NATIONAL7Spotlight Weekly)]

The Height Advantage

A five star hotel at the highest altitude in the continent itself becomes a fascinating tourism product

By A CORRESPONDENT

In the north are the arid mountains. In the south stands the snow clad Mountain Nilgiri. Gusty wind makes the place look more adventurous. The roaring of the Kali Gandaki punctuates the silence of the Marpha Valley to the north east of which is located Jomsom -- the famous touristic spot in the Annapurna region visited by above 60,000 tourists every year.

Jomsom Mountain Resort : Standing tall

Few houses, most of them for commercial purpose, are clustered nearby the Jomsom airstrip. For any visitor, the sight of this place -- much similar and much closer to the Tibetan Plateau --makes him forget about the city-luxuries.

But, around 15 minutes climb from Jomsom, he/she will realize how wrong he/she was. Believe it: At an altitude of 2805 meters stands a locally architectured five star hotel -- Jomsom Mountain Resort -- in this remote district with the snowy mountains a stone throw away.

Sprawled in an area of 150 roppanies, the resort has 102 rooms and has all the facilities a five star hotel by international standard should have. Central heating system, 24 hour room service, swimming pool, sauna, jacuzzi, laundry service, and many more. So much so, this private property also boasts of a banquet hall that can accommodate 250 participants.

The resort's architecture is based on a Thakali Village concept and perfectly blends in with the local surroundings. The dome shaped reception center as if it were a monastery and the corridors with stone walls, floors and ceilings give the impression of the Gumba society.

Each room has a rustic look with the maximum use of stones. All the suites and rooms showcase Tibetan Arts and Crafts furnishing and fabrics.

Apart from its unique interior style, the hotel has many things to boast about. Just 500 feet below the resort flows the Kali Gandaki that forms the world's deepest gorge downstream. From every room one can view the towering Nilgiri Mountains.

For environment conscious clients, the resort has many things to prove that it is a "green hotel." A combination of solar, wind and hydropower will be used for power generation. "Even the diesel generator we use for back-up power meets the international standards for emission," says Captain R.P. Pradhan, a retired pilot who owns the hotel.

Captain Pradhan : Green is Good

The resort's air-conditioning system and food-storage facilities does not use the CFC-based refrigants since CFC (a mixture gas containing carbon) depletes the ozone layer and contributes to global warming. The executives in the hotel say that all waste from the kitchen, laundry and sewage is properly treated and recycled. "All energy, fuel, water requirements and liquid and solid effluent disposal meet the stringent standards set by the World Bank," claims Pradhan.

Interestingly, the construction work of the multi million dollar resort project began only some two years ago and by now above 75 per cent of the work is already over. Given the remoteness of the area where the hotel stands, one wonders how could someone build a five star hotel there.

"Most of the raw materials were flown in by helicopters," say the Hotel's executives.

Based on the philosophy of quality service, the hotel has its single and double room priced at 160 and 170 US dollars respectively. The deluxe rooms are charged 210 US Dollars while suites are tagged with the tariff between 350 to 550 US Dollars.

Apart from marketing in Europe and other markets, the resort also tries to rope in clients visiting Kathmandu and Pokhara.

The above 700 tourist rated hotels throughout the Kingdom can accommodate above one million tourists in one year, hoteliers claim. Of the star rated hotels throughout the nation, a little more than half a dozen are five star ones.

But Jomsom Mountain Resort has carved its image with a difference - standing as a five star property at the highest altitude among all the hotels of its category in the continent.