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International hospitality group Minor Hotels has signed a franchise agreement with Uzbek company EASYRENT PE to open NH Hotel Tashkent, a 151-room upscale property that the group says will begin operating in the first quarter of 2027. The deal makes Tashkent the group’s entry point into Uzbekistan, the broader CIS and Central Asia — regions where none of its more than 640 hotels and resorts currently operate.
The signing ceremony took place in Tashkent and was attended by a deputy chairman of Uzbekistan’s Tourism Committee, senior Minor Hotels representatives, the project owner, the hotel’s general manager and local partners, according to a Minor Hotels statement dated 11 November 2026.
The property is currently undergoing renovation and a concept overhaul to meet the standards of the NH Hotels & Resorts brand. Once work is complete, the hotel will offer standard rooms, deluxe rooms and family suites, alongside a restaurant, a gym and a meeting room. Minor Hotels says the site is approximately ten minutes from Tashkent’s international airport.
NH Hotels & Resorts sits in the upscale segment of Minor Hotels’ portfolio, which also includes Anantara, Tivoli, NH Collection, nhow, Avani and Oaks. The brand has an established presence in Europe and the Americas and has been expanding into the Middle East, Asia and Australasia.
Gonzalo Aguilar, chief executive of Minor Hotels Europe & Americas, described the Tashkent opening as the group’s first step into Central Asia and said the franchise model was the vehicle through which it intended to build a presence in new markets. General Manager Olesya Gilmeyeva said the partnership would combine Minor Hotels’ international experience with knowledge of the local market.
Uzbekistan has attracted growing interest from international hotel brands as visitor numbers have risen steadily over the past several years, supported by government efforts to ease visa requirements and develop tourism infrastructure. The NH Hotel Tashkent will be the first internationally franchised NH-branded property in the region when it opens.