Karavansaray Turkistan Khaganate Hotel

We would not recommend this hotel nor visit again. Our decision to stay here was influenced by our frequent visits to the Land of Legends and the hotel's similar concept. However, the service fell far short of a 5-star experience, leaving us eager to depart. Upon arranging a taxi through the hotel for airport pickup, we experienced significant delays in being collected. It turned out that the taxi was waiting outside the airport, a fact that was not communicated to us. While all other taxis and hotel pickups were typically found in the arrivals waiting area, this particular situation caused confusion. After we paid the taxi driver directly, the hotel insisted that we pay the same amount again. When questioned, they justified this by claiming that the driver had to wait because he arrived at 1:20 PM. This is where our frustration peaked. I had provided my flight details to the hotel; although my flight was scheduled to land at 1:20 PM, it actually arrived about 10 minutes later. Considering the standard procedures for passport control and luggage collection, a minimum of half an hour buffer should have been anticipated. It is reasonable to expect the hotel and taxi service to monitor the live status of flights and adjust accordingly. The staff members who checked us in, including the man and the lady at the front desk, were notably unfriendly. There was no welcoming demeanor; instead, they simply requested our passports for check-in without providing any additional information unless prompted. Overall, the lack of professionalism and poor service we encountered during our stay left a lasting negative impression. In addition, there was an extremely unpleasant man at the hotel, wearing a grey jacket and having brown hair, who made us feel very unwelcome. He never wore a name badge, and his demeanor towards us was notably hostile. Despite observing him greet others kindly, we were left puzzled by his unwarranted attitude towards us. Interactions with him were met with terse, one-word answers, further adding to our discomfort. Visiting the reception desk became an experience we dreaded, primarily due to his unwelcoming behavior. Our experience at Rixos, on the other hand, was a stark contrast. The staff there were delightful, friendly, and always eager to assist. The presence of a swimming pool and spa facilities at Rixos further convinced us that staying there would be a more enjoyable option. Considering that Karavan Saray could be explored in a day, there seemed to be little reason to endure the subpar service at the current hotel and aside from offering flying theatre tickets, there is no other benefit of staying at this hotel! Breakfast was awful with stale and hard croissants and waffles and not much variety. The hotel staff require significant training in hosting guests and catering to tourists from diverse backgrounds. On two separate occasions, we requested a razor and tissues, and despite our calls, no staff member arrived with the

Good location if you want to be in the caravanasery area. It was great that the hotel included entry to flying theatre which was really good. The hotel is very clean. The rooms are large and modern. Wifi worked well. Beds are comfortable. Shower worked well. It's easily walkable from hotel to the old sights which is good. Breakfast was good with plenty of variety. Bar at hotel seemed to be only place that sold alcohol as other restaurants didn't. Most of the place is empty in terms of shops around as still being developed but plenty to see and do for a day. The hotel restaurant at dinner was completely empty but we ate next door. Only issue was fridge in room did not work most of the time which is an issue if one relies on it for medication. Also the front desk lady said the show was on at 9pm which we checked with her few times but turned out it was at 8pm so we missed it and there is no information written anywhere. The standard information should be provided in the rooms in written format. More Kazakh decor would be good but very modern and comfortable hotel.