Ak Altyn Hotel is a modern four-star hotel located just outside Ashgabat city center in some more tranquil, leafy surroundings, whilst all the main tourist attractions of the Turkmenistan capital can be reached in just a few minutes. This 10-storey hotel was recently refurbished, and the 100 well-appointed guestrooms here all include air conditioning, satellite TV, international telephones, a mini-bar, in-room safes and elegant en-suite bathrooms. Ak Altyn Hotel also has its own large restaurant which serves up a buffet breakfast spread every morning, as well as an on-site swimming pool, bar, conference room, sauna and salon. Popular attractions nearby include the Independence Monument and the National Museum, both of which can be reached on foot or via a cheap taxi ride.

The five-star Grand Turkmen Hotel is one of the most luxurious and famous hotels in Turkmenistan’s capital, Ashgabat, and is located right in the heart of this bustling city. Rooms here come with all the facilities you’d expect with any five-star hotel, and guests can also enjoy the added convenience of having on-site cooking facilities, various dining options, an elegant swimming pool and a fitness suite, massage and sauna room. From the comfort of the hotel, some of the city’s standout attractions, including Independence Monument and the National Museum, are just a short walk or drive away, and the immediate area is full of lively restaurants, bars and cafes. The Grand Turkmen Hotel also caters for a wide range of tastes at its large all-day restaurant which serves up Asian, European and international flavours. There’s also an on-site casino and disco for some entertainment after the sun goes down over Ashgabat.

After extensive renovations, the four-star Nusay Hotel in Ashgabat reopened in May 2011 and is now considered as one of the higher quality hotels in the Turkmenistan capital. The five-storey building also enjoys one of the best locations in the city, just a short walk or taxi drive away from some of the main attractions in Ashgabat such as the Main Square, the Monument of Independence, President’s Residence, Palace of Congresses and Arts and the international airport is just a 20-minute drive away. The 128 comfortable and spacious rooms all come with air-conditioning/heating, television sets, in-room safes, minibars and have Wi-Fi available throughout. Elsewhere, guests can enjoy Nusay Hotel’s outdoor pool and bar area, on-site restaurant, spa, fitness room and sauna.

The Oguzkent Hotel is one of the best places to stay in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. Not only is this vast hotel a spectacular sight from the outside with its concave glass design, but all 299 rooms impress too, with tastefully-decorated interiors, lavish en-suite bathrooms and a whole host of modern conveniences that give this hotel its five-star status. Elsewhere at this centrally-located hotel, guests are free to use the high-speed Wi-Fi throughout the building and have access to three different swimming pools, a gym, spa and sauna as well as a huge all-day restaurant that serves up one of the best breakfast buffets in town every morning. The Oguzkent Hotel is located approximately 20 minutes from the international airport of Ashgabat, and the nearby area is safe, and full of lively local restaurants and cafes.

Damla is a tiny, isolated village located deep into Turkmenistan’s vast Karakum Desert. With only around 60 houses and sparse amenities available, the only way of staying in this remote region is by pitching up your own roof for the night – in the form of a traditional yurt. These portable, tipi-like structures can be put up in a matter of hours, and are comprised of a metal or wooden frame covered in fabric to keep the weather out, such as leather, sheep’s wool or felt. Yurts have been a prominent feature of Central Asian life for thousands of years, and this is your chance to experience in night’s sleep in one yourself. Your Damla village stay will be made all the more memorable as you watch the stunning sun set over the desert, then wake up the next morning as it creeps over the eastern horizon to start a new day. 

Yyldyz Hotel, built in 2013, is located in the foothills of Kopetdag, which offers sprawling views of the city.  The hotel has 155 guest rooms and is a 20 minute drive from the airport.  Yyldyz Hotel's facilities include a fully-fitted spa & beauty salon, sauna, fitness center, 2 indoor swimming pools, 1 outdoor pool with jacuzzi,  tennis courts and a volleyball court.  There are three on-site restaurants offering international fare, spread on the 18th and 19th floors, offering panoramic views of the city. There are also four bars , a tea room, and a disco club.

With only 350 inhabitants and not a hotel in sight, the only way to stay in the tiny Turkmen village of Darvaza is to camp, spending the night under the stars in a tent and sleeping bag. Located in the middle of the Karakum Desert, this tiny settlement is famous for its ‘Door to Hell’, a natural field of gas that has burnt bright ever since it was lit by Soviet petroleum engineers in 1971. The crater is situated close to the village of Darvaza where you’ll be staying and has a diameter of 230 feet and drops about 70 feet into the earth below. Due to the incredible isolation of this attraction, as well as the nearby village, the best and only way to spend the night here is in tents. You will be supplied your own and helped to set up the campsite, as well as given a soft mattress and sleeping bag to ensure a comfortable - as well as memorable - stay. 

The Yangykala Canyon is one of Turkmenistan’s most stunning natural phenomena; incredibly isolated and without a hotel in miles, it would be a shame to come all this way without spending the night. Therefore, the best – and only way to stay here is by pitching a tent and spending the night under the stars in a comfy sleeping bag. The best place to stay is on one of the high ridges above the flame-colored canyons; although it can get a little windy up here, the views of the surrounding landscape are simply awe-inspiring. Watch as the red sun sinks slowly below the horizon in the evening and wake up as it rises over the eastern edge of the rugged desert terrain.

Charlak Hotel is a modern four-star hotel, popular with business guests and travelers making their way through the Turkmenbashi region of Turkmenistan. Meaning ‘seagull’ in local dialect (a reference to the nearby Caspian Sea), Charlak Hotel features a refreshing blue and white theme throughout, with generous helpings of glass and marble found across the lobby, dining venues and range of 80 guestrooms. All rooms feature en-suite bathrooms with large bathtubs, telephones, satellite TV, writing desk, a fully-stocked mini-bar, a safe, and each comes with its own private balcony overlooking the sea or city. As well as high-standard rooms, the hotel also features an all-day restaurant, bar, disco, gym, swimming pool, fitness room, tennis court, billiard room, gift shop and currency exchange office.  

Recently opened in 2011, the comfortable and modern Dayanch Hotel is easily accessed by car from the airport in Mary, Turkmenistan. The rooms sleep two, four, and eight people and all come with private bathrooms and the usual mod-cons. If guests have time to kill, there are enough activities at the Dayanch Hotel to keep everyone occupied for the day, with a sauna, bar, restaurant, and a cute little cafe with tables set inside colorful yurts (traditional tents). The hotel is located in the rural area of Sakarchaga and guests can find plenty of amenities such as local cafes and bars in the nearby area. There’s also several nearby households willing to open their doors for visitors to take a peek into their live craft workshops.