Two new properties to open in Bhutan
 

Interesting to see two new properties on SPG's list of upcoming openings, Le Meridien Thimpu and Le Meridien Paro, Riverfront - both slated to open in January 2015... does anyone know much more?

Bhutan has been on my bucket list, so great to see SPG making a move here...

Very interesting move...kind of exciting!

Absolutely - I think I'll book a trip for next May... if they don't open, I've had the Uma Paro on my list for awhile (Como Hotel).

Apparently the days of high cost/high value and low volume tourism in Bhutan are over. Which is really really too bad. Oh well. I wonder how they will handle bookings for tthese properties given that you can't actually direct book in Bhutan (you have to have a confirmed tourist visa and itinerary first) as far as I know. Unless you have an Indian passport of course.

makin'miles I would book as soon as possible. If this is a sign of things to come in the kingdom, you definitely want to visit while it remains (relatively) unspoiled. Ms. Ridefar and I went 7 years ago--it remains one of the very best trips we have done out of many many trips. Bhutan is magical in every way and I can't recommend it strongly enough. I would also look at the Uma properties as options for staying at. If you are feeling like really breaking the bank, the Amankora lodges (part of the Aman group) would be amazing. Certainly not cheap but amazing.

Dying to try those Amankora properties....

I think your review just pushed me to make a Bhutan trip :D

Good friends of ours visited Amankora last fall, and raved about the experience. They completely customized the itinerary for our friends' trip. I have been to a bunch of the Amans--I really dont think you could go wrong going to Bhutan, and doing so at an Aman property would be incredible. When we go back, we will stay with Amankora for sure.

The opening date for Le Meridien Paro - Riverfront has been pushed back to April 1, 2015. The Thimpu property is still showing a January 1 opening.

I'm not sure - the daily minimum pricing has gone up by something like 40% since I went 4 years ago. I wonder if the Bhutanese have just realised that niche hotels like the Aman resorts offer an even higher income per person than the usual places.

And I concur - Bhutan is one of the most amazing places I've ever been.

Interesting to note that the opening date for Le Meridien Thimpu has been moved forward to October 27, 2014, just a couple of weeks from now. Reservations still don't seem possible on SPG.com, but nice to see opening dates move forward, rather than back, from time to time!

I completely agree with the exception that there is another way to visit Bhutan without all the tourist group and visa nonsense. You can go relatively easily on a business visa.

And I did predict this was going to happen back in 2007 when Bhutan changed from a monarchy to a democracy. I could see the political leaders licking their chops to get rich on tourism. I wrote about it here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...ip-bhutan.html

Very interesting. I was there early this year. I am very curious how this will work given the rules for travel in Bhutan. (Putting aside the business visa approach mentioned above...) you can't just book a hotel on your own. You need to work it out with your tour provider. I wonder how Starwood will work into this? For our tour, we spent the minimum daily amount per person and stayed at decent hotels. It isn't like we could then spend less by using points with SPG.

Color me curious.

The point I was trying to make above, and in my trip report from years ago, is that the rules are likely to change. I think that is what the hotel owners and Starwood are betting on. And since these hotels are likely owned or partially owned by senior politicians in Bhutan, it should prove eventually to be a good bet.

I doubt that Bhutan will completely open as they do not want to become another Thailand, but I expect the rules to become relaxed eventually.

I have the same question, but with the Thimpu property opening in a couple of weeks, this should become clear before too long.

Minimum daily spend in Bhutan is now $200 or $250 per day, depending on the month, with surcharges of $30/40 for singles/couples. http://www.tourism.gov.bt/plan/minimum-daily-package

Most/all of the high-end hotels in Bhutan are also fully licensed hotel operators, so perhaps these two hotels will still allow points/cash+points awards, but require that you still hit the minimum spend in order to satisfy government requirements... spending $250 between a guide, meals, spa, ground transport etc shouldn't be too difficult. They may also be able to count the payment from SPG to them as part of the total. Or, perhaps, they will be limited participation properties (I hope not!).

Updated opening dates
 

The Thimphu property is now showing a December 25, 2014 opening date... Paro is, indeed, May 1.