Reikartz Sky Almaty Hotel

The best thing here is the location, near the center of town, though it’s not as central as Hotel Kazakhstan. Sky cafe has amazing views of Almaty, which was a saving grace. Still, I’m definitely not coming back. The hotel is officially three stars, but it has a lot to learn about hospitality. On day one, with the outside temperature at 30 degrees, the AC didn’t work. I told the desk, but despite promises nobody came. The same thing happened on day two, until we escalated it and finally got a fan. At the end of day two, we asked to move rooms and eventually got a better one. We thought things might improve, but on day four they told us to leave that room because it had been assigned to someone else, and moved us again. That’s when I lost faith in the place. We were in a group, so we had to stay despite the service. Breakfast was limited, with the same things every day and no fresh items. The hotel occupies the top seven floors of a 20-storey tower, but only one lift was working. With luggage, the wait could reach 20 minutes.

What time does breakfast start? If I’m going on an early day tour, around 6 a.m. or 7 a.m., can the hotel prepare a breakfast box?

The rooms are spacious and clean, and the terrace restaurant has a nice view, though it hasn’t been designed to its full potential. Apart from that, there aren’t extra amenities, so I’m not sure why this hotel has a four-star rating. We stayed two nights, and the rating feels misleading. The service, facilities, and standards seem closer to a low-end three-star hotel. The entrance is shabby and inconvenient. Since the hotel is on the upper floors, you have to drag your bags up a few broken stairs, which would be hard for older guests with heavy luggage. The hotel offers no help, and the lack of a bellboy is another sign of low-end service. The breakfast and service were basic, and staff weren’t particularly polite or welcoming. They could improve these things and their reputation, but it doesn’t seem they care. I’d recommend the hotel only if you just need a room to sleep in. Otherwise, you’ll be disappointed.

The hotel is in a handy spot for getting around, and breakfast was decent. Towels were replaced regularly, though the bed sheets hadn’t been changed, so you may need to tell housekeeping. The room was okay but had a few small issues. It’s a good enough place if convenience matters and you don’t mind a couple of hiccups.