Hostel Doma

I’ve stayed at hostels across East Asia and parts of Southeast Asia, and this one left me with the worst impression because of how unprofessional it felt. The staff were friendly and people generally tried to help, but that’s a pretty low bar in Asian countries. I appreciated being allowed to check in early. The kitchen had all the amenities, and the price and location were good. That was about where the positives ended. It might be bearable for a day or two, but I wouldn’t stay longer. I hadn’t planned to be here long, but extended my booking because my thesis defense was at the end of the week. The stay ended up leaving a bad taste in my mouth about my trip to Kazakhstan. The hostel seemed badly understaffed. Trash often overflowed in both the kitchen and bathroom, and toilet paper wasn’t always available. Some bathrooms smelled worse than others, and the water heater was sometimes switched off without notice. The floor was very dirty. There were no female staff, and staff could walk into the room at any hour. Privacy didn’t seem to be a concept here. Local people left doors open and didn’t make a habit of closing them. Quiet hours started at 11 pm, much later than at most hostels, and people stayed noisy until 1 am. I also had bad luck with my roommate. My shampoo was stolen, and my toothbrush and toothpaste kept getting misplaced. Someone was always making loud noises at 2 or 3 am. What irritated me most was that local people seemed allergic to AC, and it was fixed at 16C with no remote. I’m pregnant, and the heat made it really hard to sleep. It was summer, so what was the point of having AC if it couldn’t stay on at night? People said it was too cold, but apparently being too hot was okay. Either way, I couldn’t sleep. Laundry cost 2000 tenge for 5 kg, which is acceptable, but twice what I’d pay in East or Southeast Asia. The machine crumpled my clothes badly, which normally doesn’t happen to my polyester clothes. Compared with hostels at the same price in other parts of Asia, this was a big no. I left before my checkout date because they wouldn’t let the AC stay on or open the window. I cried until 3 am because it was impossible to sleep. I won’t stay here again.