"This is the first top-end Bhutanese-owned hotel in the scene-stealing Punakha Valley east of Thimphu—home to the magnificent Punakha Dzong, the region’s iconic 17th-century fortress. And this is no small thing in a kingdom that has drawn big hitters such as Aman, andBeyond, and Six Senses. A series of buildings in the wooden, sloping-roofed Bhutanese vernacular style—including 21 tented villas—is slung across 70 lush acres of a river valley. The design was dreamt up by hotel designer Bill Bensley to unfold in layers, like the whorls of a lotus. Everything was plotted with the natural landscape in mind, and there was minimal felling of trees to create the one- to three-bedroom villas, each with a private heated pool and a spacious deck. Inside, Serge Ferrari fabrics and copper fixtures—including the bathroom tubs—meet an aesthetic rooted in Bhutanese culture, colors, and works of art. Druk beer is stocked in the minibar, there’s a traditional hot-stone bath in the spa, and prayer flags flutter on the lawns. From the welcome ritual by the resident lama and the warming butter tea to the guided excursions to temples and viewpoints, everything pays homage to the country, its people, and their spiritual beliefs. This is a place that invites you to slow down and be immersed in the quietude and beauty of the forest, the hills, and the river. From $1,770. —Diya Kohli" - CNT Editors
