DoubleTree by Hilton Shymkent

The staff were pleasant, and maintenance responded quickly, but the room was uncomfortably hot with no temperature control beyond opening the window. That brought in the noise from cars on winter tires crossing the slushy road and drivers honking, which made it hard to sleep. Exhaust fumes were noticeable even on the fourth floor, and the shower was only lukewarm. Breakfast was far below what I expect from a Hilton, more like a budget hotel.

I really enjoyed my stay. Housekeeping did a perfect job, and the young chef at the buffet was polite and made us a very good omelette. Thanks as well to the man at the Spa reception, whose name I unfortunately didn't catch. Ms Adina at the front office was wonderful when checking us in, and Ms.Nurzhaina helped with checkout and our breakfast box. Thanks again to everyone.

A pleasant interior and polite staff, in a nice hotel close to the city center.

Breakfast was quite good and came with the room, though lunch and dinner were clearly overpriced. The real frustration came at checkout: we were meant to settle our meal charges, but the bills included things we hadn't ordered. Sorting it out took about half an hour. With our flight coming up, we asked them to send corrected invoices to our accounting department. The hotel has a grand name, but its service quality doesn't meet the expectations. Other Shymkent hotels offer better service for more reasonable prices, and this location wasn't very convenient. I left with mixed feelings. The service and organization need work.