larger than a small handkerchief, you will not be able to take it out without a licence or paying a fee of around US$10 per square foot.
Across the other road from the hotel is the famous “British Pub”, which is a nice, friendly, relaxing place for a casual meal. Next door is the infamous “Florida Disco” which is a bar and night club where any kind of female company is available for a price. In other words, it is a shop window for hookers, many of whom end up crossing the road over the hotel on the arm of a visiting businessman – who then ends up paying the price for a double room instead of a single!
LOBBY As you go in, you are greeted by the obligatory portrait of The President, who started life as "Sapamurat Niyazov". As President of the Turkmen Communist Party during the last years of the USSR, after seeing in independence he changed his name to "Sapamurat Turkmenbashi", meaning "Father of the Turkmens". More recently he has become "Turkmenbashi the Great". Modest chap.
Facing the entrance is a small lobby area containing a bank, behind which are some stairs up to the next floor and, behind them, a short corridor leading to the casino. Turning left through the doors brings you to the Reception desk. Beyond reception is a small fountain, squirting away under the other stairs up to the small, pleasant bar area looking down onto the lobby.
There is also a small carpet shop, an executive office and, at the far end of the lobby, a British Airways office and, most recently, a Carlson Wagon-lit office.
The lobby retains a slightly Soviet feel but looks reasonably “grand” and modern. The fountain is quite pleasant and the carpet shop is, surprisingly, good value. They can also ship carpets, which saves the hassles at Customs hassles, not to mention excess baggage. And yes, it does work!
ROOMS When Sheraton took over the Grand Turkmen there was a lot to be done renovating the rooms. Many were rather tatty. Minibar doors broken and taped with gaffa tape, some air conditioning not working, holes in the bed sheets and blankets, substandard TVs. I experienced some of these on my first couple of stays, even as a Sheraton, though thankfully it has improved a lot.
One friend of mine told me that once 5 minutes after he arrived there was a knock on the door and he was asked to move room, as that one was faulty – even though he had not found anything wrong or made any complaint. We concluded that either there was something wrong with the room that they knew about and he hadn’t noticed, or else the bug wasn’t working! Yes, that is only half a joke. Your phone calls are probably monitored, as may be some of your movements (changed you mind about taking that girl to your room?)
Most of the time I have had a standard Sheraton style room. Double bed, pale green carpet, the noticeable differences being a minibar that may or may not work, a door that might rattle and a small TV. That hasn’t really changed yet.
The past two or three stays, I have been given a junior suite which is basically two rooms knocked into one, with a spacious living area. Last time there was a veritable feast waiting in my room - a massive fruit basket on the table, a three-tiered plate stand with chocolates, dried fruits and nuts on another table and a trolley laden with glasses filled with nuts, raisins, fruit, berries etc etc.
The downside was the bed. Nice, large double bed that it was, it was fitted with a single sheet. This of course didn't go all the way across, but there it was, under the double blanket, folded over at the top – so that I knew which side to get in!
The room also had a sofa and coffee table, a working and stocked minibar and, in the suites, a larger TV. There was a spacious cupboard for hanging things in.
FACILITIES Inside the hotel there is a bank, a travel agent, a British Airways office and a carpet shop.
For the fitness-minded, there is a pool out the back, which is small but, hey, it’s a pool. There is even a reasonable sized area with sunbeds.
Down in the basement is a fitness centre, which has a small range of exercise equipment. They also have a sauna and massage – the one I had was given by a chap who looked like Saddam!
FOOD, DRINK & ENTERTAINMENT There is just one restaurant, which is found on the second floor. The breakfasts used to be terrible – cheese, cucumber, frankfurters -but have improved a lot over the past couple of years. At lunch and dinner they have a buffet with a wide choice of salads, several hot dishes, many with a middle-eastern slant. The service is average, the waitresses do try but seem to be recruited more for their suitability to wear short skirts than their ability to balance a coffee cup and talk at the same time. Oh by the way, the coffee is either Turkish, or Nescafe. Milk is not always available and diet products are never available, so if you use sweetener, take your own. Light snacks, burgers etc are also available in the bar overlooking the lobby. The bar tends to be quiet during the day, the service is friendly and attentive, the food is quick and good. I don’t know if the same can be said for the hookers. The hotel used to prohibit the working girls from plying their trade inside, but two years ago they began allowing two or three in the lobby bar (presumably the best – up to Sheraton standard!) Now, they seem to let them all in – the last time I was there, after ten at night the bar was full of gorgeous ladies, all trying to make eye contact. Bad decision, in my opinion, as it makes the bar a no-go area for women alone – businesswomen, wives of guests etc.
The night club has a bar, a crowded dance floor, and about three girls to every male guest. The music is standard, pumping beats, western and Russian.
The casino is open all night – well, at least until five in the morning. They do serve drinks and light food there as well, but most people seem to use this place to play cards or dice games! For those who want company, and don’t want the loud music from the night club, there is a steady procession between the bar, nightclub and casino.
