ASSEM HOSTEL Dostyk

The beds weren’t very comfortable, with thin, hard mattresses, and the Wi-Fi often couldn’t load even simple pages. Tele2 is the only network that worked well for internet. Getting into the city center means taking crowded buses; regular shops and cafes are 700 meters away. Still, this is the best hostel I’ve seen in the city, with what’s probably the best price to quality ratio here. It’s clean and comfortable, with room to work and relax, a spacious modern kitchen, and a dining room. The hosts are very welcoming and answer questions helpfully. It seems to have been converted from a private home, and the amenities and comfort are excellent. There are plenty of showers and toilets, rooms have 4 to 6 beds, all bunk beds, and cleaning seems nonstop. If you have a lot to do in the city center, it may not suit you. Otherwise, if you need a hostel, you can and should stay here.

The quiet neighborhood is cozy, with a supermarket about a 10-minute walk away and plenty of cafes and bakeries. I was told at the local shawarma place that 90% of the residents are Uyghurs, a very respectable people. The metro is about 20 minutes away, then it’s 2-3 stops to the city center; a large shopping mall is about 25 minutes away. The hostel is in a fenced private house, and it feels cozy and clean. It’s not all new, but the quality is premium, and it’s clear wealthy people lived here before. They clean regularly, at least once a day, and most guests pitch in with upkeep. We checked in at 7 am without any trouble, even though official check-in is 9 am. The service is top-notch. Administrator Igor made the place feel cozy and family-like, and we had fun preparing dinner together in the evening. The rules are reasonable without being too strict. This is a top-notch hostel. I’ve stayed in many places over the past six months of travel, so I have a lot to compare it with.

I stayed here for three months, and now I’m back with my mom and sister. Guess who recommended the hostel to them? 😏 It’s a wonderful price to quality deal. I once went into a hostel that cost half as much, was horrified, and left. The conditions here are much more humane. It’s in a private residential area, so it’s quiet and the air is clean compared with Almaty’s sleeping areas. Baurzhan Momyshuly metro station is about a half-hour walk, a bit far, but bus stops are closer, around 10 minutes on foot. The hostel is a two-story mansion with several rooms and a toilet on each floor. In a wing with its own entrance there are two more toilets, two showers, and a laundry room. Outside there’s a courtyard with shady trees, swings, a summer kitchen, a horizontal bar and parallel bars, plus a smoking gazebo set away from the main garden. They provide slippers and clean linen. It really is clean and gets changed once a week, or more often if you want. The premises are cleaned every day, with vacuuming, wet cleaning, and dusting throughout. The big kitchen has two fridges, a microwave, an induction cooker, a separate filtered drinking water tap, an electric kettle, and dishes including plates, mugs, spoons, forks, pots, and pans, all included in the price. In 2023, a night cost 3,500 tenge. When I lived there, I managed to agree on a lower price with the owner by paying a month at a time. The owner speaks Kazakh, Russian, and English. The current administrator speaks Russian and English, but you can always talk directly with the owner, who’s very friendly and polite and makes sure living conditions meet the standard. It’s no surprise this hostel is popular with foreign travelers. During my three months there I met a Frenchman, a Dutchman, Indians, Chinese people, and of course Russians. It’s not in central Almaty, but I recommend it to everyone!

My wife and I stayed here during a hard time in our lives, and the place felt comfortable, almost like home. The staff and hostess were very kind.