Ferdowsi Grand Hotel

Guests arrive at a hotel built on 22,000 square metres in the historic and business heart of Tehran, where the lobby opens into a circular, pillar-free space lit by coloured panels overhead. Mr Hormoz Pouraziz bought the building, then called Gilan Hotel, in 1980. He renovated it and reopened it as Ferdowsi Grand Hotel in 1990. His son, Mr Shahram Pouraziz, has managed it for 27 years. Persian carpets and hand-made rugs furnish the rooms and suites, a deliberate nod to the country's craft traditions alongside more recent additions such as smart lighting controls and satellite television. It is a large operation. Three restaurants cover Persian, French, and fast-food menus, including a 350-seat dining room decorated with painted scenes of Persepolis. A traditional restaurant hosts live Iranian music in the evenings. Several halls, the largest holding up to 650 people, handle weddings and conferences, and a congress hall built in 2006 seats 320 with simultaneous translation for up to fifty guests. The pool runs 16 metres long and 12 wide, tiled and set beside a sauna and steam room. Guests can also find a barbershop, a gym, and multi-level parking on site. Free transfer from Imam Khomeini International Airport is offered to guests who book directly.