from kazakhstan to hotel rooms around the world
I grew up in Kazakhstan, moved to the US, and got into startups at 20. I later built a consumer startup used by more than 100,000 people to teach students and children about coding and computer science.
Now I travel the world and review hotels for digital nomads, founders, and tech workers. Can I trust the Wi-Fi during a call? Can I think after three days? That matters more to me than the marble.
the current short list
Not the most famous hotels. Not always the most costly. Just the places that still make sense once you open the laptop.
7.0good hotel, awkward laptop rules
A payment issue ended with a very generous room upgrade. Staying unbiased: the room was great. Work was fine too, but the only real lounge was kept for club room guests.
read the field note
8.0the desk beat the decor
European decor with enough gold to make opening a spreadsheet feel oddly formal. I expected looks over function, but the desk was useful and working there was quite nice.
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8.5good between family visits
I was back in Astana visiting family, so every quick lunch took half the day. The room gave me a quiet desk for the calls I squeezed in before someone asked why I was working.
read the field notelatest field note · hong kong
Staying unbiased: this was a very nice way for a payment problem to end.
I came to Hong Kong to meet a friend who works at HSBC, so I needed somewhere I could work during the day and recover from hearing about banking at night. Harbour Grand had a payment issue when I arrived. The staff sorted it out and upgraded me to one of the highest room tiers. The room was big, quiet, and old style in a way that felt more charming than tired.
Working there was okay. The catch was that the only proper lounge was for club room members. That worked for me after the upgrade, but a hotel should not make a normal chair and table feel like a secret feature. Overall: good service, good room, workable desk situation, 7 out of 10.
read the full notemy six-part test
I score what changes the stay. I don’t add points for a huge lobby, a famous designer, or five kinds of pillow unless any of it helps.
Can I get eight quiet hours, or will the lift and hallway wake me up?
Is there a real chair, a desk with depth, and a place to take a call?
I test it when everyone else is online, not at 6 in the morning.
Good coffee, food, a gym, and the rest of the city without a long car ride.
What gets annoying once the first-night glow is gone?
Would I book it again if no one knew I was writing about it?
who is doing this?
I grew up in Kazakhstan, moved to the US, and found startups at 20. I later built a consumer startup used by more than 100,000 people to help students and children learn coding and computer science.
That work had me living out of hotel rooms and noticing what most reviews skip. Can you see the screen at noon? Can two people take calls without hating each other? Is the room still good after the third room-service tray?
Now I travel around the world, take my own notes, and say when a stay was comped. The point is simple: help founders and people who work from anywhere pick fewer bad rooms.
send me a hotel I should trythe next check-in