Royal Penguin Boutique Hotel & Spa

Nepal , Kathmandu
Kathmandu, Thamel, J.P. Road
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75 reviews shown

10/10

Exceptional

05 Feb 2020

Geof

A great room with a great soaking bathtub

Upon entering the room we were impressed by the blue led lighting strips. It gave us the sense that we were going into a room of the future. However, they have enough other lights that we were able to read without any effort. (I don't really like hotels that are mood-lit and never able to make bright enough to read anywhere). The bath tub was wonderful. It is so great to sit and soak after a great trek.

Friends_and_family Family

4/10

Poor

04 Feb 2020

Verified traveler

This was an average hotel I guess. I wanted to stay in Thamel for a few nights of my vacation so I choose the quirkiness of Royal Penguin. The first room they showed me did not have working electric, they had been having power issues of the whole floor leaving the dark corridor leading to the room and the room itself room unsafe for any guests. Then they showed me a second room that did not have working heat or Wifi. Then the 3rd room didn't have working heat either but the staff said that it just takes a while to heat up. While waiting 45 minutes for the heat to kick on, I called the front desk again. They sent 2 more employees to come and look at the heater; one of them changed out the filter. It finally kicked on, but I should mention that the new room was a significant down grade and nothing was adjusted on my bill then or at check out. Water runs yellow, some hotels in Kathmandu have clear colored water, they do not & the power outages are short but pretty regular. Staff were kind but most were not very helpful. Things I did like, FREE HBO in English, FREE room service breakfast which was pretty good and one of the housekeepers was very nice. Overall, the quirkiness of the hotel is not enough to stay here, I would not recommend to anyone. I'm sure there must be nicer properties in the Thamel area. This one disappoints.

Leisure Self

8/10

Excellent

25 Nov 2019

Very happy and satisfied with the customer service , all the other staffs were very helpful too. Only the water was an issue, bathroom water was unclean it was yellow in colour. Please try to get clean water . Other than that every thing was excellent.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

31 Oct 2019

Verified traveler

There was no rooms with a balcony, and only 1 restaurant to eat in. The menu was limited, and the breakfast that was offered, very disappointing.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Apr 2019

Verified traveler

I stayed here with my 2 children. After reading reviews I was prepared for a reasonable, clean, yet perhaps not the best hotel. I was positively surprised. The room I got was exactly as pictured. For KTM style rooms, this was luxury. Plush tiger was waiting for us in the bed. Kids loved it. The greeting guards at the entrance made us feel welcome every time you cross the gates. Food in the restaurant was mediocre at best. My room was 62. The hotel, staff was great. I would return any time. Recommended.

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

22 Apr 2019

Verified traveler

Great room but the sauna and steam room are not good. The steam room stank of ammonia and the sauna door stuck and I had to rip it off to escape!!

Leisure

8/10

Excellent

10 Mar 2019

Timothy

good option, good price, food needs work

this is a great semi-budget hotel in the downtown area close to restaurants and shops. they had access to a gym (different building) and a spa on-site, which i was tempted to use, but never got there. three nights were all good. the water was always hot, though it came out yellow. we didn't have any problems though, and there was plenty of bottled water to use for brushing teeth, etc. the room had heating (it got cold at night!) and the bed was comfortable. the security was overly polite and the front desk was always staffed and helpful. we did not like the breakfast - we got up twice for early flights, and noticed everyone else in the airport who had packed breakfasts had normal things (boiled eggs, sandwiches, box juice, a banana, etc.) while we only had the option of taking takeaway from the six meals included in the breakfast rate. this included pancakes, which we ordered, and they packed the syrup in tin foil! it spilled everywhere and ruined the rest of the food. we got muesli with no milk or yogurt - just plain, uncooked oats. so bizarre. other than that, the place worked out well for us.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Feb 2019

Judith

comfortable hotel in the heart of Thamel

Quirky hotel in the heart of Thamel.

