In 2017, Ambica Shrestha, president of Dwarika’s Group of Hotels and Resorts, famously said, “Empowerment will not be served to you. I challenge you. Do your own thing."

Shrestha, who managed to raise her small hotel into a majestic work of architecture and inspired a generation of women to get into business, died on Thursday.

She was 92.

“She passed away in a hospital in Kathmandu on Thursday morning,” Sangita Shrestha, her daughter, told the Post.

Shrestha, the honorary consul general of Spain for Nepal since 1992, received several awards for facilitating Spanish tourists’ travel in Nepal during crises, particularly in trekking and mountaineering.

In February 2024, the Spanish government conferred on her the Order of Isabella the Catholic medal at a function at Dwarika's Hotel at Battisputali, Kathmandu. Before that, she had received from King Juan Carlos I of Spain the Order of Civil Merit, one of Spain’s highest honours.

Shrestha came to Kathmandu from Sikkim, India. She completed high school at St Joseph’s Convent, Kalimpong, India. After school, she taught at the convent for about two years before marrying Dwarika Das Shrestha, a successful entrepreneur in Kathmandu, in 1955.

She and her husband developed Dwarika's Village Hotel (now Dwarika's Heritage Hotel), a world-famous, one-of-a-kind heritage property built in traditional Newari style.

She was elected President of the National Heritage Society and is a pioneer in Nepal’s hospitality industry.

“She was a legendary and inspiring personality,” said Deepak Raj Joshi, former CEO of Nepal Tourism Board.

“I met her for the first time when I joined the tourism sector in 2000. She always used to guide us about quality and environment-friendly tourism, and her love and affection towards preserving cultural heritage is praiseworthy,” said Joshi.

Condolence messages began to pour in on social media immediately after the news of her death broke.

Noted economist Bishwambher Pyakuryal wrote on Facebook: “The pioneering Nepalese entrepreneur and president of Dwarika’s Hotels and Resorts has passed away, leaving an indelible mark on Nepal's tourism and cultural heritage.”

“Shrestha, a true visionary, dedicated her life to preserving the country's rich traditions while elevating its hospitality industry to new heights. Her legacy will continue to inspire generations of entrepreneurs and leaders to follow in her footsteps, ensuring that Nepal's unique charm and hospitality remain a beacon for travellers worldwide.”

Hanna Singer-Hamdy, the UN Resident Coordinator in Nepal, wrote on X: “With a heavy heart, I join the mourners of our beloved Ambica Shrestha. What a loss to Nepal. Ambica ji’s dedication, kindness, impressive resilience, and energy have left a perpetual mark on all of us. An icon that’ll be forever in our hearts. Rest in peace, my dear friend.”

“I am deeply saddened to hear that Ambica Shrestha, who I used to call the Iron Lady, one of the leading figures in Nepal's hospitality industry, has passed away. Heartfelt condolences to her daughter, Sangita and the family! A heartfelt tribute to Ambika Shrestha!” Leela Mani Paudyal, former chief secretary, wrote on X.

The Hotel Association Nepal, the Pacific Asia Travel Association, Nepal, the Nepal Association of Rafting Agencies, the Nepal Tourism Board, the South Asian Women Development Forum, the Nepal Association of Tour & Travel Agents, the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal, the EU in Nepal and hundreds of individuals and associations mourned the loss of Shrestha.

“Nepal has lost a true entrepreneur and rights activist who devoted her time and incredible energy to empower Nepali women over the past decades. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family,” the European Union in Nepal wrote on its Facebook page.

Shrestha was the first Nepali woman to secure bank loans to fund her hotels.

A few years back, Shrestha told this scribe that the disadvantages of men going abroad for jobs have become advantages for women in rural areas. “Women are left to farm. This means that not only household work but also all decisions in the houses are made by women. This has made them independent and leaders as well.”

She believed the empowerment and literacy movements for women launched by I/NGOs and women’s groups during the 1990s also helped change the status of women in Nepal. Then, the cooperative movement began directly engaging women with financial access.

“If you have the money, you certainly are powerful. And this change became real and visible in Nepali society. Look at the changes today—women’s participation in the policy and decision-making bodies—because their rights are institutionalised or supported by law. However, they have still been unable to cover the private sector extensively. They remain significantly under-represented in the private sector,” she had said.

Dwarika’s Hotel is in Kathmandu, and the Dwarika’s Resort is in Dhulikhel. The Shrestha family runs both. The family runs a premium hotel with the highest tariff rates in Nepal.

Ambica was married into the orthodox Newar family of Dwarika Das Shrestha in 1955. In the year 1952, Dwarika Das started the first hotel in Nepal, Hotel Paras at New Road.

Dwarika’s Hotel was started in 1972 and registered in 1977. In 1972, during the coronation of King Birendra, royalty booked all the rooms. Since then, Dwarika’s has prospered and earned its niche as a pioneer in conserving cultural heritage in Nepal’s hospitality industry.

Shrestha came from a well-off family, but she had to face difficulties fitting into household chores as women were not allowed to go outside. “Women were treated as enslaved people. My husband used to support me as he was against such systems. We were even ostracised for revolting against traditional family norms.”

Her husband passed away in 1992.

She believed that women automatically become confident if they have the money. “In the past decades, Nepali financial institutions used to view women entrepreneurs as riskier than men. It was tough to get bank loans as women wouldn’t have any collateral,” she had said.

She said some women wished to be independent by establishing their businesses. For certain women, various socio-economic activities, including micro-credit programmes, changed things.

“Now, it has been proved that women are more trustworthy than men when paying back debt.”

She also shared the incredible story of how Dwarika’s Hotel emerged.

In 1952, Dwarika Das saw carpenters cutting up intricately carved and engraved wooden pillars at the Durbar Square in Basantapur, which was part of an old building that had been demolished to make a modern structure.

He stopped and convinced the carpenters to exchange the damaged pillars for money or new timber. He brought two pillars. After that, he began a quest to protect such wooden heritage and started bringing them to the place where Dwarika’s is now located.

After a few years, he hired some carvers from Patan to restore these carvings. Eventually, Dwarika’s Hotel, a uniquely high-end heritage hotel with a collection of antique art, was founded in 1959.

Initially, it had five rooms, including a cowshed that was later converted into two rooms. The family then ventured into another business, founding the Kathmandu Travels and Tours, the third oldest travel agency in Nepal, around 1973.

Despite all odds, Dwarika’s hasn’t compromised on the room tariff rates. During the 1980s, Dwarika’s used to charge $80 per night. Today, the tariff starts from $200 per night. It has been charging $1,500 per night for a royal suite room.

Shrestha is survived by two daughters, five grand-children and five great-grandchildren.