Hotel Inju

Breakfast came with the stay, and I thought the food was good. The location worked well for me: it’s quiet, with no noise, and nice for an evening walk around the area. Booking online was straightforward; I got confirmation and just needed to check in. The room was clean and had what I needed, with fresh linens.

The room was quiet, with its windows facing the hotel courtyard, where I could hear birds when they were open. Parking was in that courtyard too, and there was air conditioning. We booked a standard room, and it was clean, with white, crisp linens. The mini-fridge was stocked, and there was a kettle, tea, and chocolate. The bathroom had a toothbrush and toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner, liquid soap, a washcloth, shower cap, comb, shoe polish, and a robe. There was also a TV with satellite channels. I was pleasantly surprised on this business trip, since I’ve stayed in plenty of hotels to compare it with. At Dostyk Hotel (in Merka), we paid 25,000 tenge for a room and there was practically nothing there.

The staff were polite and ready to help with questions, and I’m especially grateful to them. The standard single room, though, was tiny, with just one outlet shared by the TV, fridge, and phone charger, so you have to pick what matters most. It was quite cold at night, and there were no toiletries. Reception said we could wash our hands with shower gel. The night curtain covered only about two thirds of the window, so the first sunlight woke us. Breakfast wasn’t fully laid out; you had to ask staff for porridge from the kitchen. The buffet spoons hadn’t been washed properly.