I was quite excited to be visiting Kathmandu. The roof of the world, the Himalayas, Yaks, Yetis, and all that. I was on a short business trip so I knew that I wouldn't have time to take the fantastic dawn Everest flight (thankfully I was wrong about that!) or go yak-spotting (right on this one though). but still - Kathmandu! Nepal! The mystery, the mystique, mysticism, Miss Yeti!
Given the choice I might have picked a more "local" place to stay, or gone to the famous Yak and Yeti, but someone else was paying the bill and had booked me into the Hyatt. Hey, not that I was complaining!
The Transfer I had asked for a pick up at the airport. I got held up at immigration getting the visa, and ended up the last person through passport control and one of the last through baggage, so I wondered if the driver was still there for me, or if he had yakked off. However there he was, with a sign saying "Mr V Boy" or something like that. Anyway, I found him, he found me, we found each other... and they all lived happily ever after? Well... er... not quite!
First Impressions The Hyatt Regency is not far from the airport and it was dark as we arrived, but I could still see that the building dwarfed everything around it. Certainly it made a good impression as we drove up, with the traditional Nepalese roofs atop simplistic but functional buildings.
As the car pulls up, the hotel's "Casino Tara" is in front. The hotel is to the right, the entrance across a wooden bridge over a "moat" (empty of fish, sadly) and through the front door.
The lobby is quietly impressive. There are no high ceilings or grand atrium; it is quite plain and simple. To the left are a couple of of jewellery shops, one of which did manage to tempt me (our wedding anniversary was approaching, okay!) and to the right are reception and a small travel desk. Beyond the lounge is a cafe overlooking the rear gardens. The floors are a mixture of marble and shoe-squeaking polished wood.
The central attractions of the lobby are nine carved replicas of actual Nepalese temples. These are in the middle of the lobby, in a square which is sunk about 3 or 4 steps down from the lobby level. This has been made into a small lounge area, with seating around the edges and a glass ceiling lighting the temples with natural daylight. It is eye-catching, and all the more impressive for the quiet, understated surroundings.
The Room My room was on the executive floor, which benefits from a sprawling lounge where they do check in and check out and which has an evening "happy hour" where they serve cocktails and snacks in the evenings. Here, the lady at the desk was exquisitely charming and within a minute I had my keycard and was ushered into a room that was no larger than a typical hotel room, but furnished rather nicely and differently.
Again, simple and understated are the key words, but with a beautifully rustic feel.
The floor is wooden, except for a simple, yellow woolen carpet around the double bed. The bedhead consists of two padded cushions hanging from a pole on the wall. On each side of the bed are wooden bedside tables, holding black china lamps.
At the far end of the room is a sofa, which could seat three quite comfortably, and a coffee table. In the corner is a single armchair with footstool in the corner and on the other side a wooden writing desk and chair.
An unusual feature is the walk-in wardrobe which, instead of being against the wall, forms the corner where the entrance opens into the room. The wardrobe door is nicely decorated and adds to the feel of the room.
The bathroom is quite small but fully equipped and the usual Hyatt shampoo, soaps etc are nicely displayed by the wash basin.
Food and Drink There are a number of eating places at the Hyatt, though not as many as one might expect.
Breakfast every morning was served at The Cafe' this was a floor below the lobby. The place is open for all meals but I only had the breakfast which was nothing special though not bad. To be fair, there was a good selection including eggs to order (always a plus). For those with a window seat, there was a good view across the lawns, all 30+ acres of it.
Now, is it just me or do all men find the name "Roxy" a turn on? Here Rox is a restaurant - on the ground floor, out the front door and turn left - which apparently has a lower level but it was closed to me. Anyway, Rox has a bar, where one can sit and watch the food being cooked in the oven or on the griddle. Then you eat it. Or there is a regular restaurant/diner area at the far end, where you can't seem 'em cook it. I chose to "can" and a young lady (Roxy?) helped me perch at the bar and brought me a very nice, chilled vodka. The food at Rox was excellent; they had a regular menu plus a special including fresh fish and, I must say, both times that I ate here the food and service were both excellent. Well recommended.
The Lobby Cafe offers a selection of wines, beers, teas and coffees. I did have a drink here once, it was fine. nothing to write to eps about!
Staying in the Executive Rooms gives access to the Executive Lounge which has free cocktails in the evening. So, not one to pass up a free snack and drink, I munched on dainty open sandwiches, petits fours which reminded me of mini Kipling cakes, and the like, while quaffing a glass of wine. And who said posh hotels are boring?
Other Recreation There is also a Fitness Centre (and yes, people, I did go there one morning. And yes, I did actually do something!) The gym was not very large but it was well-equipped enough for me.
There is also an outdoor pool, tennis courts and some other stuff for people who want it. The travel desk or concierge can also arrange things outside the hotel.
And of course there is the Casino Tara, just across the courtyard. Open 24 hours, there is the usual blackjack, roulette and so on, with enough tables that it did not seem over crowded even when it was quite busy.
Other Business There is a Business Centre behind Reception which has the usual facilities - PCs, printers, secretarial services etc - for a fee.
There are also conference and meeting facilities but I didn't see these. I was too busy with Roxy, I guess!
Location This is probably the main shortcoming for the Hyatt as it is a bit out of town. It's convenient for the airport, and certainly if you are not heading into the City, it is fine. However if, like me, you are in Kathmandu on business and going into the centre each day, then you will need to allow extra commuting time. It took me about 20 or 25 minutes each day to get into the city - whereas if I had stayed at one of the more central hotels, then I would have needed just five minutes. Several people did mention to me that the travel time from the Hyatt can be much longer. So, something to bear in mind if time is important or you plan a lie-in after a night with vodkas and Roxy.
Summary Overall a very nice hotel. The building is certainly impressive, a beautiful blend of modern and traditional. The service throughout was excellent, the food was mostly good and the room comfortable. If you are going to be travelling into the centre every day, you might want to consider locating nearer the centre, but if you are happy to allow another twenty minutes each day for travel then this hotel is hard to beat.
More details
Quality of Food & Drink
Good
Cleanliness
Excellent
Family Friendly
Good
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