Metta Resort & Spa, Paro, Bhutan
Category: 3 Star
I reached at around 9 p.m. in the night and was unable to locate hotel signage from the main road. Later with the help from locals I reached the hotel which is a 12 minute walk from the main road. However, post 6 p.m. the road is completely dark and it’s not advisable to walk up and down.
There was no food available and I had to eat Wai Wai at night (which was however delicious). Instant noodles seemed to be the only option offered to guests who arrived late without notice.
The hotel has very few staff at night and so orders for dinner had to be placed by 7 p.m and dinner was served latest by 9 p.m. I later learnt that this was the case all over in Bhutan.
This view greeted me as I approached the resort
The room was beautiful, spacious and had 2 heaters. There was a writing desk, a sofa, dining table, dresser in the room and yet there was a lot of space to move around (very important for someone like me who suffers from claustrophobia!!). I specially liked the painting behind the bed and the reading lamp.
My room at Metta
Special points for the Gho and Khira robes and the comfortable room slippers provided by the hotel. As in most good hotels in Paro, there was free wi-fi, TV, great view and electric kettle in my room. The washroom was also nice though a bit small if you compare it with the room size.
The Bhutanese traditional Robes.
Gho and Khira
The washroom is always a very important aspect for me as I cannot adjust with a cramped or unhygienic one. Metta’s washroom was a little small in comparison to the room size but it cannot be called cramp. The towels and other amenities were refreshed daily and there were plenty of hand towels and tissue paper. Special marks for keeping a heater in the washroom.
The Washroom
The showers all ran properly and hot water supply was available 24*7. However, it took half an hour for another person to get hot water after one just bathed with it as the geyser had a small capacity.
The view when I woke up the next day was stunning. Azure blue skies and perfectly picturesque mountain ranges were visible from my room. I could have spent hours sitting and relaxing on this sofa. It offers great comfort and a great view (rare combo).
When I peeked out of the hotel window
My Cottage 108 with its mountain view
View from outside the hotel
The hotel reception and lounge area was very beautiful and I was especially impressed by the Chandelier.
Hotel Reception & Lounge
Guests can help themselves to the small selection of books (some more are kept in the bookcase behind).
Another part of the lobby with books
For breakfast I walked in to the beautiful dining space and had to choose between 550 NU set breakfast or from A La Carte menu..(food is expensive in Metta). The sunny side up, toast and juice when it came was good enough though very pricey.
There are not many food options in the restaurant and for dinner too they used to give me a printed page with 5 -6 items on it that was the total menu choice for the whole hotel. Due to the location of the hotel, I had dinner in my room on all 4 days and cannot call the experience satisfactory.
Indians can have a hard time as basically menu selection is continental. However, the snacks I ordered like French fries, crispy veggies and chilli chicken were all good.
Dinner is served at 9 p.m. and one can choose to have it in the restaurant or room. I always ate late in my room and food was delivered in a hot pot. I also brought alcohol from outside and there was no objection to that.
The staff is pleasant and courteous though only a few of them speak proper English. Their great manners made up for any inconvenience I faced at dinner. All of them are from a god hotel management institute in Bhutan.
There is a beautiful open courtyard which is perfect for yoga, dance or Taiichi. The lower courtyard is good for BBQ dinners and in season there are masked dances available on request.
There are 16 deluxe rooms and 7 standard rooms. Deluxe rooms are approx. 4500 NU while standard room rent was 3000 NU. You would get discount in off season if you negotiate.
There is an in-house Spa which offers hot stone massage, facials, pedicures and deep tissue massage. Also on display are various books on Bhutanese history, world events and Buddhism’s…and guests can browse through freely.
Some Tips
When I first entered the Metta resort, I was a bit apprehensive about its location and kept thinking of how inconvenient (read expensive) it would be to commute to town. I learnt from the hotel staff that it’s possible to book a car for exclusive use for 500-600 NU.
Later, the girl serving me in the dining table advised me to take a share taxi from the main road at just 20 NU per head. Of course, I had to walk for 15 minutes to reach the main road but I had excellent views for company so didn’t really mind.
On my way I befriended some cute kids who later kept greeting me and asking me questions about my city Calcutta. I gave them some candy and that inspired them to follow me up and down to my hotel every time I walked by. I think that was one of the highlights of my stay in Paro Metta Resort and Spa.
The apple cheeked kids ?
Breakfast and Tea Options nearby
Owing to the super-expensive breakfast I had on the first day, I scourged around for a convenient breakfast place nearby. Luckily, I found one Phurba Pop’s restaurant. It looked dubious but inside it was pretty spick and span.
If you are staying in Metta, you will need a place to buy cigarettes, alcohol (inside the hotel…the prices are exorbitant), biscuits etc. and sometimes you will just feel like chatting a little with the locals. For any of the above reasons…. this is a good option.
This place served Alu paratha (my favorite), yellow noodles with Chana (a surprising yet tasty combo) and Wai Wai (Bhutan’s favorite instant noodles) apart from tea, coffee, beer etc. So I had breakfast at Phurba Pop’s restaurant the next two days and its just 7 minutes from my hotel.
Thus, I managed to cut breakfast costs by 70% and this is an option you could avail if you are not too particular about ambience.
The comfort breakfast for many locals...
a balanced and innovative combination
These two little girls used to greet me every day at Phurba’s
and both are voracious candy eaters
Pompai Pai and her daughter puja who run the Phorba’s were kind enough to teach me a few Bhutanese dishes like Emma Datsi and yellow noodles with chana. Their place was small but the warm hospitality they exuded made it memorable.
Pompai Pai and her daughter Puja
My Overall Opinion about Metta
I would love to visit this resort again…just for its beautiful location and room. The hotel is good value for money by Bhutanese standards if one overlooks that expensive menu.
Location & Contacts
Metta Resort & Spa
Langong, Shomu, Paro, Kingdom of Bhutan
Phone: +975 8 272855, +975 8 272899
Fax: +975 8 272074
Directions: The hotel is in Langong, Shomu and one must travel away from the Paro town (3 km) and then take a left from Shomu (Huge car washing facility is a landmark) and then drive up for 3 minutes before the hotel is visible.
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