Farshad Iranian hotel system is organized a little different, compared to other countries. They have their own parameters for evaluating hotels, but this parameters are so close to world standards. So, tourists might feel a little different in hotel facilities. All the Iranian hotels follow Islamic rules so tourists cannot find some services. As a case in point Iranian hotels and hostels do not serve alcoholic drinks in their bar.
There are two major kinds of hotels in Iran:
1. Modern hotels: Like other countries, Iran utilizes modern hotels in its tourism industry. Almost all world standards are observed in these hotels, and they are rated based on their facilities from one star to five stars. More than a thousand hotels are in service in Iran, and tourists can book them via travel agencies or by themselves. Almost all province capitals in Iran have five stars hotel.
Note: some of the hotels accept dollar or euro, but they mainly work with Iranian cash. Be aware that they will not accept foreign debit cards like master card or visa card.
Some five star hotels:
Shiraz hotel, Esteghlal hotel, Chamran grand hotel, Darvishi hotel, Espinas place hotel, El-goli hotel, Kermanshah Parsian hotel, etc.
2. Traditional hotels: this kind of hotels are extremely interesting for those who look for different experiences because these hotels utilize historical houses or caravansaries as residence, and each of them is unique in its architecture. Besides, the rooms, halls, equipment, etc. are designed exactly like those of old times. Usually these hotels are popular among tourists. Many tourists book these hotels just for their atmosphere, tranquility and quietness.
Some notes about traditional hotels:
I. Traditional hotels are common in historical cities like Kashan, Isfahan, Shiraz, Yazd, and Kerman.
II. They usually have the same price as the modern hotels
III. They will not accept foreign debit cards and rarely accept dollar or euro.
IV. The rating system of traditional hotels is a little different from modern hotels
Some popular traditional hotels in Iran:
Sonati hotel, Moshir-Al-Mamalek’s hotel, Niayesh boutique hotel, Malek-O-Tojar hotel, Abasi hotel, etc.
There are some other kinds of residence in Iran like boutique house or traditional house (in Persian called ‘Eghamat-gah-e-Bomghardi’.)
‘Eghamat-gah-e-Bomghardi’: usually these houses are located in villages or small cities, but they rarely exist in big cities, too. They are usually built by reconstruction of old and magnificent houses, and they are run by local people.
Note: these houses have a comparatively low price, and they are popular among backpackers and cyclists