Lonely Planet Review

Take note: if service and fastidious cleanliness are important to you, stop reading now. If you're willing to relax your standards a little in the name of character and price, this atmospheric old haunt of Tehran's bohemian set might be the place for you.

Stepping into the Art Deco-style Naderi is like stepping back about 50 years. Take the prehistoric switchboard in reception, the bakelite telephones and most of the (soft!) beds and 50s-era furniture. The imposing staircase hints at glories past and leads to two floors of spacious, high-ceilinged rooms. Rear rooms overlook a garden and are recommended for light sleepers (the front rooms, including numbers 104 and 204 with balconies, are frightfully noisy.) Also expect dripping taps, holes in the sheets and a manager who we have only seen smile twice during three stays (though other staff are friendlier.) Despite this, the Naderi has a unique charm, convenient location and plenty of potential if you spend a few rials. Downstairs, smoke-filled Café Naderi is a stimulating place to hang out with arty types and grumpy grandfather waiters who seem allergic to issuing change.