6/10

Pleasant

26 Jan 2019

J S

Friendly staff

The hotel is over-rated and not value for money going by the card rate you displayed while booking. This the discount of 62% that you showed while booking is mis-leading and bigger and more popular hotels in better locations in Thamel were offering rooms at much lower prices. Further it was mentioned while booking that its near Garden of Dreams but its quite interior which made my friends and business associates avoid coming over. Staff are very friendly and helpful. The Hammam and Sauna facilities are open 24 hrs and the staff un-grudgingly switched on the Hammam even if it was very late in the evening.

4/10

Poor

07 Jan 2019

Verified traveler

The hotel is centrally located in Thamel (Kathmandu's touristic neighborhood). My friend and I stayed there during our Christmas vacation. The staff members are friendly, and answer all queries quickly and efficiently. However, the hotel is unfortunately not very clean- if I took my shoes off and walked around in the room, my socks would immediately become dusty. Moreover, the towels were obviously old and worn, and I regretted not bringing my own. The free breakfast was convenient, but rather bland.
I mention this here so that other visitors don't make the same mistake: the hotel recommended we took its deluxe bus to go to Pokhara, and I wish we had declined the offer. While I understand that road conditions in Nepal are difficult, I was shocked by the driver's reckless disregard for our safety during our trip to Pokhara. He was constantly speeding on narrow mountain roads, and constantly tried to overtake other vehicles, including big trucks and buses.
We were so scared that instead of taking the bus back, we booked a last minute plane ticket to Kathmandu. The hotel reimbursed the price of the bus return ticket and didn't charge us for the airport pickup. I hope that in addition to this gesture of goodwill, they make sure that they don't recommend the same company to other visitors (Pokhara Jagadamba Travels).

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

20 Dec 2018

Verified traveler

We had a comfortable stay and the staff were very obliging. The breakfast was below par - too many choices on menu but very bland and tasteless. Apart from that we loved the location and size of rooms/ amenities.

10/10

Exceptional

23 Nov 2018

Stephen

Nice hotel that is centrally located in the Thamel district. The restaurant is good.

10/10

Exceptional

11 Nov 2018

Jaynie

This hotel is in the perfect location. We were pleased with the big breakfast and would return again one day.

8/10

Excellent

11 Nov 2018

Max

Nice location close main city square and shops ...

10/10

Exceptional

11 Nov 2018

Stephen

My room was very comfortable. The hotel is in a good location. The restaurant inside the hotel has good food.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Oct 2018

Yiu Ming

Great room and great breakfast

The room is very spacious and clean. The made-to-order breakfast is very yummy! The gym is in another building in Aria hotel which is one block away.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

18 Jul 2018

stepsul

Comfortable stay in a small hotel ...

The hotel is located in the heart of tourist hub of Thamel. Room was OK - spacious and well equipped, with everything - wifi, minifridge, kettle, hairdryer, TV and safe - in working order. Breakfasts were varied, made to order and ample in quality and quantity. However, I thought the room windows were in dire need of cleaning - they were so dirty it gave the impression that there was a fog outside. The staff were best feature of the hotel - welcoming, cheerful and helpful. Overall, a very satisfactory stay.

8/10

Excellent

17 Jun 2018

Verified traveler

Friendly and helpful staffs, clean and strategy location. Value for money

10/10

Exceptional

18 May 2018

Verified traveler

Well located, great breakfast options - fun and quirky options (that you can ignore) - very professional and friendly staff. Great spa too

8/10

Excellent

18 May 2018

CJ_Canuck

Any hotel in Kathmandu is going to be a little rougher than what you might expect in NA, but besides a few unsightly stains on some of the pillow casings, RP is perfectly adequate and not without its charms. Well located in the Thamel tourist district.

10/10

Exceptional

17 Apr 2018

John

A fun themed hotel with helpful staff

The hotel was very reasonably priced compared to western hotels, yet it had a fun quirky atmosphere and all the staff were lovely and helpful.

8/10

Excellent

28 Feb 2018

Verified traveler

Had a very comfortable and pleasant stay at this hotel. Would definitely recommend to my friends.

10/10

Exceptional

25 Feb 2018

Jayant

Great Stay

Great place in the middle of tourist area. Excellent rooms and service. Adaptive and courteous staff

Partner

8/10

Excellent

24 Feb 2018

Verified traveler

nice clean hotel and friendly staff

Hotel is located right in the middle of numerous shops. Very convenient. Negatives are that the roads are very narrow and dusty with lots of people and vehicles moving in different directions.

