Business Hotel Al-Farabi

The dining room food and service are good, and the staff are very friendly. Asem, Zhaniya, and Zhanerke, who do the treatments, are polite and attentive. Eleonora at reception is polite and responsive too. There aren’t many treatments available: a hydro-bath, phyto-barrel, magnetic therapy, physiotherapy, and paraffin. Massages cost extra, and that’s the full list. The rooms have no air conditioning, and the bed linen is yellow and stained. The gym is only set up for wrestling and strength training.

We booked a junior suite a month ahead because we had small children, but when we arrived they said none were available. We accepted a standard room instead. There’s no elevator, so after the journey we had to carry two children and three suitcases up the stairs ourselves. Someone could have helped. The room was dirty, especially the stained bed linen, and the shower head leaked. I asked to have the sheets and towels changed, but they only changed them once a week. Our youngest got sick. The doctor who works there examined him and said it wasn’t because of the food. We only ate at the hotel, where the meals were sparse and repetitive. There was no kettle, cups, or glasses in the room, and the Wi-Fi didn’t work anywhere. The receptionist was irresponsible too. We asked for the paperwork to be ready in advance, but still had to wait a long time. Terrible hotel. I don’t recommend it.

My husband and I stayed at this resort in November 2022. The mountain air was crisp, and the place felt clean and cozy. Staff were polite and always smiling. Asemai at reception stood out: she did her job well, patiently answered all our questions, and was very courteous. We’re grateful to her. Our room was cleaned every other day, the toiletries were replenished, and the sheets and towels were clean and bright white. We also enjoyed the dining room and restaurant, both beautiful and cozy. The food was delicious and varied, with different salads each day, and the chefs made tasty pies and rolls themselves. Thanks to them! The treatment room was the hard part. The women there were unfriendly and rude, especially the younger one, who was impolite to me throughout. Eventually I snapped and told her off. I wanted her to leave her temper at home. The other woman always seemed tired, and it felt like you couldn’t ask or say anything extra. They were so unpleasant that in the last few days I didn’t even want to go for treatment. Maxim, the massage therapist, was responsive and hardworking. We’re grateful to him, and other guests praised his massages too. My scores: cleanliness 5, service staff 5, medical staff in the treatment room 2, food 5 👍👍, location 3 because it’s a bit of a dead end, entertainment 0 because there’s none, no gym, no pool, no nearby supermarkets, and the grounds get 3 because they’re small. With those scores, I give the resort 3*. Good luck to everyone!

Many thanks to everyone at the sanatorium. We had a lovely rest. It was clean, the staff were very polite and kind, and the food was delicious 👍👍👍