Overview

A positive in selecting a prominent hotel chain is you know what standards to expect and that the quality is good. Like 85% of Astana the buildingsand this Hotel is modern, large, spacious, hall ways well equipped rooms and toilets with specialist featured rooms for wheelchair guests, hotel full of accessibility throughout. MotorTransport is predominant here, there are no buses that are wheelchair suited, it’s a sparse and infrequent service. Book a taxi through your accommodation others will charge up to 4 times more. A negotiated price at point of order makes all the difference, although we like to support all the locals as much as possible this was advice given from the Kazak and British Embassies. Proper companies have accredited drivers with modern and disabled access vehicles. Cost example Airport to City Center 2000 Tenge, about £4.00. The hotel we booked was as deliberately asclose the FC Astana Football arena as possible

Transport & Parking

Astana is a modern City, almost Metropolis looking in architecture, whilst hey are trying to impress with their futuristic styles, their infrastructure has a pre soviet feel to it and some way to catch up. The Country and Astana is flat so there are no slopes to contend with, only the -23 temps at night or - 5 during the day but any wind is a dry one. There is ample parking any and everywhere, the driving can be a bit erratic and use of the horn is frequent. As said, the bus service is sparse and only runs along the main trunk roads, and not suitable for wheelchair users. There is no train service.

Access

Building a modern City has brought with its design integration with disabled and accessibility, can’t comment on going out given the sheet ice and snow but there were places in the city for dining out that were fully disable and chair accessible. At the arena I was met by a member of the local police who said he was their to show us a clear ice free route to our seats and assisted me and the rest of our group, we were also escorted back to our original access point. Can’t fault the local and national police and other stadium staff, they were brilliant, helpful and are really keen to promote their City and Country, I gave the info and details of the Guide and promoted further in discussion with the Astana Tourism and Cultural forum after the game.

Toilets

At Astana Airport, and within the Hotel, fully accessible equipped and well serviced, Did not use,at the Stadium but was informed by our host of the accessibility, provision, signage and directions.

Staff

The Astana and Kazakhstan people and those in their service industries are keen to promote their country, culture and all they have to offer. To say we were impressed was an understatement, whilst there remain remnants of the soviet area, they are progressively moving forwards to develop and encourage other people’s to visit them. A lovely welcoming touch was on our flight from Frankfurt to Astana, by Air Astana - all of us travelling for the game were given welcome packs by the cabin crew including hand made sweets with a welcome message for all Scotland Supporters. Similar to reveiw I completed for Tirana and Albania, you could not have met a more welcoming and friendly Country and it’s people, although Russian was the common language their were those who also spoke there local languages.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

Various Scottish Football Supporters Clubs donated up to £10k to a local Childrens Autistic group, they were interested and inspired by the Guide in the promotion I gave them. This country has lots of cultural wealth to offer and Astana is a remarkable City to visiting in every respect.