10/10

Exceptional

14 Feb 2018

Natasha

Nice hotel very central staff great lovely food

Manager Bishal was most helpful organized excursions and trip to Pokhara. to another lovely hotel at very good rate, As the trip to Nepal was out of my comfort zone I was a quite nervous traveller however Bishal really helped and I felt safe. Big Thankyou to Bishal and all the staff who were very friendly. Hotel quirky with good atmosphere

10/10

Exceptional

27 Jan 2018

Verified traveler

Fantastic hotel in the middle of Thamel

Fantastic hotel in the middle of Thamel. The staff was wonderful all around. The room was comfortable, clean and spacious. While the wifi was not that fast (I think the internet speed in Nepal is just not that fast in general) there was a dedicated username and password for each room which made it very convenient, a little faster than a shared network, and always kept me connected. You can't beat the location for convenient shopping, dinning, and proximity to local attractions. I ordered room service once, the food was just okay but it's probably that way to accommodate more tastes. Everything about the hotel was very professional and clean.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 Jan 2018

Verified traveler

After doing trekk and tour group booking us into a 2-star this place felt extra glam. Lovely staff and brekkies were drlicious

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jan 2018

Maria

Value for $

Very welcoming and helpful staff. Great location in the heart of Thamel. Good place to start your trip in Nepal

Family

10/10

Exceptional

07 Jan 2018

Maria

Great value for money

Great rest after trecking

Family

8/10

Excellent

06 Jan 2018

Jennifer

Great Location, Friendly Staff

My stay at the Royal Penguin was great. The staff spoke English well and were friendly and helpful. My room was clean and comfortable. My only complaint would be - soap. There was no hand soap in my room. I told the front desk and housekeeping never came to fill the soap. I washed my hands with shampoo. I saw one of the housekeepers in the hall so I asked her for some soap, she filled the container but didn't screw the top on the dispenser, probably because it is broken and didn't work. I had to pull the top out and get soap that way. It is something small but I like to have soap to wash my hands so it was a little annoying. It would not stop me from staying there again. The food in the restaurant was good and well priced.

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jan 2018

Jimmy

Great staff and services!

Great and caring staff at the front desk and in-room services.

8/10

Excellent

19 Dec 2017

Verified traveler

Nice location

Service was excellent but prices sometime were too high

10/10

Exceptional

26 Nov 2017

Verified traveler

Helpful staff, great room, brown water?

This hotel is awesome. I totally a completely recommend! I loved my room and all the amenities -- super clean, excellent staff who all spoke English, 24-hour restaurant and bar, and a perfect location in the heart of Thamel amidst all the western-friendly tourist shops, bars and eateries.

I'm only knocking off one tiny point because the water in the shower was a teeny bit brownish. Just a teeny tinge. Even saying that, I would not hesitate to stay here again. It was a bargain, and outstandingly comfortable. And for all I know, all the places in Kathmandu have trouble getting perfectly clear water in their plumbing.

2/10

Poor

09 Nov 2017

Verified traveler

Terrible Hotel

There were ants, black mold in room. The water coming from tap was yellow and has a horrid smell, but I think that's just the Kathmandu municipal water condition. I will never go to Kathmandu again. I stayed in another hotel in Kathmandu and it was better.

2/10

Poor

09 Nov 2017

Verified traveler

Ants in room

There were ants, black mold in room. The water coming from tap was yellow and has a horrid smell, but I think that's just the Kathmandu municipal water condition. I will never go to Kathmandu again.

10/10

Exceptional

07 Nov 2017

mohammad mizanur

Great hotel and definitely my first choice

Great room, services, staffs and price.

8/10

Excellent

03 Nov 2017

Verified traveler

Kitschy

Very kitschy hotel, somewhat hard to find amongst all the other signs crowding the streets of Thamel. Overall pleasant stay, but nothing was extraordinary. Room was clean but run down. Didn't have an opportunity to use the spa.

