Hotel Hizhina

Being close to the train station is the hotel’s main plus. The walls are thin, so you hear everything from neighboring rooms, and rooms facing the courtyard get loud music from the restaurant downstairs. The receptionist only mentioned that after I paid. I couldn’t switch rooms, and they were rude right away. The outlet for charging is above the bed near the ceiling, and hot water takes five minutes. I wanted to rest before my trip, but got the opposite. They treated me badly and made me feel like a complete idiot. The restaurant is downstairs and the hotel is upstairs, so it’s better for people looking for entertainment than a quiet rest.

The staff were very friendly and polite, and the location was handy. We walked from the train station with our luggage without much trouble. There’s a 24-hour convenience store, ATMs nearby, including Sberbank and some others 😁, and a cafeteria. In July 2021 we paid 7,500 tenge for what I think was a junior suite. We’d booked that, but they upgraded us to a suite because there were no rooms left. It had a large bed, TV, sofa, table, cutlery, air conditioning, kettle, toilet, shower, and jacuzzi. Robes, towels, shampoo, and soap for two were provided. A family of 4-6 could easily stay the night. There was no hairdryer or slippers, and the table was very dirty. Still, for the price, it was very good. I recommend it. 👍👍👍

It’s about a 5-minute walk from the train stations, and there’s a Sberbank branch across the street where you can withdraw tenge, since they don’t take MIR cards. Inside, the hotel is beautiful and cozy, with a large room and a clean, comfortable shower. I only found limescale in the kettle that I didn’t like.

I woke to a phone ringing in the next room, so loudly it felt like it was by my ear. There’s no soundproofing, and damaged window seals made the room noisy as if the window were open. Even the suite had no air conditioning. The bedding didn’t feel very clean, and black hair was scattered around the room. They hadn’t put the duvet cover on the blanket. After a long drive, having to do that myself at midnight was the last thing I wanted. Judging by how dirty the blanket was, I don’t think I was the only one reluctant to use it. There was also a mosquito and a fly in the room.