I spent two nights at Hotel Ananda. On both of these nights, I arrived at the hotel late in the evening. When I got there, Pema, the owner’s daughter, who currently looks after the property, made me feel at home. Over dinner, she shared about her recent projects, which includes being a manager to a popular Bhutanese singer. Another time, she let me know that their hot water pressure was excellent. During our conversation, I also learnt that Pema was one of the first female tourist guides in the country.
I first visited Hotel Ananda to attend a birthday party. The party, held at the restaurant-cum-bar and lounge area, was large and minimalistic, like Soviet-era buildings. And I stayed in a suite room, their only other room option (keeping it simple). It was spacious and sizeable. Walking into Suite 503, the first thing that caught my attention was the kitchen area next to the living room. It reminded me of rooms from another hotel– Center Point in Bangkok.
A room with a view
On my first night there, I video-called a friend who lives nearby. Surprised, he was unable to locate the place— the road below. Perhaps this was exactly why I was so attracted to the hotel. Looking out my bedroom window, I spotted a construction crane for the first time in Thimphu. This feeling was akin to being in a city like New York or Charlotte.
Meanwhile, the vast amount of unmowed greenery above the hotel struck me. It looked and felt very different from the room I was in, with all its modern amenities: a vintage tub, wall-mounted reading lights, and a mini-fridge, among others. It was unbelievable as well as inspiring, how a property like this could exist so close to my own home.
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