This is annoying that you know the hotel owners does not improve the quality, then every time you have to stay in here, since you do not really have an alternative.
I come to Almaty almost 10 times a-year. First I stayed in Tien-Shan (smaller one) and Alma Hotels 3 years ago at the beginning of my Almaty adventure. Afterwards I found Ambassador. It was quite good at first, when I switch from the above mentioned hotels comparatively. But, by the time passes, while they make no maintenance at all, it started to get older. Finally they cancelled the free Wi-Fi to a paid model (2000 KZT a day !). It is not even the money, I would say no claim if they would have increase the price by 2000 KZT but keep the Wi-Fi free. But this time, you need to adjust many TCP/IP details to use the internet!! Sometimes it takes 1-2 hours!!
The noise issue, stay away from the rooms at the end of each corridor, which have connection to the corner rooms. Provided that the connection door is locked up, it is a fact that the sound isolation is not done through the wooden doors. eg I had to listen to party of 2 men and 2 women (came from outside!) last night until 03.40!! Besides some three men were talking and smoking in the corridor, when I eventually got out of the rooms and yelled out for being quite, they attempted to ask me "yto?" but I stared at them with my best(!) look so they gave up suddenly.
Also beware the room no:107 which has a couffer saloon just in front door and starting to work around 08.30 in the morning with a lot of customers and noise (the worst room). Another hint is to stay away from the rooms near the restaurant since the odor of the cooking is filling up the rooms nearby.
Finally, what is the reason that the cleaning staff always select to operate the vacuum cleaner in front of my room, or do they ever stop working it?
But, it is ok now, no more Ambassador Hotel. There are new hotels like Holiday Inn and Royal. My contacts are trying to have a good company package deal with them and I am sure it will worth even I will need to pay 3-4000 KZT more for each night stay.

Supposed to be a 4* boutique hotel.

Lift take a maximum of 2 people ....hmmm - is there a giveaway immediately?

Language barriers are huge here. Reception just about understands English. If you order room service, make sure you get a menu and get someone to come to the room so you can point out the menu numbers to them

Breakfast is awful with poor selection of breads and cheeses. Waitress service is non existent. Dinner on the other hand is not bad with better selection of foods from pasta through meats to chicken. Room service is prompt and food is hot (even if they foget things like salt and pepper)

The rooms are tired and in poor repair. Cracks in ceilings and plasterwork. Bathrooms are crusty and cigarette burns on plastic sinks are not enticing. Hot water can be 10 minutes until you learn the trick of running it whilst cleaning your teeth.The you get immediate hot water in the shower. TV is in Russian except for the expected BBC News and American news programmes - bring lots of videos.

You get better service if you try to make friends with the staff but initially I found them somewhat rude and surly (although this may be due to lack of English).

Internet is hit or miss (mainly miss)
Would try somewhere else first before coming back

In Almaty, I have stayed in the Intercontinental (formerly the Ankara), the Hyatt Regency, the Dostyk, the Hotel Almaty, and the Otrar... the gammut from absolute oppulance to Soviet un-chic, and ranged in price from $100 to $650/night.

The Ambassador is actually a rather pleasant surprise, and a great alternative to the sickeningly overpriced big boys in town.

I paid $105/night to stay the weekend, which included a large room with a queen-sized bed, desk, wi-fi internet (about $4 for a 30-minute pass), small refrigerator, cable TV, and a modest breakfast buffet.

The lobby is oddly structured, with about 4 seating areas and a couple of TVs. The "bar" wasn't operating. On the first floor off the lobby, there is a hairdresser that looked pretty busy with local clientelle.

The room was clean and comfortable, if not terribly stylish. The bed was nice and had a down comforter and very large, European style pillows. There were three chairs and a small round table in a sitting area, which worked nicely for me when I wanted to eat a snack or work on my computer. There was a wardrobe for my clothes, which only had 4 hangers, but the staff gave me more when I asked for it. The bathroom was very clean, and very, very small. Just a tiny step-up shower, a toilet, and sink. Cheap toiletry items (shampoo, conditioner, soap) were provided.

There was a small "mini bar" (which was a tray with potato chips, bottled water, Coca Cola, etc.). The prices were actually not exhorbitant!

The best part of the hotel? Location. On one of the main roads in Almaty (ask for a room facing the back), you are steps from one of Almaty's best grocery stores (that happens to be open 24/7). (Exit the hotel, go right and up the hill to the light. The "Stolichnaya" is across the street on the left.) Buy a few bottles of water, some good flat bread, and a hunk of cheese, and you'll have a good, light meal, if you don't feel like going to a restaurant. If you *do* feel like going to a restaurant, there are plenty within a one- or two-block walk.

There are two money exchanges/ATMs within a two-block walk.

The main pedestrian street and the "TsUM" (the largest department store) are also within a couple of blocks. There are two theaters (including the opera) which are within walking distance, and at least one art museum.

The one drawback I had was the nightclub, which is quite loud at night. If you stay in the wing on the down-hill side, you can avoid the noise polution.

You may never need a driver until you need to go to the airport!

I was on a business trip and stayed in this hotel in the middle of October. Good aspects: mostly friendly staff (especially after speaking some Kazakh to them), reasonably good accomodations, good food in restaurant. Bad aspects: too much smoking, took 20 minutes to get hot water in the shower, airconditioning remote control malfunctioning, TV satellite reception went out after a few days, very poor WIFI, previously booked hotel driver to the airport but, when time came to go, he was "busy" (smoking and watching a football match) and had to take a taxi. Too much soviet mentality.

Book this hotel only if you can't find anything better.