Damchen Resort

There’s no lift, but the polite staff carried our bags up to the room. Dinner and breakfast were both tasty. You can see the river on the right and walk down to its bank.

We only stayed one night, and our room was fine for that. The service was quite good, and the best part of the resort is being able to get right to the riverside. There’s also a large park just outside with plenty of parking.

The food was good, but I was really disappointed by the hospitality, especially from the receptionist. She was rude, cancelled the room we’d booked and said she’d upgraded us from standard to semi deluxe. The room we got turned out to be much smaller than the one we had actually reserved. There’s plenty of outdoor sitting space at the hotel, but they haven’t used it to make larger rooms. The rooms are so small you can barely put your feet down or walk around. I couldn’t find a single online photo that showed how little space there is, so we felt scammed. Don’t trust the photos.

For a stay in Punakha, I’d look for a place by the river with well-appointed rooms and resort amenities. In the evening, Garuda Cafe is worth a visit. It’s in a garden next to the resort.