A place to lay your head …
Star rating systems are a common tool for classifying accommodation
There are many different aspects to organizing a tour for clients. A standard checklist of things that need to be considered when designing an itinerary includes:
- Transport
- Accommodation
- Guide Services
- Activities
Accommodation, (finding a place to lay your head at night), is a fundamental aspect of tourism …
Whilst we own and operate the “Silk Road Lodge” in Bishkek and the “Celestial Mountains Guesthouse” in Naryn, we are not committed to using them for groups that travel with us, (it depends on the clients wishes – price, levels of comfort, etc. … and availability on the given dates), and we make arrangements at a number of other places in hotels, sanatoria, guesthouses, yurt camps, homestays, etc. around Kyrgyzstan.
There is a considerable range of styles accommodation available. Depending upon how long a tour is, and the chosen itinerary, and we usually recommend broadening the experience by staying in a variety of different types of accommodation … for example :
- A hotel in Bishkek;
- A Sanatoria / Resort on the shores of Lake Issyk Kul
- A Guest house in Karakol
- A homestay in Kochkor
- A yurt in Son Kul
These are only suggestions; a lot of variations are possible … for example, there are some hostels or it may be possible to rent an apartment, or to go camping … perhaps the only option that is not available is a Caravan Park … but I can’t help thinking that, given time, that too will be available in the future.
However, it has to be noted that the standard and quality of accommodation will vary throughout the country.
To be honest, much of the accommodation is “basic”, but that is not necessarily to say sub-standard … however, the international traveler who is used to “comfort” may find the level of facilities less than they are used to. At the moment, for example, very few hotels have any official “star” rating. There is a system of classification but it is not particularly effective. Very few hotels have applied for a rating.
Back when we opened the Silk Road Lodge the classification system in use was based on the GOST, (State Standard System), employed in Russia, (which in turn was based on a French system). Over the years, however, the Russians changed their system and so did Kyrgyzstan.
The system currently in use was designed with the help of the European Union and, like the Swiss system, it is administered by the Hotels and Restaurants Association. Hotels apply and a commission establishes what classification to award.
The system, however, is still in its infancy. It is voluntary, and so it is not universally applied. As a result, the grading can only really be an indication of the standard of facilities and services available. When we get clients requesting 4-star accommodation, then we have to inform them that the choice is limited to a number of hotels in Bishkek – and a few other places elsewhere in the country.
CBT's Guesthouse and Edelweiss icons
The Kyrgyz Community Based Tourism Association, (KCBTA), operates a three level classification system homestays (Bed and Breakfast accommodation) and yurts offered by its members … instead of using stars, they use an Edelweiss symbol.
There has been a considerable increase in the number of hotels and other establishments offering accommodation in recent years. The increasing competition has not only meant an increase in the number of places, (beds), available, it has brought about a stimulus for improving standards in both facilities and services.
To be fair, considerable work is being undertaken at many of the hotels, resorts, sanatoria, etc. throughout the country – with both large and small developments. There is considerable investment being made – and planned for the future – in improving the “hotel stock” in the country.
In the West, many tourists travel “under their own steam”, using their own transport and deciding their itinerary as they go along. If they want to linger in one particular place then they can … and when they decide that it is time to move on they can often go into a Tourist Information Center and book accommodation in the next town.
Most tourists in Kyrgyzstan, however, have a set itinerary and the accommodation is chosen by the tour company organizing the tour. The selection is based upon a number of factors such as the chosen route and timing, the type of accommodation, the standard – star rating …. oh, and yes … the price. That choice of accommodation, however, may be limited in each location that they visit.
Even where there is a choice, (in the main cities such as Bishkek and Karakol, for example, or around Lake Issyk Kul), there is sometimes a problem over availability. In Naryn, for example, there are less than 200 available beds … which can cause problems in finding accommodation if there are several groups travelling through the area at any one time.
This problem is most pronounced in Bishkek when large international conferences are scheduled, or in Issyk Kul during the high summer season, (from mid July until the end of August). In Naryn, the problem normally arises on Thursday and Monday evenings – as many travelers cross the Chinese border just before and after the weekend.
Bishkek