I last wrote about this hotel in June 2019, so I felt it was time for an update. Looking through recent TripAdvisor reviews, I see much of my work has been done for me. Just last month, Hashmat Singh did an excellent job of capturing many of the details I would otherwise have included. I will try to supplement his and the many other glowing reviews, rather than repeat them.

The good news is that not much has changed over the years since my last (pre-Covid) visit. Solutel continues to provide excellent accommodations and top-notch service at very competitive prices.

The hotel is located in a cul-de-sac, so you can sleep with the windows open to the fresh mountain air without worrying about late-night sirens or early morning traffic noise. Blackout curtains keep the early morning sun at bay until it is invited. The air conditioning is whisper quiet, not one of those noisy window units.

The location allows easy walking access to much of the downtown area. But Bishkek has grown considerably over the years, and new restaurant offerings are continually popping up, some of the more interesting ones being found in the suburbs. Taxis can be ordered at the front desk, and are inexpensive by Western standards. A recent trip to a restaurant took about 25 minutes by taxi (due to traffic issues) and the fare was 200 som ($2.50).

As others have said, rooms are well-appointed with luxuries such as “King” beds that are made of two standard mattresses, heated bathroom floors, bidets (which will spoil Americans once they get used to the feeling of being fresh and clean), reading lamps bedside, in-room safes, free in-room Wi-Fi, blackout curtains and modern windows that open, HDTVs, etc.

On the downside, TV content at the moment is mainly Russian content in the Russian language. In anticipation of this, I brought my Roku streaming device, which works well when plugged into the same HDMI socket as the hotel uses for TV. However, all hotel outlets are 220 volt. To my surprise the Roku box is 115 volt, so I had to locally buy an 80-watt converter and an adapter to use it ($20 for all).

The included breakfasts are great, as they can accommodate many individual tastes and time-zones. For those that arrived in the wee hours of the morning, they will be looking for dinner fare more so than breakfast fare. For those of us that have multi-week stays, we can gradually transition from dinner to breakfast fare each morning. The breakfast area is modern and bright, and there’s an outdoor patio for those that prefer alfresco meals aside garden views with snow capped mountain glimpses.

Staff members are all eager to provide genuine Kyrgyz hospitality. Kudos to management for providing a pleasant team-oriented working environment and being supportive during the difficult Covid times. (Note that Bishkek, rightly or wrongly, is entirely mask-free now.) My wife and I were surprised how many familiar faces we encountered on this trip. Zamir was a sommelier three years ago, and is now the food and beverage manager. We both instantly recognized each other. Many other staff were also familiar: Azamat, Nurislam, Melis, Samat, … too many to list! We also added new faces, such as the night maid, Oksana. We unfortunately don’t often see the day maids, cooks, engineers, and others that work so hard to make our stays comfortable.

For a reasonable price, treat yourself to an on-sight massage during your stay, in the basement massage/gym/sauna rooms. The front desk can arrange for someone, or try our favorite (who, btw, only speaks Russian and is technically blind, so ask the front desk to assist. She is also highly qualified as a professional masseuse): Miraida 550 812808.

The Ambassador is an older sister hotel that is a few doors away, and has a nice (and recently expanded) rooftop restaurant and bar with an extensive menu.

In summary, my wife and I have stayed at Solutel many times and have never been disappointed. We have also stayed elsewhere at comparable hotels, and regret some of those visits. We advise you to book Solutel early to avoid disappointment.

Finally, the hotel staff can also arrange a transfer from Manas International Airport (FRU) for a small fee.

A discreetly set hotel on a very quiet street yet within 10 minutes walk from downtown and literally dozen's of restaurants within easy walking distance, so the location is just perfect.

The hotel itself has barely 20 odd rooms that are very comfortable, plush, modern and decently sized. Some of the rooms are quite large. They are on 3 levels above the reception and accessible by an elevator.

Kettle and coffee machine provided in the room as well as the usual modern conveniences like Flat screen TV, safe, large writing table, sofas, bedside lamps with reading light, very modern toilet with heated floorings etc.

Great staff at the desk and the small breakfast room with an outside seating. The breakfast itself is all you would want with an extensive buffet laid out and hot items to order fresh. Good coffee machine though very slow, lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, meats, cheese, breads etc.

A sauna room that is included and a massage on order to be placed well in time.

No restaurant in the hotel, but a small nice bar in the breakfast room which is open the whole day. A great rooftop restaurant in the hotel just across the rood. The Time Bar at the Ambassador and a really nice French bakery and restaurant 2 minutes walk at the street crossing.

This is 'THE' hotel in Bishkek despite the larger Hiltons and Marriott's. Wouldn't stay anywhere else, except maybe The Ambassador across the road!

Three-week solo business stay in March-April 2022. Perfectly clean room with modern fixtures and furniture. Fast and reliable wi-fi throughout hotel. Very high-quality breakfast included with room, with diverse, tasty, hot and cold buffet options as well as eggs, pancakes, etc. cooked to order. Small but well-equipped fitness room with weight machine, stair climber, treadmill, free weights. Very quiet location but within close walking distance from city center, Erkindik greenway, many great restaurants, supermarket, etc. Considering all this as well as price, I think that it would be difficult to find a better option, even among hotels with more famous international names nearby.

The staff are all very professional and genuinely happy to help. Over my long stay, I felt fortunate to receive excellent service from Kymbat, Asel, and Ayana at the front desk, as well as Timur, Samat, and Azamat in the restaurant. All these staff members worked with admirable efficiency and energy even though they seem to work extremely (perhaps excessively) long shifts. I hope that management recognizes their great work, perhaps with overtime pay for the longest shifts, and gives them a chance to rest during the slow times in the middle of the night!

I am sorry not to have noted the housekeepers' names (they do not have name tags, but still I regret not asking), but they always did perfect work and should be recognized too.