Azadi Grand Hotel, Tehran > Reviews (1)

A Very Strange Reason to go to Iran

Back in 2002, the company I was working for arranged a seminar for Iranian bakers and confectioners which was held in one of the large function rooms of the Azadi hotel. Several colleagues from Holland flew out for the meeting and I arrived half a day before them, flying in from Istanbul and getting changed on the plane so that I looked like a very respectable and modest lady with every bit of me covered up when I landed in Tehran.

I was picked up at the airport by our local agents who drove me to the hotel, got me checked in and then went on their way. By this time it was the small hours of the morning and I was a bit dazed by lack of sleep and the rather alien surroundings. I was also a bit shocked whilst checking in to learn that I would have to settle my bill in hard currency since Iranian hotels accept neither travellers cheques nor credit cards. It was later explained to me that this was because they have problems getting the money back afterwards from the international banks.

Memorable Stay - Forgettable Room

My room was large, a bit dated in décor, but well equipped with all the usual facilities you'd expect from an international four star hotel although the furnishings were a bit drab. The Azadi is actually classified as a five star but take that with a large pinch of salt. The fridge was massive, which was kind of funny since there was nothing in it except for water. Perched on top was a big basket of pistachios and some fruit but these came from our agents rather than the hotel. The men in our party found their fridges filled with whisky and beer and I never did find out how the agents pulled that off. I just put it down to 'good connections' and proof that if you know the right people, anything is possible even in Iran. When I had been to Pakistan for the same company, the agents there held one of only a handful of licenses to deal in alcohol so we were allocated a 'beer ration' on arrival despite it being theoretically impossible to get booze in the country. You can perhaps wonder if getting alcohol was part of the selection criteria for becoming an agent.

Waking up the first morning I was stunned by the view. If you can ignore the pylons directly outside the hotel and try not to think about the rumours that there's an underground detention centre where people are tortured beneath the pylons (allegedly) then look straight out and if you're lucky enough to be on the right side of the hotel you'll see the stunning mountains that surround the city. I think most people don't realise that Tehran is high altitude city surrounded by mountains and ski resorts.

Food - Not the Best Reason to go to Iran

After sleeping off my night flight, I decided to head downstairs and get some lunch. I decked myself out in headscarf and long jacket and headed down, feeling frankly rather ridiculous like a little girl playing dress up at someone else's party. I got some funny looks in the lifts and generally when walking around the hotel which left me feeling rather uncomfortable.

It took me a while to realise why I was getting stared at - you just don't see women wandering round hotels on their own in Iran and that was the reason as much as my rather strange interpretation of the local dress.

The hotel has lots of restaurants and on that first morning I opted for one at the lobby level and had the most spectacular sturgeon kebab. Sturgeon is not a fish you can get often in Europe but whenever I have the chance, it's a must-eat option. In fact one of the greatest regrets when my husband and I went back to Iran a few years later, was that no restaurant ever had sturgeon in stock. Once my colleagues arrived later that day, we also ate in a restaurant on one of the upper floors where again things were very kebab-oriented.

Conference Facilities

The conference suite we used for the presentations was large and well equipped. The staff were amazingly flexible which was important since, like much of Middle East, things only start when the big important guests of honour turn up - and fashionably late means very late.

We had wireless headset microphones that brought out in me the urge to behave like Madonna and had me strutting about all over the stage, something that was commented on by the local conference organiser. Apparently the audience might not have followed everything I said but were very entertained because, as the organiser explained, they'd never seen anyone give a presentation and move at the same time. Iran is the land of stuffed presenters. Watch Ahmedinajad next time he's on telly - he barely moves at all and as for those Ayatollahs, like wax-work dummies, most of them. We had professional simultaneous translation service using translators who also do government work. You can imagine that kept my jokes to a minimum. Despite the unusual location, this was the best audio visual facilities I'd ever been exposed to up to that time.

We had a big buffet meal in the restaurant for all the attendees and this was well catered to the local tastes which is a nice way of saying it wasn't really my sort of thing. You'd be amazed how a local chef seems to be able to get saffron into most dishes and there's a shocking amount of sugar in the local rice dishes.

A Few Special Learnings

I learned a few more things about what to expect in an Iranian hotel. That the gym and pool are segregated and that women, not surprisingly, get only a couple of days whilst the men get the lion's share. That a restaurant menu will always contain things you can't actually get and that if you want to socialise with your colleagues and get those blasted head-scarves off, you need to meet up in one another's rooms and knock back the contraband beer and whisky. Oh, and just in case you missed it the first time - CASH only. No credit cards or travellers' cheques.

There were shops in the lobby including a nice book shop and some curio shops that are probably targeted at visitors who are too nervous or too busy to get out into the city for some shopping. The hotel is located very close to a trade fair and exhibition centre and these are probably the main reason why most people choose this hotel.

It's not particularly central but it's quite handy for the old airport as well as the exhibition centre.

It's Probably More Swanky Now

When I went to Tehran on holiday in 2006 the Azadi was closed for refurbishments so it's quite possible that a lot of what I saw will have been updated and improved. However, this is Iran - things really don't change much and I'd be very surprised if it's significantly different than before - a bit tidied up, maybe some new furniture, but the basics will still be the same.
If you need a hotel by the exhibition centre or a good location for a conference, the Azadi is a good choice. And don't forget to take the time to stare out of the windows and enjoy the mountains.