Postcard from Bishkek

A short while ago we did a short presentation of the hotel for a group of students following a Hotel Management course at one of Bishkek’s universities.

As I understood the request, the idea may simply to get them out of the classroom and into a real hotel … it wasn’t clear how many of them had been into a hotel before … so that they could have some framework which could help to put some of what they were learning in an academic situation into a practical context.

After the normal introductions and apologies for my Russian, there was a brief outline of the history of the hotel and how we worked.  We’ve been in business for over thirteen years and Bishkek is quite different now compared to the city in which the hotel opened back in August 2000.  Now, for example, there is a lot of competition and that means choice for our guests.  Those who want 5-star luxury – at 5-star prices – have hotels to meet their requirements whilst the tourist and budget traveler  also have a wide selection of accommodation to choose between.

What was it that guests looked for in a hotels?  and What helps them to decide which of the many hotels to patronize?  There are several factors which affect the answer which may alter form person to person, including: The price, The facilities, Advertising, Recommendations, Location … and sometimes something as basic as Availability, (no matter how attractive the hotel, if there are no rooms available on the requisite dates … then, sorry, it will be necessary to chose another hotel).

The conversation turned to the name – why did we choose the name “Silk Road Lodge“?   Although people may have seen photographs and read the text of descriptions, a list of facilities, and compared the prices – both with their budget and with other hotels – and the name should try and encapsulate the basic essence of the hotel.  So, what did we hope to convey with the name “Silk Road Lodge“?

The first part of the name, “Silk Road” is fairly obvious – I hope.  Bishkek lies on one of the branches of the ancient trading route.  Over the centuries this land has seen many, many travelers – and although the name Silk Road is usually associated with traders and merchants, those travelers also included Soldiers and Emissaries, Missionaries and scholars, Craftsmen and Artists, Explorers and Tourists … all sorts of people.

It took considerable time in order to travel the vast distances and involved much hardship and discomfiture and so the journey necessitate a different sort of patience and temperament than is required today.  These days, although the distances may be the same, the time taken is considerably less and in many places along the route facilities offer comfort and luxury that early travelers could only dream about.

 

As for the second part of the name, “Lodge“, as is often the case in English, the word has several meanings and can be either a noun or a verb.

Two of those meanings coincided in our planning for the hotel – one associated with providing accommodation or shelter, (such as a lodger staying with a family and renting rooms), and building providing that accommodation, (whether it be a small house at the entrance of a country mansion, a hut or tent as used by certain tribes of American Indians, or a house or cabin used occasionally – often providing accommodation for people involved in seasonal activities such as hunting or skiing).

In days gone by, for example, a King may have lived in a Palace, but when it came to going on a hunting party then he may have used a small hut or house in the woods as a base.  It may not have been a “palace fit for a king“, but it provided all that they needed for their temporary stay. Indeed, although some were very modest, others were much more elaborate.

I reminded them of the local tradition of having a Dacha in the country.  Here in Bishkek, on the outskirts of the city, there are several Dacha grounds where there are rows and rows of summer houses surrounded by gardens and orchards where the townspeople grow fruit and vegetables. In addition, there are a number of other Dachas around the country built as temporary residences for VIP visitors … akin to the hunting lodges used by Royalty and landed gentry.

In particular I reminded them of the two dachas that had been built for Leonid Brezhnev’s visits to Kyrgyzstan back in the 1960′s when he was General Secretary of the USSR.  The one, for example, up on Lake Issyk Kul is, unfortunately, a little run down – it’s basically just a shell.  There was a plan to renovate it but, as far as I am aware, nothing ever came of it.  It’s a small house by most standards … about six rooms for accommodation and official use, plus space for the security and services, set in a field just a short stroll from the beach.  Not exactly “a palace fit for a king”, (or perhaps that should have been “fit for a Tsar”), but “all the comforts of home” that a world leader might need for a few relaxing days by the lake.

That’s the sort of thing that we had in mind for the “Lodge” – not necessarily 5-star luxury but a comfortable “home away from home“, situated on the Great Silk Road, that the modern traveler might need for a few a days in Bishkek whether on holiday or for work.

The rooms are  spacious and airy, equipped with comfortable wooden beds, (either a single or King Size), built in wardrobes, split system air conditioners,  telephone with IDD and television with satellite channels, an armchair or couch, a desk as a workspace, a choice between wifi and cable internet access, a fridge and coffee/tea making facilities, an en-suite bathroom with a toilet, washbasin, bath/shower and hairdryer.

Included in the cost of the accommodation, we’ll arrange transport from the airport on arrival … and back on departure … breakfast and the use of saunas, indoor pool and exercise equipment and where necessary parking.

The only additional costs are for personal expenses such as telephone calls, laundry, other food and drink ordered from the restaurant or additional services ordered through the Business Center.

 

Tags: Celestial_Mountains, Hotels