The Hyatt Regency Kathmandu

An Overview

Nestled amidst 37 acres of sprawling landscaped gardens, the Hyatt Regency Kathmandu stands as a luxurious haven of tranquility and cultural charm. Designed in the grandeur of traditional Newari architecture, this 5-star hotel offers a serene escape with views of the majestic Boudhanath Stupa and the Himalayan Mountain ranges. Guests can indulge in a range of amenities including a rejuvenating spa, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and an outdoor swimming pool. With 280 well-appointed rooms and suites, the hotel provides modern comforts while reflecting the rich heritage of Nepal. The proximity to Tribhuvan International Airport and local attractions like the bustling streets of Thamel, makes it an ideal base for both leisure and business travelers. The Hyatt Regency Kathmandu is not just a place to stay; it's an experience that intertwines luxury with the vibrant tapestry of Nepalese culture.

Why and How We Booked It

We recently stayed a month in Nepal, visiting dear friends. Nepal is a place that is near and dear to our hearts for many reasons, and we visit there often.

If you've been around the miles and points community very long, you might have heard that Hyatt offers incredible value for your points and as such, it is a favorite hotel brand among points enthusiasts. You can often get outsized value for your points by booking Hyatt stays on points and for this stay, we did exactly that! Read this blog post for more details.

We stayed at this hotel on 2 different bookings, one at the beginning of our stay and one at the end of our stay. For the first stay, I booked a standard night award for 5,000 points/night. We were upgraded to a room with a view, but as I only had Explorist status, breakfast was not included. Still for 10,000 points, we had a nice room with a great view of the gardens, and overall, I found it to be great value. The cash cost for a standard room for those dates was $105/night at the time of booking, give me a 2 cent/ point redemption value.

Our second stay is where we received the most value! As I detail in my blog post mentioned above, Globalist status is the top tier status for Hyatt and really offers incredible benefits. This stay was going to get me to Globalist status, but thankfully I was able to use my 40-night milestone reward, Guest of Honor Award, and applied it to a 7-night stay booked on points.

For this stay, the standard room award rate was 6,500 points per night. With my Globalist status, I was upgraded to a Club access room that came with free breakfast and Club Lounge access with evening snacks (we used as dinner most nights) for free. Overall, we paid 45,500 points for 7 nights. The cash value of a Club room with the above-mentioned benefits was $195/night for a total of $1,365. This gave us a redemption value of 3 cents per point! Again, a fantastic redemption and really great value! I booked it all via the World of Hyatt App and applied my Guest of Honor Award at the time of booking.

Location and Accessibility

Out of all the hotels we stayed at in Kathmandu, The Hyatt Regency is not my favorite location to be honest. Thamel is my favorite location to stay in due to the excellent walkability and plethora of restaurants and shops within walking distance. But, there are shops and restaurants within walking distance of the Hyatt Regency and the location is not bad. It is only about a 15-minute taxi ride to Thamel and if you exit via the back gate (there is a security guard stationed there who will open the gate for you when you ring a bell upon return) you can walk to the Buddha Stupa in about 10 minutes. There are a ton of shops and restaurants around the Buddha Stupa, but unfortunately you do have to pay the tourist fee (400 NPR for tourist adults) to enter the Stupa as it is a World Heritage site even if you are just going in for a restaurant. With that being said, it wasn't a big deal for the first day we went, but out of principle, I wasn't willing to pay the 400 NPR to go to a restaurant there again. You might notice we don't tend to visit temples on visits to other countries and while we understand they are a big part of culture and many tourists enjoy these sites, they just aren't our thing, and we have many what we believe to be good reasons for that. But if you don't mind the tourist fee, there are plenty of shops and restaurants within walking distance of the Hyatt Regency.

The hotel is 5 km from the Tribhuvan Internation Airport and can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 30-40 minutes depending on traffic. This is a good location for arrival and departure and that is one reason I booked it for the beginning and end of our trip.

Taxis are easily accessible via the Pathao app if you have a local sim card, or the hotel can request one for you. There is also a Bhat-Bhateni (a local super store, kind of like the Nepali Walmart-where you can buy snacks, drinks, and toiletries) within walking distance of the hotel, about 10 minutes through the front gate. The hardest part is crossing the road, but you just kind of start walking and the cars and motorbikes will go around you!

