Iran - Andrew Burke [294]
Hotel Noor (Map; 223 2970; fax 223 2976; Andarzgu St; d IR350,000) The gently trendy 1st-floor lobby is bright and open with highly professional English-speaking staff. Rooms are unfussy business-class affairs with bagged-towels and choice of toilets. Winter discounts 30%, splendid value in peak season.
Iran Hotel (Map; 222 8010; www.irhotel.com; Andarzgu St; s/d/tr/q with breakfast IR331,500/550,000/995,000/1,204,000; ) This hotel with friendly, English-speaking staff gets it right with a restrained elegance that’s personable and not over formal. Bathrooms are small but new and sparkling clean. Excellent value for singles during peak season, if you can get a room.
Hotel Tara (Map; 221 6100; fax 225 9595; www.hoteltara.com; Shirazi St; s/d US$35/55; ) Relatively spacious rooms with hints of bed canopy have bath tubs in their slightly outdated bathrooms. In season this is an OK midrange choice with some English spoken.
Pardis Hotel (Map; 222 8095; fax 222 3831; Imam Khomeini St; d/tr US$50/60; ) The friendly multilingual reception is the only real attraction of this overpriced 1970s throwback with antiseptic corridors and dreadfully dated bathrooms.
Laleh Hotel (Map; 840 8047; fax 842 3892; Kuhsanghi St; d US$54 year-round; ) Handy for Kuh Sangi but not the shrine, the Laleh’s Eastern European idea of style is so outdated that it’s almost an attraction. Bedside TV-control panels are worthy of a Dr No–era James Bond movie.
TOP END
Abnoos Apartment Hotel (Map; 221 5576; fax 221 5581; apt IR450,000-500,000, peak season IR900,000-990,000) Hidden in a peaceful mini-garden off a tiny alley, the high-class Abnoos offers unusually spacious apartments sleeping four or five people. There are fine Haram views from the roof and from rooms 301 and 302. Manager Mousa Delshad speaks excellent English.
Homa Hotel Mashhad (Map; 761 1001; www.homahotels.com; Khayyam Blvd; s/d/ste US$101/116/140; ) Mashhad’s inconveniently located top hotel has a shopping mall–sized lobby whose blue-glass pyramid roof mimics the Louvre’s. Rooms are very large and well kept but lack any real style. Women can only use the indoor pool-spa four mornings a week.
Hotel Pars Mashhad (Map; 868 9201; fax 868 9200; Vakilabad Blvd; d/ste US$126/262; ) The main draw of this sprawling, upmarket complex is the full-sized swimming pool (open Sunday to Friday, women 8am to 1pm, men 3.30pm to 10pm), so avoid Saturdays when it’s closed. The location, some 8km west of the centre, is awful for the Holy Shrine but comparatively handy for visiting Kang.
Eating
There are plenty of cheap eateries in the lanes off Imam Reza St and pleasant stream-side restaurants can be found on rural roads around Torqabeh, Shandiz and Zoshk. Upmarket, traditional dining options are limited because most visitors eat production-line hotel dinners provided as part of their tour package.
Kebabi Etminar (Map; Idgah Lane; meals IR7000-18,000; 5am-midnight) Bog-standard local eatery whose IR7000 nun-o panir breakfast includes walnuts, raisins and unusually tasty cheese with bread and tea. Kababs from IR4400.
Vitamin Sara (Map; 222 7998; Shahid Diyalemeh (Bahonar) St; 9am-11pm Sat-Thu, 4pm-11pm Fri) Come to this unpretentious juice-shop for Mashhad’s best maajun (IR12,000), a fabulous mush of crushed walnuts, pistachios, ice cream, cream, banana and honey, all whizzed through the orgasmatron to form one of Iran’s most spectacular desserts. Cheaper but inferior versions are available from Amibe Furushi (Map; desserts IR10,000) is open 24 hours on Imam Reza St.
Ali Restaurant (Map; 851 6601; Imam Reza St; meals IR23,000-45,000; 10am-4pm & 7-10pm) Cavernous downstairs pay-first diner with a giant spoon-and-fork looming above the cashier. The menu is typical but available in English. Fast turnover. Nearby Restaurant Soltani across Falakeh Ab on Andarzgu St is similar in a glittery mirror-tiled basement.
Hafez Restaurant (Map; 754 0768; meals IR25,000-55,000; 11.30am-3pm & dusk-10pm Sat-Thu) With attractive wrought iron and copper-work, this new, high-ceilinged