Zangto Pelri

Just outside Punakha, this hotel feels welcoming, with excellent service and staff who make you feel at home, maybe even better. The food was good too. It has 41 rooms, each with a balcony, so it can host large groups.

The rooms are very large, with equally spacious bathrooms, and the place is kept clean. Staff are polite and helpful. The property belongs to the royal family, who keep a few rooms for their own use and rent out the rest. It sits away from the town centre, with no other hotels nearby, so getting to the market can be a bit difficult. I’d recommend it for groups or anyone who likes a quiet stay in nature. It didn’t seem suited to one family with kids. We enjoyed our visit as a group of 30.

The hotel has a calm, peaceful setting with a lovely view. It was nice to get breakfast and sit on the balcony with a favourite book. The place was very hygienic, the bathroom spacious, and there’s a patio where you can meet people. Staff were helpful when I needed information and a taxi, and arranged both easily. The buffet was fine, though since there were only two of us, we were asked to choose what we wanted and were billed for those items. The food was very good, even for me as a vegetarian. Good value, especially for the location and views.

Set among nature on the hill slopes, this traditional Bhutanese hotel has nicely furnished rooms with pine wood. Facilities are basic, and there’s decent parking. There’s no lift, so guests need to take the stairs to reach their rooms. If you’re lucky, you might happen to see the royals, who occasionally stay here.