Almaty Tranzit #1 Hotel

I liked having plenty of privacy, since the place has lots of rooms and only a fraction were occupied during my stay. There are comfortable couches on the first floor, too. I left at around 2 PM and got my deposit back without any hassle. It’s a 15-minute walk from the airport, and I paid half what the hotel across from the airport would have cost. The complimentary home-cooked breakfasts tasted good. The mattress was very firm, and you need to let the shower run hot for a while before the water warms up. I had to go down to the administrator to get the AC controller. They only took cash for the 12,000 Teng per night charge and also required a 5,000 deposit.

Breakfast was a joke: just two eggs on dirty plates, served by a very rude lady who seemed to enjoy slamming the food down in front of you. The washrooms were like a hell and never seemed to get properly cleaned. The rooms and bathrooms were filthy and badly in need of repairs, and the online photos were misleading. This is one of the worst places I’ve stayed, and barely deserves to be called a hotel.

The receptionist was a helpful girl who spoke perfect English. It’s within walking distance of Almaty airport, which was the main plus. The room was basic and very hot, and the aircon only blew air without cooling. There was no kettle either. Still, it beat spending 16 hours in the airport. Just somewhere to rest and shower.

The one advantage is that you can walk to the airport. Otherwise, watch out for what felt like a scam. The staff’s behavior toward tourists wasn’t acceptable. If you have a child sleeping in the same bed as you, they’ll make you take another room, saying only two people are allowed per room. They insist a small child needs a separate room under hotel policy, and said this rule applies to other nationalities too.