10/10

Exceptional

18 Oct 2017

Verified traveler

Hotel is in a prime Thamel location, yet quiet. My room, spa area and the lobby were super clean. The entire staff was welcoming and helpful, and surprisingly, the room looked exactly like in the photos: modern, electric design and super spacious!

10/10

Exceptional

18 Oct 2017

Verified traveler

Very clean and comfortable. Bed is great and room was quiet.

10/10

Exceptional

12 Oct 2017

Verified traveler

Gem in the middle of Thamel

I finished up a 3 week trek in Upper Mustang and wanted to treat myself when I returned to Kathmandu. I was pleasantly surprised with just how much value this hotel offers. Incredibly clean, perfect location for all the shopping in Thamel, many amenities. Great bang for the buck.

8/10

Excellent

24 Aug 2017

Lisa

Mostly very good

We had a wonderful room and the included breakfast was great. Staff at front desk very helpful in making reservations. However, the room's floor was a little dirty and should have been scrubbed. Big downfall: water coming out of faucets is yellow--I declined to take a bath. Rusty look could have been in all of Thamel, I don't know. Second criticism was just as we were about to leave the front desk clerk asked if he could take a photo of us for the hotel, which I thought was very wierd. In All the years we've travelled I've never heard of a hotel wanting to take pictures of their guests; we declined. You get a scarf from the hotel at check out which is supposed to bring good luck.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Aug 2017

Wayne D

Nice.. hotel

Nice.place.. good food.. clean.and.nice
Staff.. would.. recommend..to.anyone
Can.t. go.wrong......

10/10

Exceptional

01 Aug 2017

Randy

Good location

This is the best hotel in Thamel. Very quite close to shops and restaurants.

10/10

Exceptional

30 Jul 2017

Andrew

Great little hotel in a lively part of town

In a great area for evening activities. Great rooms for Nepal and well equipped. Slightly disappointing WIFI which can be a little unreliable. Very friendly staff.

8/10

Excellent

13 Jul 2017

John

Hotel was nice and clean, its a little expensive for the value.

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jul 2017

Verified traveler

I have stayed in this hotel for few nights. I have no complaints. Great room, great hotel at Thamel.
Staff is very friendly and very helpful. I recommend this hotel 100%.

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jun 2017

David

Very very good

Good hotel
Big room
Big tv good shower
Very good breakfest
Best location good wifi

Family

10/10

Exceptional

30 May 2017

Wayne D

Nice.hotel

Very good.nuce.hotel. All.the.stuff.needed for.out.ciuntry.stay.changed.name..to
ARIA.HOTEL.CHECK..IT...

6/10

Pleasant

21 Apr 2017

Verified traveler

(+) good location/ excellent breakfast
(-) poor hygiene
But I think it was a one of good hotel in that area

10/10

Exceptional

21 Apr 2017

william

Most funny Boutique Hotel

An impressive stay in a comical well managed Boutique Hotel, verry funny, and the owner : Nepalese knows exactly what skilled travelers wanted: all kind of amenities are present, spectacular lightening in the rooms, it was a pleasant stay.

10/10

Exceptional

20 Apr 2017

Emma

Great hotel, very friendly and helpful staff. Second time staying there and will be back again.

10/10

Exceptional

01 Apr 2017

Katherine

Wonderful stay

Extremely helpful staff. Great restaurant and spa - part of complex. Very helpful arranging tours. Truly an oasis from the sensory overload of Thamel. Just a very short walk down a pleasant alley off the main street and you're there! Very comfortable rooms - great amenities. Staff really seemed interested in making my stay a very pleasant one. Very impressed with this lovely boutique hotel!

10/10

Exceptional

23 Mar 2017

Margo

Amazing comfort and supreme service

Royal penguin boutique hotel was wonderful. The service and staff was amazing and we did a very relaxing massage at the full service hotel spa. Sooo nice. There is 24 hour room service, great breakfast, bathroom was very clean and upscale, 24 hour hot water, a concierge service that would knock your socks off... very nice surprise.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

21 Sep 2016

Leslie

Very Nice Place To Stay

We enjoyed our stay at Le Meridien. Comfortable room....very very good breakfast.

