 | Flytrippers cofounder |
Caroline and I went on a trip to Kazakhstan and spent about a month in Almaty earlier this year. It’s a big city right at the foot of the mountains, and we enjoyed it and will be back for sure. We had a 35,000-point Marriott Bonvoy free night certificate about to expire, so in the middle of our stay we redeemed it at The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty to splurge and test it out for you.
This luxurious stay at a great 5-star hotel worth 601 USD is a great example of why every Canadian traveler should have 2 amazing Marriott Bonvoy free night certificates every year (and 4 in 2-player mode, like we do).
Now is the best time to get the cards if you don’t already have both, with the record-high deals. Flytrippers aims to help you travel for less through our 3 types of content, namely flight deals, travel rewards, and tips/inspiration/news.
Here’s my review of The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty.
What is it like to stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty?
Our room at The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty had a very comfortable king bed and great views of the city and mountains.
The gym had everything I wanted, and the free breakfast had caviar, champagne, and local specialties like kazy.
The Ritz-Carlton is arguably the most luxurious of Marriott’s 40+ different hotel brands, and this experience definitely lived up to our expectations. It was an amazing redemption of a Marriott certificate.
What is the price of The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty?
I booked The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty by redeeming a Marriott Bonvoy 35,000-point free night certificate along with a 2,000-point top-up.
We would never close the Marriott cards because it’s very easy to get more value from each certificate than the annual fee (120 CAD for the Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card and 150 CAD for the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex Card). Think of it as prepaying a much more expensive night, like this one.
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Caroline and I have 4 of those cards between us (2 each), which is what all Canadian couples who like to travel should do as well. We have at least 8 certificates a year if you count those from our US-issued cards as well.
Contrary to the common misconception, you do not need an incorporated business to get the business card, and each card gives you 1 certificate every year after the first renewal.
For our stay, the price was 601 USD. It’s the same price for the same date in 2027, and some nights in June 2027 are even 966 USD. It’s a fancy hotel.
The price was only 37,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.
By deducting the ≈ 18 CAD (our conservative Flytrippers Valuation of the 2,000-point top-up), we saved 588 USD with our certificate. That’s phenomenal value. That’s about 7 times more than the Marriott Bonvoy Amex Card’s annual fee.
I also wrote a review of the Four Points by Sheraton Bansko, where we stayed a bit later, where the certificate can be worth 245 EUR in peak season.
This is way better. I would certainly stay here again with the certificate. It makes sense at an expensive cash price like this one.
It’s exactly the best scenario to maximize the certificate’s value. We had been holding onto one once we knew we were going to Almaty because this hotel seemed like the best redemption option to try something more unique.
But I would not spend a pile of Marriott points here when you can get many more nights for much less elsewhere. And I would not pay the cash price, as there are better affordable options in Almaty.
This was a splurge to redeem the certificate the best way we could, as we often do on our quest to visit every country, thanks to the wonderful world of travel rewards.
Where is The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty located?
The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty is in a very nice, modern part of the city, with Esentai Mall at the base of the tower.
We took a Yandex (the Uber-like service in Kazakhstan and much of the post-Soviet states) there so we could start our stay as early as possible, then had a nice 45-minute walk back along the Esentai canal the next afternoon.
How was the check-in experience at The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty?
At The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty, you take an elevator from the ground floor to the check-in desk on the 30th floor, and you get a nice view of most of Almaty from up there.
They gave us apple tea they serve here as a welcome drink.
Almaty is where apples are from, and they are proud of that; even the city’s name comes from the Kazakh word alma (алма), which means “apple”.
Check-in was easy. The staff spoke perfect English, which is rare in this city, and they were very nice.
We asked for an 11 AM early check-in and a 4 PM late check-out to maximize our time at the hotel, as usual. They gave us both because of my Marriott elite status.
With my US-issued Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card, I get automatic Platinum elite status, and that’s the best tier to reach. With the Canadian Marriott Bonvoy Amex Cards, you get automatic Silver elite status… but you get a shortcut to Platinum elite status.
You need to stay 35 nights (instead of 50), which is what I used to do every year. But there’s also usually a double-night promo in the winter that you can plan a trip around to get Platinum status with as little as 18 nights.
However, the Ritz-Carlton brand is the only one where Platinum elite status does not include access to the VIP hotel lounge. It’s also one of the few brands where you don’t get free breakfast either.
They gave us the breakfast anyway, plus a bottle of local wine and a cake as welcome gifts. We did not get a room upgrade here, though.
What is the room like at The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty?
We booked and stayed in the standard room at The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty: Deluxe Guest Room, 1 King, City view.
The style was more classic, and it was a big enough room with a small seating area and a desk.
The bed was very comfortable, and the blackout curtains were great. We slept well; the room was quiet.
The desk was good for working, and the Wi-Fi was fast.
There was a coffee machine and a fridge. The listing also shows a minibar, though I’m not sure I clocked it.
There was no balcony, but the room had floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city and mountains.
The bathroom was spacious, with a separate toilet, shower, and bath. There was also a heated floor and great water pressure.
There was enough storage, even though we did not have much stuff anyway.
The air conditioning worked well.
What amenities are offered at The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty?
The gym at The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty had all the machines and weights I wanted, and I was able to use it both days, thanks to our early check-in and late check-out.
The spa has a free sauna and a steam room, but I did not use them.
The lobby on the 30th floor has a great view of the city and the mountains.
The hotel also has an indoor pool, but we never used it.
There’s a Club Lounge, the frequent name for hotel VIP lounges, but as is the case at all The Ritz-Carlton properties, it’s only accessible if you book a Club-level room.
How was the food at The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty?
Breakfast at The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty was the buffet at their Vista restaurant. It was not crowded at all.
I am not sure if they also had à la carte, but the buffet spread was extensive, with caviar, champagne, local foods like kazy (horse sausage), and the usual eggs and pastries.
The hotel also has an international restaurant, Seven. There’s also the Sky Bar and Lounge on the 30th floor. We didn’t try either, though.
We didn’t eat any other meals at the hotel. For dinner, we grabbed pizza from the mall food court and ate it in the room with the bottle of local wine they gave us.
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Summary
At The Ritz-Carlton, Almaty, our room had great views of the mountains and the city. I used the good gym both days, and had a great breakfast with caviar and kazy. I would stay again with a 35,000-point Marriott Bonvoy free night certificate plus 2,000 points, but I would not pay 601 USD in cash.
What would you like to know about my review of the Ritz-Carlton, Almaty hotel? Tell us in the comments below.
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Featured image: The Ritz-Carlton building and robe (photo credit: Kevin Gagnon/Flytrippers)