As mentioned, there are guards posted at the front and back gates (cars can only enter via the front gate) and the hotel itself feels very safe and secure.

Check-In and First Impressions

Check In

The check-in procedure was smooth at this hotel. At the entrance, the door was opened by the security staff and there are bell hops to assist with your luggage. They will give you a ticket to give to the check-in staff who will then have it sent directly to your room. They always acknowledged my Hyatt status and offered a welcome drink both times as both an Explorist and as a Globalist. They also asked me to take a seat and brought the documents to me to sign. There were typically 2-3 staff working at the check-in desk and I never had to wait more than a couple of minutes. Overall, check-in was smooth and efficient.

First Impression

My first impression of the Hyatt Regency was that it is a large property with beautiful grounds. I appreciate that the gardeners work hard to keep the grounds so meticulously maintained. Additionally, the entrance is quite grand feeling. The staff were very welcoming and attentive, and you immediately feel that you are at a 5-star hotel and are a valued guest.

The Rooms

The hotel boasts 280 rooms and suites, each adorned with local artifacts, wooden flooring, and Tibetan handwoven carpeting, offering views of the Boudhanath Stupa or the lush gardens and surrounding mountain ranges.

2 Twin Beds with Stupa View

During our first stay, it was just Micah and I as ND and Caleb were still in transit to Nepal. I booked a standard award night with 2 twin beds and was upgraded to a room with a Stupa View on the 4th floor. The room was comfortable and overall spacious. Some of my favorite features included a closet with room for an opened suitcase and hanging clothes, a mini fridge, a sitting area, and a table with 2 chairs. Additionally, the bathroom is quite large with a separate shower and soaking tub. The bathroom feels high end and while the shower did leak out onto the floor some, I didn't really have any complaints! The shower had great pressure and plenty of hot water! Additionally, I appreciated that the hotel provides face cloths or washcloths as that is not common in all Nepal hotels. They provide all of the basic toiletries, soap, shampoo/conditioner, lotion, toothbrush/toothpaste, mouthwash, and Q-tips. Overall, we had a very pleasant 2 day stay in the hotel.

1 King Bed with Club Access

During our second stay, Micah, Caleb, and I stayed at the hotel. ND was already in India as he had additional things to do prior to our arrival in India. I again booked a standard award night with a King bed. Because I used my Guest of Honor Award, which gave me Globalist status for this stay, we were upgraded to a 1 King Bed with Club Access room on the 5th floor. Additionally, our room had a beautiful view of the grounds and pool with the mountain ranges in the backdrop. The room was very comfortable and felt more spacious than the previous room. We asked for a rollaway bed, and it easily fit in the room. Again, the room had a closet with room for an opened suitcase and hanging clothes, a mini fridge, a sitting area, and a table with 2 chairs. The bathroom was the same as the previous room, but the shower didn't leak onto the floor as much.

The room gave us Club Lounge Access and I will detail that in a section below.

Housekeeping

Housekeeping services are offered twice daily, morning and evening service. The staff keep the rooms spotless and are happy to supply additional towels/linens/amenities as needed. They supplied us with ample drinking water (possibly due to our Hyatt status, but this is an untested fact) and were quick, efficient, and careful. I had no complaints about the housekeeping services during our stays!

Facilities and Services

The Hyatt Regency Kathmandu provides a range of amenities including a business center, digital key access, a fitness center, complimentary internet, free parking, laundry services, and a spa. There is a large pool with loungers, surrounded by beautiful gardens. Additionally, they have a jogging path, tennis courts, a small playground, and plenty of room to walk around. If you are a Globalist member, or if you book a Club room category, you will also get access to the Club Lounge.

Club Lounge

The club lounge offers tea, coffee, and other beverages all day as well as light snacks and alcohol during cocktail hour from 5:30-7:30pm. It is a great place to grab a quick beverage in the afternoon and we were able to utilize the light snacks as dinner for several of the nights we stayed. The club lounge is on the 6th floor. It's not the biggest club lounge I've been in and while the snacks offered were sufficient, I have had better food (full dinners) in lounges such as the JW Marriott in New Delhi. All of that aside, it was a very nice perk of the Globalist status and afforded extra value to our stay.

