Situated inside the premises of the serene Palange Monastery at Boudhanath, Hotel Dolmaling offers a peaceful getaway in a modern, luxurious accommodation. This hotel with a spiritual touch was opened to serve a greater social cause.

In 2016, Anjeen Lama Rinpoche himself drew up a plan to convert the monastery premises into a luxury hotel to bankroll the religious sanctuary. Though the current building of Palnge Monastery was built in 1989, its history goes back to over a hundred years in Tibet.

The hotel building was completed in early 2020 but the pandemic had delayed its opening, until it finally threw open its doors for guests in November 2021. 

“From the beginning, the idea was to do something that had never been done in Nepal before, which was to build a hotel inside a monastery,” says Prajowal Bhattarai, Manager of Hotel Dolmaling. With a lobby that looks out to the monastery, you can conveniently step out, explore and experience the monastery. It is open for all and guests are allowed to attend daily prayers and rituals performed by the monks there. 

Hotel Dolmaling is a profit-making business for a non-profit organization, founded by Palnge Monastery with the objective of providing for the monks. The profit is spent for the upkeep of the monks in the form of shelter, clothes and medical treatment, among other necessities. It is also designed to cater to basic education and teaching-learning of Buddha Dharma (Buddhism). At present, the monastery houses around 170 monks aged 9-65.

Lama Rinpoche wanted to incorporate Buddhist values in the details of the hotel. Guests can not only learn about Buddhism and the lifestyle of monks but also experience it first-hand. “The architecture was a vision of Lama Rinpoche,” says Bhattarai. “Every design on the walls, the wood carvings, the furniture, is a reflection of his artistic vision to beautifully complement the monastery.”

As you enter the hotel, you are welcomed by a large mandala, a work of art made by a group of monks living there. “Some of our guests report feeling like they have stepped into a Bhutanese monastery every time they come here,” he adds. There is a library filled with books about Buddhism, ancient Tibetan literature, and anthologies, all of which are accessible to guests. The restaurant menu has Tibetan foods too.

Along with that, Dolmaling is a full-fledged hotel that provides the amenities of a five-star hotel in its rooms. Among the hotel’s fully-furnished 38 rooms, there are standard rooms, deluxe rooms, junior suites, and senior suites. Pricing starts at Rs 6,000. 

It also provides a pre-designed two-days-one-night package where the guests can explore the monastery while spending a peaceful weekend at the hotel. Events and religious ceremonies with the convenience of stay-in at the hotel are the other available options.