Surya Heritage Hotel

The beds were comfortable, and staff were helpful, though they didn’t seem to communicate well with each other. I also appreciated being moved to a quieter room over New Year. The security man outside was the nicest part of the place, always cheerful and greeting me warmly. Even after I’d left, she called out “namaste ma’am” from across the street. But I wouldn’t stay here again because they couldn’t provide a hot shower. I stayed two nights before my Everest basecamp trek and two nights afterward, and finally wanted to wash my hair in hot water. I had to get out of the shower three times when it went cold. The second stay was over New Year, when there was a water problem, but the water wasn’t hot before my trek either. Staff said nobody else had complained. I hadn’t complained either at first, thinking it was just one of those things, but over four days I had two lukewarm showers and skipped showering the other days. I moved hotels. There’s noise early in the morning from people heading out on treks, which isn’t the hotel’s fault. Some guests slam doors at 4 AM and talk loudly as if they’re the only ones staying there.

After our trek we faced an eight-hour bus ride from Pohkhara and were looking forward to a shower and a bed. Instead, the hotel had overbooked and insisted we go to another place that was far below the standard we’d expected. We’d booked months ahead. Taking new guests and turning away people with reservations felt greedy. I’m going to insist my tour agency never books this hotel again. Our first night had been okay, though breakfast was below what I’d expect from a three-star hotel. The food was poor, there were no eggs, and the instant coffee was subpar.

The views from the top are nice, and we didn’t see bed bugs or cockroaches. Still, there are much better places to stay nearby. Before joining our trekking group, we stayed at another hotel and preferred it, especially for its reliable hot water, good Wi-Fi, and affordable laundry. We used this hotel before and after our Everest Base Camp trek. On the first stay, the room smelled strongly of sewer gas, enough that we worried about sleeping there for our health. When we told the front desk, they had someone spray air freshener. We were relieved to be there for just one night. The Wi-Fi was unreliable, and our friends got food poisoning from the restaurant that night, seriously affecting their trek. On the return stay, there was no way to let shower moisture out, so everything became damp and musty. The shower was hot only about half the time, disappointing after coming back from EBC. Getting drinking water from the very slow, disorganized staff was an ordeal on both stays. Laundry was available but extremely expensive. We asked for a late checkout and paid extra to stay until 6 PM. Early in the afternoon, after we’d paid and made plans, the front desk called to say we could only keep the room until 4. The hotel looks nice and is centrally located, but the quality falls off after that. We gave it two stars because we made it through the stay and didn’t encounter bugs.

The room was extremely hot, and I was sweaty and tired after flying from Kuala Lumpur to Kathmandu. My blue Pashmina shirt accidentally stained the bed. A week later, just as I was leaving Nepal, the hotel contacted me and demanded almost 4000 NPR. I understand the accident happened, but they should have raised the payment at the start, not at the end of my trip. I work in a hotel myself, and I don’t think guests should be charged for accidental stains or getting sick. If someone broke the TV or trashed the room, I’d understand. The staff communicated terribly. It felt like they cared about taking my money, not their guests. Foreigners, do yourselves a favour and stay somewhere else. The experience left a bitter taste.