Family

2/10

Poor

10 Sep 2016

Cory

Overpriced, poor internet, had small items stolen

Terrible for business, non-functioning Internet, dated and overpriced. Had several small toiletry/hygiene items stolen by the cleaning staff. Spa a joke. Quirky decorations and good location only redeeming quality.

6/10

Pleasant

06 Sep 2016

Ashok k

Restaurant Good,
The Food Preparation - ordinary,

10/10

Exceptional

16 Aug 2016

Divya Karan

perfect hotel

I stayed here for two nights. neat and clean rooms and also the entire hotel. the spa is great and has a lot of varieties to choose from. the American breakfast on the menu is outstanding. food overall is ok otherwise. staff is courteous and always up for helping. I would definitely recommend this.

8/10

Excellent

14 Aug 2016

Verified traveler

Nice, quirky boutique hotel

This is a nice, up-to-date hotel, right down the street from the original Royal Penguin location. Backup power means that some essentials, like lights are available, even during the frequent power cuts Kathmandu has these days, although some things, like the elevator aren't usable then. The staff is first rate, and the hotel itself has the quirky, boutique vibe that management is clearly aiming for. A very comfortable home base for exploring Thamel.

10/10

Exceptional

18 Jul 2016

Penguin

Greatest staffs work here!

It was my first visit in Kathmandu and only stayed 3 intensive days. I needed a lot of help for my personal issue so I asked the staffs for some help. It didn't take much time to realize how lucky i was to find and stay this hotel. Some of them immediately helped me call around other businesses to gather the information that I urgently/desperately needed. A staff made a couple of phone calls to his family to collect the information for me. And some other staff even helped me get the information even remotely by phone while i was away from this hotel. They also helped me negotiate with cab driver every time I needed a ride. Without them I would not have been able to solve the issue that I had to complete in such a short stay. They are the best. I appreciate all the things they did for me.

8/10

Excellent

29 May 2016

Steve

Central, with great staff

Area was central, in Europe this would be 3 stars, the staff were really great. Overall a good hotel.

Partner

4/10

Poor

28 May 2016

Verified traveler

Disappointing Stay, Considering the Rating

This hotel suffers from several major flaws, including:
a) constant power failures (it has a generator because Kathmandu suffers from regular power cuts but the power was not available from power points, a/c, Internet and lights on a rolling basis);
b) poor service at the restaurant (where long waits occur when there are few customers);
c) poorly trained staff, such as the housekeeper who knocked on my door at 7:25am and then a second later without waiting to see if there was an answer proceeded to try and open the door while I was in the lavatory or the front office staff whpo took no action to stop a maniac using a heavy hammer on a building right next door at 5:30am on another day when he was less than 20m from the front entrance; and
d) when the Internet was working it was constantly failing and unable to provide any real service that could be relied upon, it was so slow.

I complained several times about this and other issues, and the manager never bothered to contact me (so I assume the staff never told the manager or the manager didn't want the feedback).

8/10

Excellent

14 May 2016

Verified traveler

Nice hotel, close to shops and attractions

I stayed at this hotel because it's in the heart of Thamel, close to the main tourist hangouts. It's tucked away in a side street, but easy to get to. Like all other Kathmandu hotels, the standard lags behind their counterparts in the Western world, but it's a clean and comfortable place, with a fantastic staff. My only gripe with it is the quality of their food. Leaves much to be desired. Other than that, I'd recommend it easily to anyone staying in the Kathmandu area.

10/10

Exceptional

10 May 2016

Verified traveler

Friendly staff and good breakfast with comfy room.

Nice place for the money. Room as nice as Hyatt i had stayed at earlier for less than half the price an good location. Big drawback was internet service seemed to go in and out and generator only provided basic lighting when power was out which is frequently.

10/10

Exceptional

30 Apr 2016

Verified traveler

Quality hotel in the center of Thamel

Quality hotel in the center of Thamel. Room deco is flashy and a bit weird, but fun. Hotel condition and service is excellent for Nepal. So is the spa.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Apr 2016

Mina

Worth the little extra for this nice hotel!

