Newly-constructed Hotel Mulberry, located at the tourist hub of Thamel, will throw open its doors on Friday. The nine-storey tall three-star property offers 67 rooms.  

“It’s a luxury property. It has been designed keeping in mind the needs of modern travellers,” said Amir Pradhananga, general manager of the hotel. “The hotel offers bigger guest rooms, meetings and events facilities for multi-purpose use and a luxurious rooftop swimming pool with a bar lounge area for small, private parties.”

The Mulberry was built at a cost of Rs550 million, and construction took almost four years, Pradhananga said. He added that the average room tariff would be $100 per night. 

The hotel is reasonably priced and will primarily target foreigners looking for luxury in Thamel. “We provide all the facilities of a five-star hotel.”  The hotel employs 75 people. Pradhananga said most of the employees were hotel management graduates. “So we have professional manpower to serve customers.” 

A unique feature of the hotel is its rooftop swimming pool, one of the few outdoor rooftop pools in Kathmandu and the only one in Thamel, the hotel said. Likewise, the hotel offers a comfortable retreat on the eighth floor with a view of the Kathmandu skyline. 

Guests can savour tapas style dishes, snacks, light meals and an international selection of wines, spirits and popular cocktails.

The hotel features the Cocoon Spa, a wellness sanctuary, offering expert massage and holistic treatments inspired by century-old Asian traditions. The contemporary spa has four treatment rooms—one double suite, his and hers steam and sauna rooms, and separate changing facilities.

According to the hotel, it offers 41 deluxe rooms, 15 executive rooms, nine junior suites, a business suite and a presidential suite, all fitted with contemporary comforts. 

The Kathmandu Valley is on course to add 4,000 hotel rooms by 2018-19, with a number of five-, four- and three-star properties currently under construction, according to Hotel Association Nepal.

The umbrella body of hotel operators said that the Valley would see 16,000 room nights, enough to accommodate nearly 6 million tourists annually, in the next three years.

Moreover, about half a dozen globally known hotel brands, including Marriott, Aloft and Sheraton, have signed management contracts with Nepali entrepreneurs to establish their presence in Nepal.