Hostel Sweet Home

The nicest thing about the place is its interesting interior design, and the atmosphere is quiet and relaxed. I stayed two nights in a twin room with a shared bathroom. Cleanliness was fine, and I saw the cleaning lady working every day. There’s a kitchen, washing machine, dormitory, shared bathrooms, and social areas. The staff’s checkout rule is strange: once you check out, you have to leave the hostel and can’t stay in the common areas. So if you have an evening flight, you’re not allowed to wait there until it’s time to go. I’ve never seen that at a hostel or hotel. It’s a nice place, but this rule keeps earning them bad reviews, as lots of people have mentioned the same thing. Hopefully they’ll change it.

I arrived on my motorcycle at 9 pm and left it on the street in front of the hotel. There’s also a nice garden, and they offered breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s a small, nicely designed hotel with a shared bathroom and no TV. The staff were friendly.

We were allowed to leave our luggage for the day after checkout, which helped since my partner and I had an 11:30 pm flight. We explored the city and returned around 8 pm, after telling the woman we’d be back late and getting an okay. But when we asked if we could eat something before leaving, she said no. We thought maybe it was because we no longer had a room, so we asked whether we could eat in the garden instead. She just said, “We are not supposed to be here.” The hospitality felt straight up rude. We booked a “suite” for a private bathroom, but that was all it gave us. The room was tiny, and the bed caved in the middle and was one of the most uncomfortable we’ve slept on. The hostel is in a far corner of Shymkent, nowhere near the city center or attractions, not even within walking distance. After reading all the positive reviews, this was a really underwhelming stay. We don’t understand the praise, because we definitely didn’t enjoy the experience.

It’s super beautiful and clean here, and it feels like home. The ladies were very kind and let us leave some things there for a few days until we come back. They can also cook breakfast and dinner for you at a great price, so keep that in mind. Best hostel I’ve ever stayed in. Thank you, Sweet Home ❤️