A massive new five-star Kazakhstan health resort is taking shape on the shores of Issyk-Kul, with construction moving rapidly ahead of its planned opening this November.

The year-round wellness destination is expected to accommodate up to 180 guests and marks a major transformation of one of the region’s most iconic Soviet-era resorts, The Caspian Post reports via Kazinform.

Originally opened in 1962, the Kazakhstan resort at Issyk-Kul was long considered a favorite getaway for recreation and health treatment. Now, nearly 17.5 hectares of lakeside territory are being redeveloped into a modern luxury wellness complex with upgraded infrastructure and medical facilities.

The new resort will feature a main hotel building, private cottages, a multidisciplinary medical center, sports and fitness zones, indoor and outdoor pools with mineral and freshwater options, cycling paths, restaurants, cafés, conference halls, cinemas, and extensive leisure areas.

Guests will also have access to a wide range of rehabilitation and wellness treatments, including mud therapy, hydrotherapy, physiotherapy, acupuncture, and other medical services. The resort will continue to use Issyk-Kul’s famous climate, thermal mineral waters, and healing mud from nearby Lake Karakol as part of its treatment programs.

Resort director Yernaz Omarkhanov said that the goal is to restore the Kazakhstan resort’s status as one of the top wellness and vacation destinations for families from across the region.

“Issyk-Kul has traditionally remained one of the most popular holiday destinations for Kazakhstanis. We want the Kazakhstan resort to once again become a place where people come with their families not only for treatment, but also for a complete and relaxing lakeside getaway,” he said.

The project is also expected to boost the local economy by creating around 260 jobs, with most positions planned for local residents.

One of the resort’s historic landmarks - a cottage once used by Soviet-era Kazakh leader Dinmukhamed Kunayev during his visits to Issyk-Kul - is also being preserved and renovated. The building is expected to reopen as a museum house dedicated to the region’s history.

Once completed, the upgraded resort aims to attract visitors not only from Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, but from across Central Asia and beyond, positioning Issyk-Kul as a growing hub for luxury wellness tourism.