Alma-Ata Hostel

The hostel was conveniently close to the Cathedral and Green Bazaar. The people were polite and respectful, and Ms. Gulzira was especially helpful. I had a very nice stay.

I stayed here twice because it was affordable and less than a mile walk from Pavilon Park. I didn’t have any bad experiences overall. The room and bathroom were okay, and I especially liked the kitchen, which had all the utensils you might need to cook. The receptionist barely spoke English, which was frustrating, and Google Translate didn’t always help. If you’re travelling on a budget, I’d recommend it.

We were left waiting outside for 15 minutes when we arrived, ringing the bell again and again, until another guest let us in. There are lots of strict rules, and it felt like a military operation. They also make a point of saying there’s “no luggage store!!”, which was a problem because we had a late flight the next evening and needed somewhere for our bags. Strange for a hostel. The worst part was finding a bed bug in my bedding. I showed the photo to the woman, including its timestamp from five minutes earlier, but she accused me of lying, said it was a beetle, and then said it hadn’t come from the hostel. I know it had, and I wasn’t lying. We left within minutes, very unimpressed. I’d suggest Golden Square or Hostel 64 instead, they were much nicer and had lovely staff. I could share a photo of the bug, but I’ll spare them that courtesy.

The woman who manages the hostel was very rude and didn’t know how to speak to guests. I had no other option, so I stayed for a week 😭. The other staff were good. While I was there, many guests canceled after checking in and went back to another hostel. This is the first time I’ve written this kind of review, but she really should learn how to run a hostel and treat guests. If the owner reads this, please teach her to be polite. She took my phone and left a review on Booking.com without asking me. That was a very bad experience.