Rahat Palace Hotel — Hotel in Almaty

Saying this hotel is a 5 star hotel should be an embarrassment to the hotel industry. The attached spa was completely different. It was amazing and I'm writing a completely different review for it. With that being said, I'm not saying it's a bad hotel, I'm just saying it's certainly no 5 star hotel. Maybe in 1994 it was, actually in 1994 I'm sure it would have been. I'm a backpacker at heart. I've stayed in $5 hostels all over the world. I have no issue with cheap places but don't call yourself a 5 star hotel then give me stained carpets, stained bedding, a dirty bathroom, and dust so thick I can draw pictures in it.

We live in Almaty but every few weeks just for the fun of it and to learn about the city my husband and I get a hotel in the city on a Saturday night. We eat at a new restaurant, walk around the neighborhood, and do some exploring. That's what we did yesterday.

The customer service was perfect. Everyone was great. I have no complaints. All issues are about the hotel calling themselves 5 star. It's a total joke.

So, my hair is past my shoulders and his head is shaved. When we arrived there was approximately 2 inch long hair all along the corners of the bathroom. It was kind of like my teen daughter had cleaned the bathroom. Remember, this is a "five star" hotel. There were also no wash cloths in the bathroom for us to bathe ourselves. Weird. I mentioned the length of our hair because I've already learned from being here 8 months that had I complained they would have tried telling me it was my hair. I didn't bother.

There were stains all over the bedding. Honestly, it's not such a big deal to me. They were probably washed. They were just stained and it didn't come out in the wash, but if you're going to put stained bedding on your terribly uncomfortable beds you can't call yourself a five star hotel.

I could go on and on about all the tiny little things that were wrong but it would make me look like an awful person. The thing is, I'm really not. I'm pretty easy-going and omg I've happily stayed in way worse places than that. The point is, the Rahat is a perfectly acceptable 4 star hotel and had their website advertised themselves as a 4 star hotel I'd be here giving them a 4 star review. Were they to call themselves a 4 star hotel I'd be recommending you stay there, heck, I'm not even saying don't stay there, I'm just saying don't expect a 5 star experience because this is NOT a...

POSITIVES: |Breathtaking mountain and city views, and a delicious breakfast created a memorable stay. With extensive experience as a guest in the hospitality industry, I can say my stay at Rahat Palace ranks among the best. As a traveler, high-quality hospitality matters greatly to me. Rahat Palace impressed me with its comfortable amenities.||NEGATIVES:|1) My Number One problem occurred when an untrained staff member tried to evict me from my already paid room. He didn't introduce himself, wasn't polite, and almost behaved like a nightclub bouncer. 😁 I extended my stay by one day and have already paid for it. I also called the reception to notify them of the extension. Yet, the next day, "the bouncer" showed up at my door, saying my stay had ended and I needed to leave the room. I've never seen such unprofessionalism anywhere (even in hostels) before. There seems to be a lack of communication within the hotel staff or a broken system. || 2) My second major issue was with how they handled my credit card details. Despite having all my card details when I booked the room, they chose to charge only at the end of my stay. After I extended my stay, they deactivated my room key even though I informed the reception about the extension. When I finally provided my card to pay, they ran the charge twice, causing an international fraud alert from my bank and blocking the payment. This entire ordeal took two hours, causing me to miss an important meeting and ruining the rest of my day. Furthermore, they seem confused (or have no clue) about the difference between a Debit Card and a Credit Card. You have to request a machine that processes Credit Cards without requiring a PIN, or else they keep asking you to enter your PIN to pay. ||3) Regarding the room: I stayed in a standard king bedroom. There was no full-length mirror, so I had to use the reflection in the balcony door as a mirror, -ha-ha-haaa. If you’re a digital nomad, this might matter, as there’s no rolling desk chair. I really enjoy the feeling of relief that comes with rolling away from my desk when I...

POSITIVES: Breathtaking mountain and city views, and a delicious breakfast created a memorable stay. With extensive experience as a guest in the hospitality industry, I can say my stay at Rahat Palace ranks among the best. As a traveler, high-quality hospitality matters greatly to me. Rahat Palace impressed me with its comfortable amenities.

NEGATIVES:

1. My Number One problem occurred when an untrained staff member tried to evict me from my already paid room. He didn't introduce himself, wasn't polite, and almost behaved like a nightclub bouncer. 😁 I extended my stay by one day and have already paid for it. I also called the reception to notify them of the extension. Yet, the next day, "the bouncer" showed up at my door, saying my stay had ended and I needed to leave the room. I've never seen such unprofessionalism anywhere (even in hostels) before. There seems to be a lack of communication within the hotel staff or a broken system. 2) My second major issue was with how they handled my credit card details. Despite having all my card details when I booked the room, they chose to charge only at the end of my stay. After I extended my stay, they deactivated my room key even though I informed the reception about the extension. When I finally provided my card to pay, they ran the charge twice, causing an international fraud alert from my bank and blocking the payment. This entire ordeal took two hours, causing me to miss an important meeting and ruining the rest of my day. Furthermore, they seem confused (or have no clue) about the difference between a Debit Card and a Credit Card. You have to request a machine that processes Credit Cards without requiring a PIN, or else they keep asking you to enter your PIN to pay. 1) Regarding the room: I stayed in a standard king bedroom. There was no full-length mirror, so I had to use the reflection in the balcony door as a mirror, -ha-ha-haaa. If you’re a digital nomad, this might matter, as there’s no rolling desk chair. I really enjoy the feeling of relief that comes with rolling away from my desk when I...