The Skif Hotel, Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan

Since we were not able to find much information on the Skif Hotel on the Internet prior to traveling I figured I’d spend a post talking about the hotel we are staying in. Some level information on this place would have been rather helpful when making our travel plans.

This hotel seems to be the hotel of choice for some adoption agencies as there are multiple couples here going through the same process. It looks like it has been recently renovated with more renovations ongoing but even the newly renovated sections would find it difficult to climb to the level of two stars in a western hotel. I give it a solid one star.

The foyer is large, tiled and kept extremely clean (there is always someone sweeping it). On the lower level is a very large dining room, the tables attractively set with tablecloths and cloth napkins in a royal blue and gold colour scheme.  Breakfast is included in the price of the room and usually has eggs, some type of cereal, bread and with a couple of the options some fruit.

They have one menu translated to English (everyone has to share) and in case you are not inclined to eat horse meat (a meat of choice in Kazakhstan), it is indicated in the menu. The food is quite good and very reasonably priced. Dinner for four the other night rang in at $20 or so. That being said, by the fourth night you are going to be looking for alternatives as the menu just isn’t that varied.

The second floor is recommended since the rooms are outfitted to North American standards. If you need space, the suites are a good choice but are a bit more expensive. There is a fairly large foyer, living room and separate bedroom, a 2 piece bathroom and a separate shower room (some with showers only, others with tub with shower). The suites go for approximately $105 per night with the Tenge at 150 or so to the US dollar. We were offered a 20% discount if we paid for our stay in advance.

The smaller rooms are more like normal hotel rooms and are a bit cheaper.  There is also a fridge. Maid service is rather sporadic but if you tip them you get a good service. Bring slippers since the carpets are not very clean.

There is a workout room with 2 treadmills, 2 stationary bicycles, an elliptical trainer, some weight machines and free weights. The full size gym has basketball nets, a volleyball net and a ping-pong table.  The pool is all one depth and deep so it is not ideal for children. It is a requirement to wear a bathing cap which they sell in the pool area for 400 Tenge. There are change rooms, showers and a sauna but everything looks rather ex-Soviet Union, albeit with a more recent coat of paint.

The hotel is within walking distance to a number of grocery stores, restaurants and a mall. Constitution Avenue, also within walking distance is a great place to go for a walk as it is a car free zone. More to come on the area around the hotel in future posts.