A 600-room hotel designed as a T-shaped tower block of eleven floors set on a three-storeyed podium which accommodates public facilities. In 1985, because of the Indo-Soviet Trade protocol tenders were floated exclusively for Indian companies for building three international class hotels, through SOYUZVNESHSTROJIMPORT (SOVSTRIM), in Samarkand and Bukhara. Although the first visit to the Soviet Union was in October 1985, the consortium which was led by Tata Projects Limited and Somaya & Kalappa was a part of, won the Tashkent Hotel in December 1987. The project involved working with several women engineers heading various Government departments in Tashkent and was unique for that time. The inspiration for the hotel came from the distant past of the city with its monumental gates and minarets. The design attempts to capture this spirit by striking a balance between the traditional architecture of these cities and the modern buildings with new materials, ideas and technology.