SERVICE I find there is a slightly odd, surreal atmosphere in the lobby of the Ashgabat Sheraton. It seems sometimes as if a good hotel has been evacuated, and it has been taken over by the vice brigade. Well, actually, it probably has.
The lobby is nice and well maintained and the bar still seems plush. The restaurants make the best of the variable local produce and the constant shortage of imported goods. The rooms are improving, but still can be hit and miss. They are certainly generous with the amenities, but seem to have forgotten the double sheets.
The staff are either pleasant and friendly, or bored. Of course, salaries are low and the education system under “The Great” is collapsing, so people are neither well trained nor well motivated. Unemployment is high and benefits are worthless, so there is a large supply of cheap labour – and of course, girls willing to spend an hour in a foreigner’s bed for the equivalent of two months’ salary, at least.
The local people are used to the vice trade, and don’t seem to notice it, but it can be difficult for visitors. In the early hours of the morning there is something odd about seeing the fifty year-old visiting businessmen “registering” the twenty year-old hookers from across the road as guests. It can also lead to embarrassment. On one visit, my wife came with me. As we came back into the hotel, after dinner out, a security guard stopped me and asked me if I am staying at the hotel. Yes, I am, I replied. He turned to my wife and asked her, in Russian, “What about you?” We were both furious at the insinuation and complained to the manager the next day. I suppose that now, with girls being freely available in the bar, casino and nightclub, there is no need to bring your own from outside!
SUMMARY If you want a hooker, or are one, or if you just want to get laid, a great place. If not, then still a way to go before becoming a Sheraton but better than it was, good location, not for the prudish or naïve
Read more
Date of stay: September 2007
Value
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This may be the worst hotel I have ever stayed in, given the overblown name - nothing Grand about it - and the utter lack of civility or knowledge of hostelry by the staff, at any level from bellmen to management.
I say this not lightly, but avowedly. I myself usually discount reviews that rate hotels so low, believing the review to be written by a competitor or an angry customer. But I am neither of those. I just appreciate the effort to run a good establishment, and no one in this hotel fits that description. So I will go with the low rating and hope that readers don't discount it because this place seriously deserves an even lower ranking.
If you do choose unwisely to stay here, nothing will prepare you for the beds, best described as cement slabs covered by ripped and repaired sheets and blankets with an iffy smell, about as comfortable as sleeping on the bottom of an empty pool. Without the pleasure of the remnant of the chlorine smell which at least would promise some freedom from toxins. Nothing will prepare you for those beds. I was one of several friends traveling together, and not a one had a different experience.
My room had a terrace which had not been cleaned since the hotel was built. The plastic chair (one) on that terrace was so encrusted with dirt I was afraid to use it for any purpose. The view gave out onto the ubiquitously bad architecture of this urban-planner's nightmare of a city.
The blackout curtains did not cover the opening of the sliding doors so shafts of light penetrated the gloom throughout the night. The one small side table had legs so precariously attached I dared not set anything on it. The rest of the furniture - a term I use hesitantly - suffered from peeled or missing veneer. The bedspreads (two single-ish beds in the room) were stained and scary. The pillows were thinner than one would believe possible and yet still lumpy. The floor was dusty. The room, in sum, was disgusting.
The bar on the mezzanine is a joke as the bartender either does not have what you will request - except, of course, the $20 vodka (that price for two very thin fingers of vodka on ice in a very small highball glass); forget wine because he will not want to walk to the restaurant - a dizzying 20 meters distant - to retrieve a glass of white or red swill. And Pringles? Oh yes, hurry up and order so that you are lucky enough to get the one - yes one - container in the hotel.
The restaurant? Worse yet. Deplorable, inedible food served by surly, uninterested waitstaff who have only seconds before called a temporary truce in their screaming fight in the kitchen. Breakfast is included - this one shouldn't be. Words cannot describe the food that any pig in any sty would reject out of hoof.
There is a casino in the hotel; you will be amused at the two no smoking signs hanging on either side of the door giving access to the casino. That is if you can see them through the fog of cigarette smoke emanating from that space.
Find another hotel to stay in - pay any price to avoid this dump. You will be thankful you did. There is nothing to recommend the Grand Turkmen - one can only hope that some developer will covet the site and raze this pile tomorrow.
Read more
Date of stay: May 2013
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with friends
Room Tip:There is no good room - my advice is to choose a different hotel.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A few days before we arrived at the hotel, it had rained in Ashgabat (very unusual in summer). Most of the rooms on our floor had buckets to collect water leaking from the ceiling. Maintenance isn't something they spend a lot of money on...
The room was outdated (very hard beds). It was a poor breakfast. They put up 5 stars on their sign, but they really aren't a 5 star hotel. On the plus-side: the pool is nice and the hotel right in the centre of the city. Bars, parks and the presidential palace are around the corner.
