Every year the Nepal capital of Kathmandu gets more crowded, more populated, and more choked with traffic. The founder of KDH Hotels saw this coming many years ago and built Park Village Resort on five acres of wooded land near a national park and mountains. This makes the hotel a welcoming spot on the edge of the city filled with chirping birds and flowering trees.
When you’re in the mountains of Nepal there are wide open spaces and there’s plenty of fresh air. That’s harder to come by in most of the urban hotels of Kathmandu and your roof deck pool view won’t be very clear on most days. You can always see the mountains near Park Village Resort though from the expansive deck around the large swimming pool, which you can enjoy nearly all year in this climate. It’s big enough for laps and there are cushioned lounge chairs and towels for guests.
Next to the pool is an extensive fitness center. The aerobic area looks out on the pool, while the weights are in a different area downstairs, next to locker rooms. There are also spa services on site.
The indoor and outdoor restaurant here is a real treat, serving up rounded buffets that usually offer a mix of Nepali, Indian, Chinese, and international options. This can make breakfast more interesting than usual if you’re willing to experiment. At lunch and dinner, they really shine though, with bold flavors and no toning it back for the foreigners. There’s also a menu to order from. With so much land to work with, the hotel has its own organic garden for herbs, greens, and some vegetables.
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When the weather is clear, most people do their drinking under the trees on an inviting patio, but the clubby lounge inside is nice too, with leather sofas and soft lighting. There’s a wide range of liquor, wine, and beer, though be advised that alcohol is taxed heavily in the country and beverage prices are way out of whack compared to everything else.
Rooms here come in two sections on opposite sides of a paved footpath going through the property. The part I stayed in had spacious junior suites with a sitting area and a desk. Some of them on upper floors have a furnished balcony. Rooms have a fridge, minibar items, teapot, safe, and TV. Baths are large, with plenty of counter space, and some have a big soaking bathtub. The color scheme is all neutrals and earth tones, with crown molding along the ceilings.
The apartments are meant for families who want to cook, with one, two, or three bedrooms and a full kitchen. They’re stocked with dishes and silverware, plus DVD players.
Wi-Fi is included and is of varying quality depending on how many other people are on it at the same time. The biggest pain is that the password changes once or twice per day, so guests are constantly having to call the front desk to get the new one. Service is generally efficient and friendly, however.
This hotel’s quiet location means it’s a 20-30 minute ride to the center, but there’s a free shuttle every day to sister property Kathmandu Guest House in the center of the Thamel shopping and restaurant district. There are hiking trails nearby if you want to get prepped for a trek and an interesting sleeping Buddha temple is a five-minute walk away.
Rates at Park Village Resort in Kathmandu can dip below $150 when there’s some kind of promotion going on or it’s low season, but generally run $175 to $250 double including breakfast but not tax or mandatory service charge. See more info and photos at the KGH Hotels site and check rates there or reserve with Expedia.
Review and photos by Tim Leffel, who was hosted by Park Village while attending the Himalayan Travel Mart as invited media.
