Where Tourists Stay in Kazakhstan: Hotel Trends and Costs
Analysts at Ranking.kz have examined hotel preferences in Kazakhstan, including nightly rates, regional popularity among tourists, and where accommodations are most expensive. New Rules and Classification Standards Kazakhstan has implemented updated classification rules for hotels, hostels, recreation centers, and other tourist facilities. While largely technical, the amendments aim to make the classification system more transparent. New standards define specific requirements for accommodations from bed sizes to the mandatory availability of bathrooms and clarify procedures for applications, review timelines, and certificate issuance. According to the National Statistics Bureau, Kazakhstan had 4,300 accommodation facilities in the first quarter of 2025, up 7.7% from a year earlier. These included: 1,500 hotels without restaurants 1,400 bungalows, rural houses, and cottages 804 hotels with restaurants 113 children's camps 108 holiday homes 60 tourist bases 46 resorts 46 campsites Additionally, the country had 28 motels, nine trailer parks and entertainment complexes, and five tourist camps. Out of the total number of hotels, 2,200 had no star classification. Among those categorized, 25 received five-star ratings, 54 received four stars, 32 three stars, three received two stars, and one hotel had a one-star rating. Rising Tourist Numbers and Revenue The hospitality sector continues to show growth. In the first quarter of 2025, Kazakhstani hotels and similar facilities hosted 1.9 million guests, an increase of 12% compared to the same period in 2024. Of these, 1.6 million were Kazakhstani citizens and 257,200 were international tourists. Among domestic travelers, 1.2 million were leisure visitors, while 489,500 traveled for business. For foreign visitors, 120,100 arrived for personal reasons and 137,000 for business purposes. The most common countries of origin included Russia, China, India, Turkey, Uzbekistan, the United States, Kyrgyzstan, Germany, the United Kingdom, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Ukraine, Belarus, and Malaysia. According to UN Tourism, Kazakhstan generated $2.6 billion in international tourism revenue in 2024, up 17.1% from the previous year. Statista projects that the hotel industry will reach $583.15 million in 2025 and grow to $775.03 million by 2030, with the number of users expected to rise to 5.82 million. Regional Tourism Hubs Almaty remains Kazakhstan’s primary tourist destination, attracting 496,900 visitors in the first quarter of 2025, a 5% year-on-year increase. Other leading destinations include Astana (314,100), Almaty Region (161,500), Akmola Region (113,500), and Shymkent (100,100). Tripadvisor lists approximately 2,600 lodging options in Kazakhstan. The top-rated hotels by value include: Kazakhstan Hotel (3.2/5 based on 431 reviews) Park Hotel Almaty (4.5/5, 290 reviews) Uyut Hotel (3.9/5, 166 reviews) Swissotel Wellness Resort Alatau Almaty (4.2/5, 122 reviews) Grand Hotel Tien-Shan (4.3/5, 340 reviews) Data from the eQonaq platform shows that in June 2025, the most visited hotels were Rixos Water World Aktau, Holiday Inn, Sheraton Nur-Sultan Hotel, SAAD Hotel, and Rixos Almaty. The majority of guests during this period were from Uzbekistan (47,600), Russia (42,700), and China (19,500). Hotel Prices by Region In July 2025, the average cost of a hotel night in Kazakhstan was 20,100 KZT (approximately $37), a 0.3% increase from June and 6.2% higher...
