Hyatt Regency Kathmandu checks all the right boxes and is just the kind of hotel one looks for when planning a relaxing sojourn. The hotel, located a short drive away from the airport, promises magnificent views and tantalizing food besides comfortable rooms.
On first glimpse, Kathmandu gave me the impression that the streets were as busy as any town in India. The short drive from the airport transports you to this soulful oasis- Hyatt Regency Kathmandu- away from the bustle of the capital's streets.
Hyatt Regency is a large hotel standing tall amidst the city chaos. The property is set on 37 acres of landscaped grounds and venues that host some of the best weddings in the country. Being a spacious hotel means physical distancing becoming a default setting. The chain hotel follows all Covid protocols strictly.
Architecturally the luxurious rooms and suites are elegantly set in a Newari palace. The lobby is nothing like the cookie-cutter hotels. The reception opens up to a courtyard replete with stone cut shrines and sculptures. It almost felt like we are entering a Nepalese palace.
ROOMS
The door to our Regency Club Room on the seventh floor opened up into a large area that had interiors lined up with Nepalese wood carvings. On the right side of the entrance was a small desk which could double up as a work desk as well as a dining table. Cheese, fruits, chocolates and a wine bottle were among the welcome goodies that further enamored us. The bathroom had a decent size wash area, a soaking tub and a shower cubicle. The windows let in plenty of natural light which is always welcome. The best feature of the room was the view- swimming pool, rolling hills in the background and the quaint Boudhanath Stupa.
With its 280-rooms that include 35 Regency Club Rooms, seven suites and a Presidential Suite that is fit for kings and queens, Hyatt Regency Kathmandu has plenty of stay options to offer.
FOOD
The Regency Club Lounge, located on the sixth floor was not accessible for guests living in the Club rooms and suites as it has gone into complete renovation. However, we did not lose out on any fun. The hotel made up for it by converting its tea lounge ‘The Living Room’ into a Lounge.
We would spend our evenings leisurely at the club lounge that would lay out a small spread of cold appetizers with the bar having an assortment of alcoholic beverages to choose from. The mixologist here served the best Rum Punch I have had in my career as travel and food writer reviewing restaurants , bars and hotels.
The hotel has four restaurants, including an all-day dining one. Rox Restaurant, served delectable food from varied cuisines. The restaurant offered both indoor and outdoor seating.
While the breakfast buffet had live counters, Indian selection, cheese and cold cuts; our memorable meals at the restaurant include Mexican for dinner one night and the traditional Thakali Thali. If you are in Kathmandu, you must try the traditional Nepali Thakali Thali and Chef Debarya Chakraborty at Hyatt Regency Kathmandu does the best one in town.
The Hyatt Regency Kathmandu is pretty expansive and if you ever decide to stay there, I would recommend exploring the hotel a bit. The hotel is surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens. There is a jogging track as well for those who like to run, but the highlight for me was the organic garden that hotel maintains on a rather large patch of land. From fresh herbs to salad leaves the hotel grows a number of greens in the backyard. It’s always good to know where your food is coming from and I accord special respect for hotels that practice sustainable farming.
The friendly staff here will always walk an extra mile and have their smiles intact behind the masks, giving tourists a taste of Nepali hospitality. We often forget the comfort of our hotel suites and even the taste of food but we never forget impaeccable service and the smile that makes your stay warm.
WHAT'S MORE
There is a casino right in the hotel enclosure, which is outsourced to the Pride Group but is still a great offering if you choose to stay this hotel. Every guest is not fond of casinos. But if you are, its great one offering array of table games and makes your time fly by.
The hotel features spa, gym and also a kid's play area. Club Oasis has nicely done treatment rooms and the therapies offered were top grade. I tried the signature Newari massage and it was a holistic experience that did good to my harried urban body and soul. There is a state-of-the-art gym located right next to the spa.
An advantage of staying at this hotel was that the hotel is located very close to some of the main sights in Kathmandu. Pashupatinath Temple is a just 10-minute drive from the hotel. The Boudhanath Stupa, the largest Stupa in Nepal is right in the backyard. A gate from the back side of the hotel opens out in the back alleys of the Boudhanath Stupa. The hotel also runs complimentary shuttle service six times a day to Thamel, the city center that is dotted with local cafes and bars.
Sometimes, opulence is delivered not as a memorable setting or occasion but merely as a stand-out moment. For me it was soaking in the beauty of the expansive gardens of the hotel , watching the exotic birds of Himalayan mountain kingdom fly high with mountains in the background that go from pearl to green and grey to indigo depending on the trajectory of the sun. I did have a memorable stay the Hyatt Regency Kathmandu.
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