Janblue Hotel

The pillows were so hard and uncomfortable that we slept on folded towels for two nights. When we asked politely for softer ones, which the hotel clearly had, the staff reacted aggressively and verbally abused us. We also couldn't get a meeting with the manager despite asking repeatedly. We booked three rooms through Booking.com for five nights in Almaty from 25th May. We were an Indian family visiting from the UAE. The rooms we got at check-in had AC and heating that didn't work, and after several complaints we were moved three times, with the same problem continuing. Staff were rude, intimidating, and aggressive, shouting at us and scolding our children. On several occasions they entered our rooms by force and physically pushed family members, children included, without any valid reason. Housekeeping and toilet cleaning were then deliberately stopped, sheets and towels weren't replaced, and stale food was served as breakfast. Staff kept shouting at us in the local language and threatening us when we tried to complain. Once we felt the place was unsafe for our family, we asked for a refund so we could leave for another hotel. They refused. At checkout, staff hid our luggage and demanded a $200 “fine,” accusing us of damaging sheets and pillows. The CCTV they showed was unclear and didn't establish that anything had been damaged. After we challenged them, they called the police. The police and hotel director eventually heard our side, apologized, and let us leave. Our children were terrified and cried whenever staff approached aggressively. We also heard racist remarks in the local language, some captured using Google Translate. What should have been a family holiday became traumatic. The hotel treated us with extreme disrespect and hostility. Based on our experience, families, especially international tourists, should avoid staying here.

There was no lift, bellboy, or room service. We had to haul 11 people's luggage from the ground floor up to the second floor.

We booked three rooms through Booking.com for five nights in Almaty as an Indian family visiting from the UAE. The stay was one of our worst hotel experiences. The room climate systems weren't working, and moving us three times after we complained still didn't solve the AC and heating problems. Staff were also often rude, aggressive, and intimidating. They shouted at us and our children, entered our rooms without permission, and repeatedly refused to let us speak to the manager. As the stay went on, housekeeping stopped cleaning, towels and sheets weren't changed, and the breakfast was poor, including stale food. We asked for a refund so we could move elsewhere, but the hotel refused. At checkout, our luggage was withheld while staff demanded a USD 200 "fine" over alleged damage to sheets and pillows. They provided no clear proof when we asked. Police were called; after hearing both sides, the hotel director apologized and let us leave. The aggressive conduct frightened our children and made a family holiday very stressful. We also heard racist remarks in the local language, some of which we translated and documented. Given our experience, we can't recommend the hotel and advise families and international travelers to look elsewhere.