Luxury (over US$100 per room night)
At the top end of the range, hotels conform to international standards, each with shopping arcade, swimming-pool, business centre, restaurants, etc. Suites are the . most expensive accommodation at around US$225. In this category: Hotel Yak & Yeti on Durbar Marg (tel 413999, 222635; fax 977-1-227782), Hotel Soattee Oberoi in Tahachal (tel 272550, 272555; fax 977-1-227405) and Everest Hotel in Baneshwar (tel 220567, 220288, 220614; fax 977-1-226088). The Taj Group has recently taken over the management of the Hotel de Annapurna (tel 221711, fax 977-1-225236).
Expensive (US$50-100 per room night)
Slightly cheaper (US$70-100 for single and double occupancy), but offering practically all luxuries, are the Hotel Himalaya on Sahid Sukhra Marg, Lalitpur (tel 523900) under Japanese management; Hotel Kathmandu in Maharajganj (teal 413082, 418497; fax 977-1-416574); Hotel Malla on Lekhnath Marg (tel 413020, 418385; fax 977-1- 418382:), Hotel Sherpa on Durbar Marg (tel 222585; fax 977-1-222026:), Hotel Shanker in Lazimpet (tel 410151, 410152) and Hotel Shangri-la also in Lazimpet (tel 410051, 412999; fax 977-1-414184).
Mid-range (US$20-50 per room night)
Kathmandu Guest House, the first of its kind in Thamel (tel 413632, 418733; fax 977-1-417133); Hotel Vajra in Bijayaswori, near Swayambhunath (tel 271545, 272719) and the Dutch-managed Summit Hotel in Kopundole Heights, Lalitpur (tel 521894, 522694) are all well run, clean and good value. The Summit has rooms for budget travellers in its Holland House wing and deluxe rooms in the Garden wing.
Budget (below US$1O/NR500 per room night)
Low to moderately priced hotels and guest-houses are Hotel Shakti (tel 410121) and Hotel Thamel (tel 412744), both in the Thamel area. South-east of Thamel on Jyatha Tol several new hotels have come up including Lhasa Guest House (tel 213019), Hotel New Gajur (tel 226623), Blue Diamond (tel 226320, 226392), Hotel Rara (tel 226969; fax 977-1-419935) and Mustang Holiday Inn (tel 226794, 226538). South-west of Thamel in Chhetrapati, there is another string of moderately priced hotels including Shambala Guest House (tel 225986, 228524), Potala Guest House (tel 220467, 226566; fax-223256), Tibet Guest House (tel 214383, 215893) and Trans-Himalayan Guest House (tel 214683, 211211).
Similarly, in north Thamel, there are the Hotel Garuda (tel 416776, 416340; fax 223814), Hotel Mandap (tel 413321; fax 419734), Hotel Marshyangdi (tel 412129, 414105; fax 410008) and the ever-popular International Guest House (tel 410533). There are several very cheap basic lodges throughout Kathmandu and the tariff ranges from Nepalese Rs40-200 (US$0.8-4). In the Thamel area, these include Yeti Cottage (tel 427089), Cosy Corner (tel 417799), Lodge Pheasant (tel 417416), Am Guest House, Holy Lodge and Himal Cottage. In the Freak Street area south of Kathmandu’s Durbar Square, the prices are even cheaper, at Century Lodge (tel 215769), Sayami Lodge (tel 212264), Friendly Home (tel 220171), Mustang Cottage, and Royal Guest House. Slightly upmarket are the lodges around Durbar Square including Kathmandu Lodge (tel 214893) and Kumari Lodge.
Around Town. Outside the main Kathmandu areas, there is the Taragaon Hotel in Boudhanath, run by the Government of Nepal (tel 410409, 410634). This hotel also accepts reservation for the other hotels in the Taragaon chain, situated in Nagarkot, Kakani and Pokhara. Also in Boudhanath area is Lotus Guest House behind Tarok Rinpoche’s Gompa, and Hotel Stupa (tel 470400, 470385) on the main road.
Note. While all these hotels and guest-houses officially charge for stay and services in foreign currency, and guests have to show a bank exchange receipt, the cheaper lodges accept payment in Nepali rupees.