Read more
Date of stay: July 2012
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Of course there's a lot wrong with this hotel, just as there's a lot wrong with this country, but some of the criticisms leave me shaking my head. The breakfast buffet, " the coffee not good", "avoid the sausages" "eggs oily and not hot". What? I have never drunk good coffee in any hotel, ANYWHERE, and I always carry Starbuck's instant, which I pour into the hotel's coffee making it at least strong, if not good. NEVER eat the sausages, that have been sitting out--and filled with god knows what, and eggs, are usually hard boiled in this part of the world. Small complaints. I sleep on a tempurpedic in my own home, and the hotel's mattresses were adequate. Those who complain about the decor being too Soviet, should take a trip to Russia. I almost never eat in hotel dining rooms, so I can't comment. The staff, some were very helpful, and some were clueless, oh well, welcome to the world. Although getting in and out of the bathtub was tricky, the water was hot and plentiful and the hotel's location was great !This is not a 5 star hotel, but neither are the prices. We also had a front row seat to watch the Great Leader's procession drive by. First everyone had to go inside and not be standing on the street, then the hotel's doors were locked and so it remained until--10 minutes before, during and 10 minutes after. I love the so-like-I-thought-it-would-be, that was Turkmenistan.
Read more
Date of stay: October 2014
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I stayed here for three nights in September 2008. The hotel was fine, and I would stay here again if I ever return to Ashgabat.
Positives:
- The hotel is in an excellent location, right next door to the Carpet Museum, across the street from the Russian Market and several other shops, and within walking distance of the Arch of Neutrality and other sights in the central city.
- My queen-size bed was extremely comfortable and had tons of pillows on it (six of them!), making for nice lounging in bed.
- The A/C in my room was excellent, nice and cold, just the way I like it.
- I had a nice view from my balcony, south over the city, the Arch of Neutrality, and the mountains to the south. The balcony was huge as well.
- The water temperature and pressure in the shower were both excellent.
- My room was kept very clean.
- My room was quiet; it faced the pool, from which I heard no noise. Nor did I hear any noise from the halls or other rooms.
Negatives/other factors
- The reading lights next to the bed were adequate but not outstanding.
- My room chair didn’t quite fit into my relatively small room, and I had to keep moving it around so I could access the dresser drawers, the balcony door, etc.
- The breakfast buffet was disappointing, with limited selections.
- If it bothers you to see prostitutes and the people soliciting them, stay out of the hotel’s bar. The lobby is also occasionally prone to this.
- Local people assured me that all of the rooms in this hotel were bugged. Since I was in a room by myself, that didn’t bother me, but if you’re planning to have conversations you don’t want to have overheard, you might want to take this into account.
In summary, Turkmenistan is not like other countries, and as a result you will not confuse this hotel for hotels elsewhere in the world. Most people coming to Turkmenistan know what to expect, so this hotel shouldn’t pose surprises. It’s a good choice for a stay in Ashgabat.
Read more
Date of stay: September 2008
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
As a previous reviewer said, the rooms do vary. I stayed here three times during my trip to Turkmenistan. The first time the bed was super comfortable and so were the pillows. I has a room on the third floor facing the mountains and it was quite spacious. The second time I had a room in the front of the building overlooking the pool and the palace-that-must-not-be-photographed. The room had shrunk and the bed was harder but ok. The pillows weren't great. Third time around most of our group was on the sixth floor and we now had twin beds instead of doubles, The beds were dire. They were so hard I nearly slept on the floor as it would have been softer. I was more comfortable in the tent at the gas crater the night before.
What wasn't variable were the showers - all in a bath tub with a split shower curtain and it was almost impossible not to get water on the floor while having a shower and there was no drain in the floor. However the water pressure was good and the water was hot. The toiletries provided were rather strange and what I thought was conditioner lathered when i used it and turned my hair into straw - bring your own shampoo and conditioner!
Wifi was also hit and miss. I could send and receive emails from one of my accounts on my laptop but not the other account and had no luck on my phone. Most of our group had no luck with emails at all. Many websites are blocked by the government as is much social media. However I could Skype and use SnapChat.
Breakfast was just ok - mostly the cold meat and salad variety but was a lot better than we had elsewhere.
All rooms had balconies but they were obviously never cleaned and mostly didn't have seating. The views I had were fabulous although apparently some rooms didn't have views either.
Ignore the local prices for the few minibar items - you had to pay the USD prices. All the meals I had in the restaurant were covered by the tour and were just ok. The drink prices varied depending on the day of the week or the whim of the wait staff or some other unknown factor. I never saw a menu or drink list.
The location was great - little convenience stores were nearby as was the Russian bazaar, and a few pubs. The government buildings - presidential palace, ministries etc were within walking distance but we were shooed away by police and don't even think about taking a photo of them!!
Read more
Date of stay: September 2016
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled solo
Room Tip:Hope for a room with comfy bed!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
There are more places to choose from in the Ashgabat area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
sheraton ashgabat, ashgabat sheraton
LOCATION
TurkmenistanAhal ProvinceAshgabat
NUMBER OF ROOMS
38
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
Is This Your Tripadvisor Listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Frequently Asked Questions about The Grand Turkmen Hotel
Which popular attractions are close to The Grand Turkmen Hotel?
Nearby attractions include Turkmenistan Independence Monument (4.1 miles), Ashgabat National Museum of History (4.1 miles), and Monument Arch of Neutrality (4.6 miles).
