RMC500

On the remote chance that anyone on this board is interested in visiting Bishkek (which is a few hundred miles from the Afghanistan border), the Hyatt Regency is definitely the nicest hotel in the country. It would probably carry a 4-star rating in the U.S. There is excellent security (cement barriers for car bombs, etc.), and the property is located in a nice section of the city (and only a few blocks from a shopping area). The hotel has a club level (very much recommended), a small health club (massages are only $21 per hour), a small fitness center, a good restaurant (with very inexpensive prices), and a virtually empty lounge. Cable TV includes Fox News from the U.S. (a welcome relief from the CNN Int'l blather found in virtually every non-U.S. property) and Turner Classic Movies. Rooms are good sized (I had a large, corner room on club level) and nicely furnished. A hotel casino closed last February (this was a popular hangout for U.S. military personnel who stay at a nearby U.S. base while on R & R from Afghanistan). Internet access is in the club only, and costs around $22 per hour. As usual, the hotel staff and club personnel are extremely helpful. The hotel provides transportation to and from the airport (assuming you can get a flight) for around $20.00 one-way. Rooms facing the south have a view of 15,000-foot mountains just south of the city. If you are in this neck of the woods, Bishkek is worth a stop.