Hotel Bankir Khiva

Set within walking distance of Ichan Kala, Khiva's walled old town, Hotel Bankir Khiva occupies land that once belonged to its owner's family. The site held his grandmother's kitchen, and the hotel's dining room now stands where she once cooked. Rooms take cues from the desert around Khiva, pairing plain lines with warm, textured finishes. Beds use an oversized memory foam design made locally, and bathrooms are fitted with rainshower fittings. A courtyard sits at the centre of the property, open to the sky and modelled on traditional Uzbek design; in the evening its screens throw patterned light drawn from local Adras weaving. It is a compact stay, spread over two floors with no lift. The rooftop is the clearest reason to climb the stairs: a watchtower named for the original banker of the family gives a panoramic view of Ichan Kala's six minarets. A lobby snack bar runs through the day, and breakfast, part Uzbek and part continental, is served each morning. An in-house tour desk arranges guides, cars, and rail bookings for trips further into Khorezm and beyond, to Bukhara or Karakalpakstan. You can watch the old city change colour from the terrace as the sun drops behind the minarets.