AltynAi Guest House in Cholpon-Ata

A two-story guesthouse, crowded when full. The grounds are not very green. Beautiful willow, petunias, and roses. A small playground. Swings with a canopy. A chicken coop. Meals are available, but when we were there, the cook was away and the menu was unknown, so the housekeepers cooked. Tables are cleared after scheduled meals, but if people eat on their own, they don't clean up after themselves and no one wipes down the table, leaving it dirty. Pros: clean rooms, close to the lake, very close to the hot spring, fairly close to the park. Inexpensive. Private water heater in the room, no issues with hot water on the second floor. Cons: the doors are rickety, don't close or open well, some mattresses are also wobbly (some are saggy, others have springs that dig in), and the mattresses are very hard (this may be a plus for some). The toilet has a persistent, terrible septic tank smell. There's a window for ventilation, but you have to open the door to do that. With the door closed, it's there and there's no escape. There's no kitchen. The owners say there is one, but THAT'S not a kitchen. And for THAT, they want to charge 50 som for a stovetop and 100 som for a glass. You couldn't even cook for piglets in a kitchen like that. The sink in this kitchen is a complete wreck. There's a sink next to the dining area for washing your hands, and it's more or less adequate. There are no dishes or a kettle in the room. You can ask for dishes in the kitchen, but they didn't give you a kettle—it's not allowed. Boiling water in a thermos. But the local water has a lot of sediment and a peculiar taste; it was undrinkable, both in taste and in terms of how it affected our stomachs. There were no light bulbs in the lamps by the bed. Spiders in the toilet. The price fluctuates daily. Yesterday we called and it was 600, two days later they were saying 800. But they're negotiable. Bottom line: it's okay for the price. For those who don't mind the downsides, it might even be excellent. Compared to many others. We absolutely needed the ability to cook our own meals, so this wasn't an option.