Step into the shoes of the latter day Communist Party elite. One of the best places to stay in Alamty, the Alatau Sanatorium is removed from the general smog of the city centre, and has an old fashioned feel.
Telephone: +7 3172 254 9765
Price: 16,900–32,400 tenge
Originally established during Soviet times as a place of rest and relaxation for the Communist Party elite, Alatau Sanatorium, or ‘health resort’ as it prefers to be known, is now open to all.
Set in a large area of wooded grounds roughly 15km to the west of the city centre, the sanatorium offers fresh air and quiet, a spectacular view of the Zhailiskii Alatau mountains, and – should you be interested – an intriguing range of health treatments.
Inside, the décor has barely changed since the apparatchiks moved out, so this gives a fascinating insight into the grand old days of the Soviet Union. With the 18-hole Nurtau Golf Club in the grounds, an aqua park attached to the hotel, mineral water treatments and billiards, paintball, a gym, kiosk, souvenir shop and even a post office, you almost don’t need to go into town, but if you do, bear in mind it can take time in the traffic.
