Interhouse Almaty

I told reception when I booked room 1 about a month ago that I had back pain and specifically asked for a lower bed. They didn’t give me one. A lower bed opened up the next day, but staff said it was already booked and refused to move me, even after I reminded them about my earlier request. They were rude and unhelpful. The location isn’t especially convenient either. There’s no supermarket nearby, and the surrounding area seems to have few amenities. Overall, it was a negative experience and I wouldn’t recommend the hostel.

There’s plenty of parking for cars, SUVs, and motorcycles, and the owners are friendly. Breakfast is delicious, though mornings can be rough with limited bathrooms. It’s a great hostel, but definitely not a party place. Many people live there long term, including an entire Russian family with middle school children upstairs. You’re a bit out of the city center, so you’ll need to drive or grab a Yondex whenever you want to go somewhere.

It feels more like a family business than a party hostel, and the staff’s hospitality was beyond what I expected. The facilities aren’t the best: the sheets were a bit dirty and some lights were broken.

There’s a nice common area, and I met a lot of good people there. The beds are good, but the shower wasn’t working properly and only gave piping hot water, so showering was torture. The hostel is in a quiet neighborhood, though it isn’t very central. Taxis are cheap, so getting around is still easy. Staff were a mixed bag. The owner was lovely, and one staff member was very kind, but another was mean and rude, with a bad attitude at work. Even so, it’s a nice hostel for the price, and I can recommend it.