Zhingkham Resort

This is a brand-new, 'luxury' hotel in Punakha. It looks very fresh, but lacks character. A big drawback is that the rooms are up the hillside and the only way to get from the rooms to the dining room, for example is via stairs. Lots of them. After a day of hiking, this is not really enjoyable. My room was incomplete for lack of a better term. There was no decor on the walls save one photo of a yak. Just bare white. The furniture was Ikea-style with a single throw carpet and portable heater. The rooms are also not well soundproofed, expecially the sliding doors heading to the balcony. The views from the balcony were the best part of the whole stay. Just stunning, overlooking the Punakha Valley. The included dinner and breakfast were disappointing as well--just buffets with stale, cold food. Very unimpressed.

The view is unbeatable. The room is spacious. The air conditioner works well. The food is ok. Issues: 1. Water: they pick up used plastic bottles and refill them with filtered water. We asked how they clean the plastic bottles and they said they rinsed them with soap and water. No disinfection!! Unbelievable!! If they had used glass bottles and disinfect them thoroughly, then it would be acceptable. This way is disgusting. We brought our own water. 2. WiFi: there are two WiFi networks with the SAME name and different passwords!! So one has to constantly FORGET the network and re-enter the two different pwd depending where one is on the property. 3. Massage/Spa: the sole masseur there is obviously very skilled. However, there is no one to take appt except him. And he is in session with clients most of the time . The front desk won’t help. All they do is pass the msg to him. We are only there one or two days so it is hard to get a confirmation if we have an appt or not. There’s supposed to be another masseur but we never really found out if that is true. I was the last client of the night and the masseur was obviously tired. My friend who had him earlier in the day had a great experience. For me, he kept putting layer after layer of oil on my back and just rubbed it around. By the 5th layer, I told him to stop and actually do some massage work. Annoying but understandable. 4. Housekeeping: I can’t believe that the maid would come in to take the garbage out, replace the towels and NOT make the bed. 5. Restaurant: we had some soda. Day 1 was 100 each. Day 2 was 200. No idea why. All in all, management can be improved at this hotel which has a commanding view of this beautiful valley.

The view from our room was just gorgeous and I would love to come back for the view again and again. The room was nice, clean, and had a balcony which offered a full view of the valley and Punakha Dzong. The people were very helpful and it was really nice to see such a strong labour force of women workers. We did have to climb 100 steps to reach the dining room but if mobility is an issue, you can get to reach your room by car as well, or ask for a lower level for accommodations. Overall, an extremely memorable stay. Food was nice and team was willing to help you out should you have any food preferences.

It was a disappointment. I understand the hotel is owned by a cousin of the royal family. What a terrible representation of a beautiful country. Complete shoddy construction. The doors were off track. The bathrooms had holes in the wall. The WiFi was slow and the electricity went out twice. The saving grace to this place is the wonderfully kind staff, the fantastic spa and the view. The owner missed the mark with poor infrastructure which spoiled it for us.

One of the biggest and best resorts in Punakha with an amazing view of the rivers and the Dzong. Cozy rooms, spacious restaurant and pub, great view from the balcony and terraced, well kept room and smiling staff....perfect ingredients for a good stay. Keep up the good work. Cheers!