Intercontinental Astana - 阿斯坦纳

You have a comfortable bed, a smallish TV and a decent bathroom (shower in the bath with a curtain).

Watch that you get a big bed; the small ones in the twins and singles are a bit narrow.

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.

Like the Rixos, wide-screen flat-panel TVs will be provided in each room, and the furniture will be updated.

Well the InterContinental has is the same though they have some rooms with windows that do open (if you sign an indemnity form).

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.

Room breakfast arrived on time, quality of food was nice.

Food at restaurant is ok, nothing special, but ok.

The restaurants are all fairly reasonably priced (the Rixos entrees start at $40 or so) and well put-together.

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).

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.

Concierge staff very friendly, beds are comfortable.

Now the downside: Pool, Sauna & Gym were closed for renovation until Nov 2007.

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.

$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?

The rooms are quite simple, but pretty big, and it's very clean.