Dining Options

The Hyatt Regency in Kathmandu presents a diverse array of dining experiences, catering to a variety of tastes and preferences. The Living Room, a versatile space within the hotel, offers a casual yet sophisticated environment where guests can enjoy a mix of work and leisure. With its terrace overlooking the pool, it's an ideal spot for a relaxing drink or a casual meeting. For those who enjoy dining al fresco, The Terrace provides a poolside setting perfect for light meals and cocktails. Sesame, the hotel's multicuisine restaurant, serves a range of Asian, Indian, and European dishes, ensuring a memorable dining experience with each visit. Lastly, Rox Restaurant brings the flavors of Italy to Kathmandu, offering a fine dining experience with a selection of premium international wines to complement the authentic Italian cuisine. Additionally, 24-hour room service is available via an In-Room Dining menu.

Food Quality and Variety

Overall, the food quality was very good at the hotel, but not our favorite of all the hotels we stayed at in Kathmandu. The breakfast buffet in Sesame consists of an expansive variety of options from traditional Nepalese items to Indian, European, and other western dishes. They also have made to order eggs, dosas, and more. Coffee and tea, as well as juices are also available and included in the buffet. If you've never experienced a breakfast buffet in Southeast Asia, you are in for a treat, because it is so different from the free breakfasts or even paid breakfasts you receive at hotels in the USA. Overall, I'd rate the breakfast as 5 stars for quality, taste, and variety. We were in Nepal for 4 weeks and my kids did tire of the typical food options in Nepal, so I do think that factored into our experience somewhat. A few of our favorites included cheese omelets, paneer parathas, the potato and chickpea curry, and the pain au chocolates. It was also great that they offered a small selection of cereals.

Micah and I ate at the Rox Restaurant during our first stay and overall, I'd give it 4/5 stars. Micah had a pasta dish and I had eggplant parmigiana. While the taste was slightly different, it was still delicious. They also served bread prior to the meal. The prices are a little high for what you got and that is why I'd give it 4/5 stars.

We ate lunch at Sesame one day during our stay and the Butter Chicken and Butter Paneer Masala were both delicious! The naan was also really good. The prices again are high, but the taste was 5 stars!

Additionally, we ordered room service on our first night in Kathmandu. We arrived at the hotel around 8pm and ordered a margherita pizza out of simplicity. Honestly, probably our least favorite pizza in Kathmandu, but it's not their specialty and I won't judge them for it.

As mentioned above, we used the Club Lounge cocktail hour snacks as our dinner several nights. They had salad items, cheeses, nuts, bruschetta, breads, and desserts daily. Additionally, they served rotating hot items on a daily basis, such as sesame chicken, popcorn chicken, and grilled paneer. We really enjoyed the hot dishes as they tasted fresh and delicious.

The cost of the food was the main reason we did not eat at the hotel more. There are plenty of restaurants offering high quality food around Kathmandu where you can eat for less. We also ate at friend's houses and with friends often, so our hotel dining was limited.

Overall Impression?

Overall, we really enjoyed our stay at the Hyatt Regency Kathmandu. The traditional feel of the hotel is quaint and adds to the lux feeling.

A few things that need improvement: The hallway carpets likely need replacing and there is a slight odor in the hallways and staircases, but thankfully not really noticeable in the rooms. The air-conditioning, while set to 20 C in our room never reached 22 C or below, not a huge deal, but again, room for improvement. The food prices are somewhat high for the portions/quality.

All that aside, I would 100% stay at this hotel again and recommend it to you for your next trip to Kathmandu. Despite the few things that could use improvement, the positives of the hotel far outweigh them. First, if you are a World of Hyatt member and can book on points, you can get great value, especially if you have Globalist status. Second, the hotel grounds are expansive (not what you will find for most other hotels in Kathmandu, and the property feels luxurious. The pool is huge, a definite plus for families and there is room for kids to run around. The rooms are well appointed and spacious and there are plenty of dining options. If you are planning a trip to Kathmandu, consider the Hyatt Regency as a great option for your stay!