A group of us stayed at the Shera for 3 nights when in Almaty for the Kazakhstan v England football match.

There are not too many hotel options in Almaty, most are either top end of the Mmarkey (Intercontinental/Hyatt) or the lower end (Hotel Kazakhstan/Kazhol) but the Shera provides a great option somewhere in the middle.

We were treated fantasically while we were there with the staff not able to do enough for us. The 3 Nigerian bell boys deserve a special mention as they were all exceedingly friendly and happy to help.

The rooms were on a par with a Western 4 star hotel with good bathrooms and a plasma TV showing international channels.

The bar and restaurant are open 24 hours and although we didn't eat there, we happily sat at the bar for late night drinks.

The hotel is not right in the centre, but that may just be because Almaty doesn't really have a centre. It is only a fifteen minute walk from Independence Monument. Getting round in... more