The 5-star Hotel Yak & Yeti is housed in a heritage palace in central Kathmandu, surrounded by antique fountains and landscaped gardens. It also has a casino, an outdoor pool, and 2 tennis courts. Parking is free. Decorated in beautiful colour palettes, the elegant air-conditioned rooms are equipped with a cable TV and minibar. Some rooms have a personal safe and bathrobes. En suite bathrooms come with a bathtub. Located in Durbar Marg, Hotel Yak & Yeti is a 10-minute walk to the Thamel and a 15-minute drive from the city centre and Tribhuvan International Airport. Guests can head to the beauty salon or exercise at the fitness centre. The hotel also provides a well-equipped business centre, meeting rooms and a tour desk. Laundry and dry cleaning service is available. The casual Sunrise Café overlooks the garden and pools. Drinks can be enjoyed at The Chimney & Pub. It serves Halal meat.
Just down the road from what was once the royal palace, at the end of a private driveway. The Yak & Yeti is pleasantly secluded from the grittier bits of Kathmandu, although still within hailing distance of many of the main sights.
Facing off a respectable stack of meeting and ballrooms are the Yak & Yeti’s gardens, three conjoined circular outdoor pools, tennis courts, jogging track, fitness centre and spa. The greenery is a boon in what is a very built-up city, and the bar beside the pools is a thoroughly praise-worthy amenity. The Nirvana Spa’s shiatsu and Swedish massages are delivered with a certain finesse. The Casino Royale – off limits to Nepalis – is under separate management.
With 270 rooms and suites, this is one of Kathmandu’s larger hotels. The brace of presidential suites will be beyond the budget of most travellers, but the executive floor – dubbed Shangri-La – is a good deal with breakfast, evening cocktails and airport transfers thrown in. All the hotel’s rooms are smartly furnished, nodding to Nepalese design and emphasising comfort. The teak floors in the Heritage Deluxe rooms contrast well with the exposed brickwork and wooden carvings on the wall.
Before The Yak & Yeti came into being, Boris opened The Chimney as a standalone restaurant in Lal Durbar, the old prime minister’s palace here. Dishes such as borscht and chicken Kiev are still made to his original recipe, and this remains the hotel’s showpiece restaurant. The rest of the menu departs Russia for the realms of international cuisine, but this is still very fine dining. While the building undergoes some structural renovation, The Chimney's menu currently is served in the Sunrise Restaurant.
Breakfast at Sunrise promises two excellent views – of a triumphantly generous buffet (sides of ham, chocolate croissants) and the garden. The Piano Bar is more suited to a quiet drink than a rip-roaring sing-along.
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Getaway Nepal Adventure (P.) Ltd.
Thamel Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: +977 98510 38 908
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