Bhutan Peaceful Residency & Spa adds another premium 3-star property in Timphu
The Bhutan Peaceful Residency & Spa in the Kingdom’s capital Timphu, is one of the latest addition to the country’s hospitality sector. It offers a relaxing stay to all its guests at a time when Bhutan is lowering the tourism fees for long-stay travellers.
Bhutan, the small Himalayan Kingdom steeped in history and relatively isolated from the rest of the world, wants a very high quality tourism. The Kingdom has only 268 hotels officially registered at its Department of Tourism. One of them is the Bhutan Peaceful Residency and Spa, a relatively recent property.
Bhutan Peaceful Residency & Spa, situated in a blue pine forest in the upper reaches of Motithang, Kuenga Lam, of Thimphu Valley, is a premium 3 star boutique hotel, having a total inventory of 2 Suites, and 20 deluxe rooms. It is close to the capital’s sights such as Sangay-gang, Takin Reserve center, while remaining a quiet retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the Kingdom’s main commercial heart.
Bhutan Peaceful Residency & Spa in Thimphu is a family story as the property is run with passion by a team of father and sons. HB Bajgai has around three decades of experience in the tourism industry, having begun as a German-speaking tourist guide. He then started his tour company in 2003, Bhutan Peaceful Tours and Treks. To finally move further by building his own hotel. Bajgai established the hotel in 2018. However, due to the pandemic, the opening has been delayed. Auspiciously, the hotel finally opened on September 23, 2022 along with the historical reopening of the country’s borders for tourism after the pandemic.
Bhutan Peaceful Residency & Spa wants to bring the best to his guests. The property offers a mix of Premium Single, Premium Deluxe, Superior Twin and Park Suites. Each room has high-end mattresses and double-glazed soundproof windows. The hotel has a centralized heating/cooling system, a power generator helping to overcome potential power blackouts as well as modern meeting facilities. The conference hall offers wi-fi, a projector with 3LCD technology and podium microphones with STK sound system.
The Forest View Restaurant serves both indoor and outdoor dining facilities with a bar serving Bhutanese, Indian and Western food. The outdoor dining deck provides views of the nearby Blue Pine Forest. The spa features two treatment rooms and two steam room facilities. There is also an available fitness room.
The property is an eco-friendly property as the Central Heating and cooling VRV System, which reduces total power consumption by more than 50%. co-friendly initiatives like centralized eco-green water heating system and reduced use of single-use plastic.
With its deep knowledge of Bhutan following years as a guide, the Bhutan Peaceful Residency and Spa provides various services such as trekking, hiking, biking, wellness, pilgrimage and cultural tours. It also provides airport transfer, drivers as well as money exchange services.
New incentive for long-stay travellers
The hotel is particularly pleased to receive its guests as the government recently relaxed some of the fees that tourists must pay when coming to Bhutan. Following the reopening of the Kingdom after the covid pandemic, authorities decided to rise Bhutan’s Sustainable Development Fee (SDF) from US$65 to US$200 per person per night. Bhutan wants to regain its high-value, low-volume tourism reputation.
However, on June 1st, the Department of Tourism (DoT) has announced that a range of exclusive incentives on Bhutan’s SDF have been introduced to encourage longer stays that enable greater exploration of all 20 provinces in the Kingdom. From now on, any guest paying the SDF for 4 consecutive nights will benefit of four additional nights without the daily levy. People paying a 7-day stay will also benefit of 7 additional nights with the levy. And for the ones paying the SDF daily US$ 200 for twelve nights, the Kingdom provides up to 18 additional nights without the daily levy. The scheme is valid until December 31, 2024.
The SDF is a way that visitors support Bhutan’s ongoing development and sustainability projects. Collected
by the national exchequer, the funds raised through the SDF are allocated to various projects that enhance
facilities, services and infrastructure for Bhutanese nationals and visitors, as well as funding free
healthcare, education and upskilling the tourism and hospitality sector. The funds also contribute to the
preservation of the nation’s rich heritage and pristine landscapes, by funding conservation, preservation
and other sustainable initiatives.
