Hotels in Kazakhstan

During the recent years of rapid economic growth in Kazakhstan, the picture as regards hotel accommodation has transformed. In Almaty, Astana and the oil boom towns of the west, smart four- and five-star hotels run by international chains cater to the upper end of the business travel market.

For the most part, the effect of this uplift in Kazakhstan's accommodation stock has been positive. But a downside is the increasing paucity of options for the budget traveller. Almaty in particular presents a real challenge for visitors looking for budget options, as once relatively cheap hotels like the Alma-Ata have been smartened up, and their prices cranked up to match.

Kazakhstan lags behind some of its neighbours in the region as regards the provision of good-value accommodation specifically aimed at foreign tourists, with attention paid to highlighting the culture and traditions of the country.

The cost of accommodation is highest in Almaty, where you will have to pay upwards of $150 a night for a decidedly ordinary room with en suite in a modest hotel. A similar hotel room in one of the non-oil boom regional capitals would set you back perhaps US$70. A room in one of the top-range international hotels in Almaty is upwards of $400 a night. Hotel prices in Astana are not far behind, and Atyrau is also expensive.