Journey to the last Shangrila, Bhutan - Uma by COMO Paro
- Thursday, May 21, 2015
- By Iva
- 0 Comments
This is the hotel where Hong Kong celebrity couple Tony Leung and Carina Lau held their wedding in Bhutan. I think this hotel got a lot of exposure and attention after this pair visited them. At least most Chinese in this world know they got married in Bhutan.
Location
Room
It's a valley view room and the room itself is comfortable, the bed, the heater, the bathroom and everything else are as good as a 4 star hotel by western standard.
There is no hand held shower head in the bathroom, only wall mount type. This is common in most Bhutan hotels but I don't expect this problem happened in a 5 star hotel.
English channels such as HBO, CNN and Fox Movies are available. Wifi connection is very strong too.
Paro valley night view from our room. Stray dogs bark at night and can be noisy. I also heard people playing music and singing from somewhere very far until late night. I asked my tour guide the next day and he told me it's probably monks preparing for Paro festival.
2-bedroom COMO villa which Tony Leung and Carina Lau stayed during their wedding. I would want to spend a night in this villa too and sleep on the SAME bed which Tony Leung had slept before. Ya, if I have the budget (USD1650 peak season and USD1250 non peak season per night before 20% surcharge).
Facility
There is no elevator in the hotel and the building is 3-storey high, it could be a pain for one with big luggage. But don't worry, it's a 5 star hotel, you can always ask someone to help you and I asked my macho partner to help. Haha.
Hotel lobby
It's a super big size dog. I think his weight is at least 20kg. He can open the door himself from courtyard into lobby. Super clever dog. I think Uma Paro owns him. No worry, he's friendly.
Courtyard
Sitting area beside lobby
Gym
Service
The staffs were friendly, polite and service was exceptional. They attended our every request with patience and efficiency. In the morning before I checked out, I was alone to explore their villas (just walked pass outside) and the garden, one of their staff saw me and he came to escort me. I think he actually wanted to protect villa guests' privacy but in fact this was a very good initiative.
Dinner
Dinner is included in the room rate and it's served in Bukhari restaurant. This restaurant has an extensive menu, the food was great and the romantic ambient.
Traditional Bhutanese set with green veggie, chili cheese, red rice and beef curry.
Western dinner set with wagyu steak, pan fried scallop and mashed potato. Since this is a 5-star hotel which I paid a lot for a night, I expect a lot from this hotel. I think my steak taste better than this.
It was the nicest breakfast I had in Bhutan. Croissant, ham, yogurt with nuts, berries and honey.
Conclusion
This is a 5 star hotel, the price is also 5 star. I don't find this valley view room worth the price, I paid US$690 including 10% service charge and 10% tax (rates inclusive of breakfast and dinner). This room appeared to be very standard to me, you can find this kind less than USD300 in other countries. Other than the overpriced issue, everything else is fantastic. But still, it doesn't worth this price.
Location
It is only 10 minutes drive from airport. I could see plane flying into Paro airport from my room but I didn't hear any noise from airport. This hotel can be a good base if you need to catch early morning flight.
It is located on a hill above Paro valley and the view from valley view room is great. But there are a lot of hotels in Bhutan can also offer the same stunning panoramic view.
It is located on a hill above Paro valley and the view from valley view room is great. But there are a lot of hotels in Bhutan can also offer the same stunning panoramic view.
Room
It's a valley view room and the room itself is comfortable, the bed, the heater, the bathroom and everything else are as good as a 4 star hotel by western standard.
There is no hand held shower head in the bathroom, only wall mount type. This is common in most Bhutan hotels but I don't expect this problem happened in a 5 star hotel.
English channels such as HBO, CNN and Fox Movies are available. Wifi connection is very strong too.
Paro valley night view from our room. Stray dogs bark at night and can be noisy. I also heard people playing music and singing from somewhere very far until late night. I asked my tour guide the next day and he told me it's probably monks preparing for Paro festival.
2-bedroom COMO villa which Tony Leung and Carina Lau stayed during their wedding. I would want to spend a night in this villa too and sleep on the SAME bed which Tony Leung had slept before. Ya, if I have the budget (USD1650 peak season and USD1250 non peak season per night before 20% surcharge).
Facility
There is no elevator in the hotel and the building is 3-storey high, it could be a pain for one with big luggage. But don't worry, it's a 5 star hotel, you can always ask someone to help you and I asked my macho partner to help. Haha.
Hotel lobby
Courtyard
Sitting area beside lobby
Courtyard view from 3rd floor
Gym
Service
The staffs were friendly, polite and service was exceptional. They attended our every request with patience and efficiency. In the morning before I checked out, I was alone to explore their villas (just walked pass outside) and the garden, one of their staff saw me and he came to escort me. I think he actually wanted to protect villa guests' privacy but in fact this was a very good initiative.
Dinner
Dinner is included in the room rate and it's served in Bukhari restaurant. This restaurant has an extensive menu, the food was great and the romantic ambient.
Traditional Bhutanese set with green veggie, chili cheese, red rice and beef curry.
Western dinner set with wagyu steak, pan fried scallop and mashed potato. Since this is a 5-star hotel which I paid a lot for a night, I expect a lot from this hotel. I think my steak taste better than this.
It was the nicest breakfast I had in Bhutan. Croissant, ham, yogurt with nuts, berries and honey.
Conclusion
This is a 5 star hotel, the price is also 5 star. I don't find this valley view room worth the price, I paid US$690 including 10% service charge and 10% tax (rates inclusive of breakfast and dinner). This room appeared to be very standard to me, you can find this kind less than USD300 in other countries. Other than the overpriced issue, everything else is fantastic. But still, it doesn't worth this price.
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