Kazzhol Hotel Astana

We did not have a good experience at Kazzhotel Astana. The location of the hotel is in a poor area. Our room was dirty, the safe didn’t work, there was a musty smell, but of more concern was that our room door never locked and any random stranger passing in the corridor could have simply opened it from the outside. The aircon did not work at all and was stuck on a constant 24 degrees. On arrival we went to reception and asked to change rooms. We were told that this was not possible but maintenance would be there at 9.00 the next morning to sort out all the issues we had. The maintenance man did not turn up and despite asking reception several times we just gave up. Due to the lack of security in our room we had to carry all of our valuables with us every day. We slept with a chair wedged underneath the door. Of less concern, but still issues that need addressing, was the haphazard housekeeping. Some evenings we’d come back to the room and towels, such as they were, had been replaced, but the beds left unmade. Basic amenities such as toilet rolls were not replenished and we had to go off in search of the cleaners’ store cupboard to do it ourselves. On arrival in our room the toilet was absolutely filthy. Towels were frayed, threadbare and looked none too clean. It was quite clear that this room hadn’t been used for quite some time and was perhaps put into use due to the hotel being so busy. We were there for the World Nomad Games. We would, however, have expected it to have been cleaned to an acceptable standard before allocating it. We couldn’t wait to leave. Breakfast service in the hotel was totally chaotic. We regularly set our own breakfast table, that is if we could find any cutlery, the coffee machines were continually breaking down; service was absolutely appalling. Food choice was very poor and constantly running out. Very little or no basics such as fruit and cheese (this regularly run out). In the end we just didn’t bother going down for breakfast as it was so frustrating. Evening meals were equally chaotic. On one occasion we waited an hour and a half for a meal to arrive. I can only assume that our experience was so bad because of the World Nomad Games being held in Astana when we were there and the hotel being so busy, but even so this is no excuse. On a separate note we loved travelling round Kazakhstan. It has so much to see and the World Nomad Games were the experience of a lifetime. We were with a small group Regent Holidays tour so cannot comment on value versus price of hotel.

We stayed here for 4 nights. The room was quite spacious and offered a nice view. There was a alcove with a table where coffee/tea/water (1 bottle) and a kettle were available. The bathroom had a bathtub with a shower. Issue 1: The strange thing was that the partition between the room and the bathroom was made of glass, and there was only one curtain on the bathroom side. There should have been two curtains. Therefore, a person in the bathroom could always be seen from the room. Issue 2: There was only one towel, one pair of slippers, and one bathrobe in the room, which is odd for a double room. After a complaint, we received a second set. The staff member looked at the curtain, shrugged, and left. After complaining again, we were promised that the curtain issue would be resolved the next day at 9 a.m. Issue 3: It was warm in the room, and we couldn't get the temperature lower than 26 degrees, while the outside temperature remained below 20 degrees all days. The next evening, nothing had been done about the curtain. And again, there was only one towel. The second pair of (unused) slippers had even been removed. After insisting, we were given another room, almost identical to the first but with two curtains in the bathroom. In this new room, it was again warmer than 26 degrees, despite keeping the window open all day and night. The air conditioning only provided warm air, which seemed intentional. On the third day, there was again only one towel. After complaining, a second towel was supposed to be brought, but this only happened after we complained again. Only on the last day did we receive two towels. The first bed slept well, the second bed was okay but quite hard. The location of the hotel is not great, just a bit too far from the center. There were only a few restaurants in the vicinity. Breakfast was okay, but at 7 a.m., not everything was available, and later in the morning, not everything was replenished. It was noticeable that the hotel in Almaty, from the same chain, was very good.