Had another great stay at the tail end of my trip.
Service is so prompt and friendly, from front desk, to restaurant, to any other staff you encounter.
After having stayed in 5 other hotels during my travels in Nepal, I really appreciated the extra level of cleanliness and comfort here.
Food at the restaurant is very good.
Wifi can be a bit slow at times, but seems to be like that everywhere.

8/10

Excellent

16 Apr 2016

Mina

Fun fun hotel with great breakfast included

What a fun place to stay!
Staff were all so friendly and helpful.
Room and facilities were very clean.
Decor was fun/funky. Real plants!
5-6 options for included breakfast, which was huge and could be requested anytime 6am-11pm!
Check out their crazy menu!

10/10

Exceptional

22 Feb 2016

Lyndon

Location close to tourist area and very walkable. The hotel was spotlessly clean and the staff very helpful and friendly. WiFi free, fast and reliable. I would stay there again if I went back to Kathmandu.

8/10

Excellent

29 Jan 2016

Pavel

Good one night stay in Kathmandu.

Good one night stay at this hotel. Would recommend to others. Breakfast was the only downside. The chef must have used the same chopping board to cut up our fruit as that used for the onions. And the curd had a really odd taste. But don't let that put you off staying here.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

07 Jan 2016

rayyan

Artistic comfortable place

The room are so artistic and clean ; bath tub with hot water. Air condition is good , sound isolation and room warmth is great. (January a bit cold at night and mornings).
Everything is great about this hotel ; restaurant in hotel a bit pricy , wifi was not very stable.
Enjoy !

8/10

Excellent

02 Dec 2015

Margit

Great location, great staff and very good rooms!

After 2 weeks of work in Nepal, a friend and I wanted to see a bit of Kathmandu. We found a really good deal at hotels.com and booked two rooms immediately. Super friendly staff and good (funky - in the good sense!) rooms, good food (limited menu due to the fuel shortage) and a good location! The hotel is located at a pretty busy road so that result in the expected noise from the street. Very good stay - would recommend and book again!

Family

8/10

Excellent

29 Oct 2015

Michael

Pleasantly 'quirky'.

Expensive by Thamel standards but also 'upmarket' for Thamel, particularly the excellent quality of the room's ensuite's. A genuinely good quality 'boutique' hotel which has a nice 'quirkiness' element to it. You can get a lot cheaper in Thamel but not at this quality.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

20 Oct 2015

Verified traveler

fabulous hotel in Kathmandu

I spent 3 nights at the Royal Penguin in October. I chose this hotel because of it's location and the reviews and I am glad I stayed here. The room was excellent, very clean and comfortable with a good bathroom. The staff were very friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend this hotel

10/10

Exceptional

02 Sep 2015

May

Definitely the best

Big modern room, great bathtub, live plant in the room. Felt like home. The staff are very friendly, they said i could keep my luggage with them for an unlimited time.

10/10

Exceptional

28 Aug 2015

Andy

Brand-new, good-located, luxury rooms & restaurant

I stayed here after 1 night in Penguin-1 and hoped, that this hotel is of the same excellent quality, but I was mistaken. Here is even better!
First, I was upgraded to Executive room for free (!), because one big chinese family wanted to stay in neighbouring super-delax rooms.
What can I say... Executive room is really big. And really big windows with beautiful view to snowy mountains (if not clouded). Bed is really big and I don't know how they make this matrass so comfortable.
Design is strange but remarkable (for example it was a piece of real lapis lazuli stone protruding from the wall, green plant is special tile-box, etc)
Bathtub is really big as well!
Restaurant made like cave with natural stones in the walls. And my favorite exquisite tables from some special wood.
Food is tasty, but I'm not realy expert about food.
Elevator - same like cave:) It's better to see with your eyes.
Staff is very friendly and helpful.

10/10

Exceptional

27 Aug 2015

Kiwi

Comfortable and sparkling bright

Very nice unusual design. Staff is kind and professional, attentive to every little thing we have asked about. Special thanks to Smita , she was very helpful with booking my trip to Pokhara. I was also impressed the lighting in the room. They have a few options of neon-blue light around the bed. Breakfast was really various. I can recommend this hotel to everyone.