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St. Regis Opens First Luxury Hotel In Tibet
Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels
Tibet's first luxury hotel is set to open for guests on November 15. The St. Regis Lhasa provides luxury at high altitudes while staying on the "Roof of the World." The St. Regis Lhasa Resort offers refined luxury within easy access of Potala Palace and Norbulingka, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and Jokhang Temple. The once isolated enclave ruled by Tibetan Buddhist monks has changed greatly since the Chinese took over. There are now regular flights to the area and a high speed train service from central Qinghai province to Tibet. The Independent reports that the amount of visitors to Tibet has risen dramatically, up during the first nine months of 2010 to 5.8 million, which is 23 percent more than the same period last year.
The hotel has 150 rooms and villas and 12 suites including a Presidential Suite. The hotel also has restaurants, bars, an Iridium Spa and meeting space. Rooms have plasma televisions, marble bathrooms and high-speed Internet access. The St. Regis Lhasa Resort will be a green hotel using solar energy and underground water. It also operates a fleet of high-efficiency hybrid and turbo-diesel vehicles.
There are several different restaurants and lounges: Social - an all-day dining restaurant offering a wide selection of international cuisine; Si Zi Kang is a gastronomic Tibetan restaurant; Yan Ting Chinese Restaurant specializing in Cantonese and Sichuanese cuisine; the Tea Room, offering different blends of local and imported teas, and serving vintage teas aged from 10-25 years and Decanter by Haut-Brisson, a wine and cigar bar. The spa offers traditional Tibetan herbal treatments and ensures absolute soothing relief from altitude stress. Guests can choose to immerse themselves the gold-leaf immersion pool, or partake in Yoga or Pilates in the Meditation Garden. Rates start around $300 per night.
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