I spent three nights at this hotel on a business trip to Astana. It's the oldest international chain hotel in the city and considered to still be one of the best. It's located in the old part of town, which can be a bit inconvinient for business travellers - almost all of the companies, banks, gonernment oficials, etc. are located in "new" Astana. On the other hand, I don't think I'd enjoy staying in the new part of town, with all those really weird buildings (there's one shaped like an egg, a pair of gold towers, etc. - to unusuall for my liking) and hardly any people around. The rooms are quite simple, but pretty big, and it's very clean. For some reason though, the staff in the hotel do this strange thing called "guest check" - they knock on your door at some point during the afternoon or early evening, just to check whether you're in the room or not. And this has nothing to do with housekeeping, because it's usually done when the room has already been clened. The breakfast is decent, but you could expect more from an Intercontinental. There's a nice Italian restaurant, and some other restaurants as well, but the italian one is the only one I had my meals at. The lobby bar is also quite nice. But the prices are ridiculous, compared to how cheap everything in Astana is.

I travel weekly from Almaty to Astana, and stay either at the Rixos or the Intercontinental. In November of this year, the Intercontinental started a much-needed facelift in the basement and lobby. As a result, there is currently nowhere to sit for coffee and the gym/spa is closed. In this area, the Rixos clearly outshines (its gym is heavenly, and its lobby is spacious and welcoming)-- but that is only for the short-term. The Intercontinental provides true high-speed wireless internet (the Rixos has wireless, but it's very slow and only up about 50% of the time), which is a must for business travelers. The service in the restaurants (all of which have non-smoking sections) and at the front desk at the Intercontinental are much higher quality than the Rixos. The restaurants are all fairly reasonably priced (the Rixos entrees start at $40 or so) and well put-together. There is also pizza and other snacks for those who just want a snack in their room. The Intercontinental is also rennovating its rooms. Like the Rixos, wide-screen flat-panel TVs will be provided in each room, and the furniture will be updated. (The Rixos has a much larger selection of satellite channels with English and German.) If you're going to meetings at any of the ministries on the left bank, you'll have a 20- to 30-minute drive (although Ministry of Finance, Customs, and Ministry of Culture are still close by). There are interesting restaurants, bowling, and other entertainment within easy walking distance, whereas the Rixos is fairly isolated (especially in winter, when a 15- or 20-minute walk is brutal). Of the two hotels, if I don't plan to exercise, I prefer the Intercontinental, with its excellent and plentiful breakfast (with a non-smoking section!) and high-speed wireless internet. I also earn Priority Club or airline points at the Intercontinental -- the Rixos doesn't have a perks club of which I'm aware.

The Intercontinental is in the old(er) part of town. It’s a more lively part of town where you can see people going about their lives, rather than the weird, spooky new business district where you are surrounded by modern glass and steel skyscrapers (some of which seem to be falling apart already, though just built). The InterContinental is modern and the rooms are a reasonably size. You have a comfortable bed, a smallish TV and a decent bathroom (shower in the bath with a curtain). If you have a corporate rate then the room charge is reasonable. They get you on the extras and the prices of all the services are bordering on absurd. $24 an HOUR for wireless broadband – or if you think that you are not keen to spend in two or three hours what you normally spend on internet access for a month back home, then you can use dial up (remember dial up?). They have an ISP that you can use and this is only $17.40 an hour so you can surf (in slow motion) for three or four hours before topping your monthly broadband bill at home. Laundry is more expensive than most other hotels at $8 a shirt, $4 for a pair of underpants or $6 a T-shirt. Make sure you bring your own water as the tap water’s not safe to drink and the bottled water is $6 for 330ml. Other drinks - $26 for 40ml of Johnnie Walker Black label or $320 for a bottle of standard Moet en Chandon. Pay per view movies on the small television are $20 each. You get the picture on costs. I moved out the Rixos in the new business centre because they had put the heating on (cold at night already in September) and the windows don’t open – leading to a hot, stuffy room with no escape. Well the InterContinental has is the same though they have some rooms with windows that do open (if you sign an indemnity form). Though it’s not perfect, the Rixos wins if this is a competition. Also worth noting that the main road bridge over the river (at the Ramstore) is closed until the middle of 2008. This can make for traffic issues if you work in the new business district or getting to the airport from the InterContinental.

Just back from a 3 night stay at the Okan-IC in Astana. Even the hotel might not be top of the line by western standards, it stil is quite a good place to stay, considering in which part of the world you are in. Rooms are ok, also by western standards. The size is not great, but acceptable and the furniture is the typical chain hotel furniture you find all around the world. Bathrooms are nicely equipped and kept to acceptable sanitary standards. Beds are comfortable, the sheets of decent quality and the selection of TV-Channels is great. Room breakfast arrived on time, quality of food was nice. Still they kept forgetting some items every time. Once the Juice, once the fruits and so on ... Front desk is very nice, polite & helpful, nevertheless they seem to be a little helpless from time to time. They have a very cozy bar on 1st floor ("Windsor") that has a fantastic barkeeper and happy hour from 6-7 daily. Now the downside: Pool, Sauna & Gym were closed for renovation until Nov 2007. Food at restaurant is ok, nothing special, but ok. Staff at restaurants however are as bad as it can be. Reminds you of Warsaw or Prague in the late 70´s. No smile, no charme. Nothing. Really bad!!! They do have a Disco type nightclub ("Arena") on site, but as my stay was midweek, the place was totally empty every night. Considering evening nightlife, take a taxi to the newly opened Radisson Hotel (5 minutes) and got to "Chocolade" there. Very decent, exclusive nightclub in a post modern 70´s-retro style. Very classy!!! They have live bar-jazz and pour decent G&T´s. Highly recommendable!!! All in all the Okana IC at Astana would be a little disappointing if it were in a western city, but for Astana it is a decent place to stay.

The Intercontinental is in the old(er) part of town. It’s a more lively part of town where you can see people going about their lives, rather than the weird, spooky new business district where you are surrounded by modern glass and steel skyscrapers (some of which seem to be falling apart already, though just built). The InterContinental is modern and the rooms are a reasonably size. You have a comfortable bed, a smallish TV and a decent bathroom (shower in the bath with a curtain). If you have a corporate rate then the room charge is reasonable. They get you on the extras and the prices of all the services are bordering on absurd. $24 an HOUR for wireless broadband – or if you think that you are not keen to spend in two or three hours what you normally spend on internet access for a month back home, then you can use dial up (remember dial up?). They have an ISP that you can use and this is only $17.40 an hour so you can surf (in slow motion) for three or four hours before topping your monthly broadband bill at home. Laundry is more expensive than most other hotels at $8 a shirt, $4 for a pair of underpants or $6 a T-shirt. Make sure you bring your own water as the tap water’s not safe to drink and the bottled water is $6 for 330ml. Other drinks - $26 for 40ml of Johnnie Walker Black label or $320 for a bottle of standard Moet en Chandon. Pay per view movies on the small television are $20 each. You get the picture on costs. I moved out the Rixos in the new business centre because they had put the heating on (cold at night already in September) and the windows don’t open – leading to a hot, stuffy room with no escape. Well the InterContinental has is the same though they have some rooms with windows that do open (if you sign an indemnity form). Though it’s not perfect, the Rixos wins if this is a competition. Also worth noting that the main road bridge over the river (at the Ramstore) is closed until the middle of 2008. This can make for traffic issues if you work in the new business district or getting to the airport from the InterContinental.