Caspian Riviera Grand Palace Hotel

A fantastic hotel, probably the best in town, that has a feeling of grandeur and immensity from years past. The furniture in the rooms could use a little updating. The rooms are spacious but perhaps not in a good way, they are very large and have a feeling of emptiness, like a lot of wasted space that you can't really use. But the staff is smart and fast and handle whatever requests you need, though they don't really speak English. Make sure to take a walk on the waterfront side for some remarkable views, especially during sunset.

I really liked the location of the hotel. I rented a junior suite with a sea view, and every morning started with a beautiful view of the Caspian Sea. If you're planning to book a room at this hotel, make sure to choose one with a sea view. The room was spacious, but the furniture was already quite dated. Breakfasts were generally good, although the selection was limited. It’s enough to fill you up, but don’t expect any delicacies. The staff is responsive, but the service is somewhat inconsistent and could be improved in terms of speed and attention to detail.

The reception staff gave me zero information about the hotel. I had to squeeze them for answers. I wasn’t informed about the aquarium , restaurant possibilities, how to access the sea, breakfast location, breakfast time, availability of fitness centre. All standard information was not given to me. I have stayed in millions of 5 star hotels and this is a 2/3 star if we judge by service. I decided to leave an honest review so that you have the option to know the truth and the hotel has the possibility to improve. Inside the hotel is nice but the men’s toilet on gym level has no locks working on the doors of any cubicles. The toilets in the ground floor were filthy with tissue and other rubbish on the floor. Outside the hotel on the sea side of the hotel the infrastructure is old and tired. They could at least paint everything and even the simple tennis court is non existent and needs refurbishment. Maybe they have no money for improvements or maybe they save money , or maybe they don’t think about anything.

I am surprised that the review score is as high as 4.7 The value for money is low, and the facilities and services are disappointing. It’s not suitable for a vacation, and not even for business trips. The front desk is understaffed, and their English skills are inadequate. The hotel staff surprisingly do not speak English, and they did not properly hand over tasks between shifts. Promises made to guests were not fulfilled, requiring guests to email the hotel themselves for follow-up. The front desk staff are often clueless, the quality of service is poor, and there are not enough staff members. The facilities do not meet five-star standards; some parts are worn out, and there is a lack of equipment and supplies (for example, there isn’t even an iron, which is a basic item that a five-star hotel should have). Some outlets are loose, the floors are dirty, and the breakfast area is very basic (though the sea view is nice). The restaurant always has a lingering smell of cooking oil. The hotel rooms are poorly soundproofed, and you can constantly hear noise.

I was at the hotel for a week in August 2023 for work.||It's a fantastic hotel. Service was good food was good.||Design is very welcoming.||Location is just on the sea.||I got room 1009 which is probably one of the best rooms. It's more like a suite. It's a corner room at the end of the hall and has the best view of the Caspian sea. ||My colleague got room 1008. looks like the twin of my room 1009 (I think mine had a bit better view). Our superior got room 1109 which was above mine.||I believe room 1109 is the best in the hotel.||Hotel is on a cliff so lobby is on 6th floor.||There is a nice promenade along the sea. 2 km to the north you get to the I love Aktau sign. Heading south you arrive at the pier from which you can take boat trips.||July August it can get quite hot so avoid hot hours. Try and walk before 10:00 and/or after 19:00. ||The water can be surprisingly cold but its fun swimming in the sea. In the summer its fun to walk along the promenade at the vicinity of the I Love Aktau sign.|

This hotel was perfect for our stay in Aktau. We received a warm welcome from the reception team, Nasiba and Nurlan, who were super nice and answered all our questions. Assel was also super nice and helped us a lot. Breakfast was very nice👍🏾 The staff was amazing throughout our entire stay, their service and help were exceptional! Although the hotel is quite old, it was impeccably clean. The bed was very comfortable, and the room was spacious. The hotel's location is amazing, with everything within easy reach. The only downside was the loud noise from the roof. If your balcony has a sea view, you'll need to keep your windows closed to avoid the noise.

Terrible hotel especially for the price 1. No countertop in bathroom, nowhere to put your toiletries on. We had to put everything next to the TV and move between bathroom and bedroom every time. 2. Air conditioner that does not work properly and no one knows how to operate it 3. The room lock broke at some point and we were offered to move to the other room by ourselves (without help) instead of fixing it because their IT staff does not work on weekends 4. No step free access anywhere, you have to lift your wheelchair or stroller if you want get to the terrace, restaurant or have a walk at the coast 5. Cleaners used the very loud bell when our baby was sleeping during the night (~9pm) 6. Reception called us at 2am about the transfer that we requested at 10pm waking everyone up 7. The breakfast, restaurant and terrace have terrible food for the price, the kitchen staff have no idea what they are doing. I had a stomach pain that lasted for hours after I had their breakfast. 8. The 500ml water that cost 1500 tenge, I haven't seen such price anywhere in Kazakhstan. Mind you that the tap water in Aktau is not drinkable. 9. For the positives: terrace has a nice view and the location isn't too bad Avoid at all costs.

Outside it looks like Rixos (but without trees), inside its disastrous soviet dormitory. Ugl lighting in the rooms, ugly carpets and wallpapers, ugly corridors. 5(!) star hotel doesnt offer iron in the room! You have to go to the special IRONING room, which is dark and dirty and use iron there. Limited breakfasts in the cold premises. Not a friendly staff. Avoid at all costs!