"At first glance, Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary, which opened its gilded doors last August in the heart of Paro, is very similar to the kingdom’s original luxury hotels. Like Aman and COMO, which both debuted in 2004, the hotel takes its design cues from traditional dzong—fortresses with whitewashed stone walls and flared roofs. Bhutanese hot stone baths are a centerpiece of the spa and cultural activities include lessons in archery, the national sport. But where Aman and COMO facilitate country-hopping around Bhutan’s five major valleys—Thimphu, Gangtey, Bumthang, Punakha, and Paro—via a circuit of luxury hotels, Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary wants guests to stay put and journey inward with an all-inclusive model that includes spa treatments. The 24-room resort caters to wellness junkies who want a dose of culture along with their farm-fresh food and meditation sessions. Rooms, the smallest of which are 580 square feet (double the size of COMO Uma Paro’s standard rooms), all have views of the historic Eutok Samdrup Choeling Monastery; a copy of The Restful Mind sits bedside in case the view alone doesn’t facilitate a meditative state. Upon arrival, guests perform a butter lamp ceremony and then meet with one of the Sanctuary’s traditional Bhutanese doctors. After he reads your pulse and observes your tongue, he’ll prescribe a customized program that might entail monk-led meditation, a soak in a hot stone bath, and daily kunye (Tibetan massage). Call it a new recipe for Bhutan’s famous state of happiness. FLASH POINT Bhutan is known as the Land of Medicinal Herbs. Join your spa therapist on a foraging excursion around the grounds and collect ingredients for your hot compress treatment. +11-975-827-2224; bhutanspiritsanctuary.com; doubles from around $668, all-inclusive." - CNT Editors
