Bill Bensley, world-leading hotel designer, arrives in Mustang, Nepal, putting his seal on luxury pr
Sherpa and Bensley agreed that Santosh Shah, who won MasterChef: The Professionals Rematch in 2021 and brought Nepalese cuisine to a global audience, should be the man to devise the kitchen’s culinary offerings.
Shinta Mani Mustang was born.
The 29-suite hotel opened in August. Just outside the hamlet of Jomsom, at 2,800 metres (9,186ft) above sea level, it is 350km (217 miles) northwest of Kathmandu and within reach of the border with Tibet.
For many years the area was judged too dangerous for foreigners, but a handful of trekkers – intrigued by the chance to visit Lo Manthang, a 14th-century walled capital that was ruled over by a semi-independent princeling – were permitted to enter in the early 1990s.
After a drivable road was completed in 2015, throwing open the gates to the outside world, Mustang – which translates as “Plain of Aspiration” – was targeted by hundreds of trekkers, sightseers and even the occasional helicopter tourist in the warmer months of the year.“Tourism has brought around 4,000 visitors a year and drastically changed the livelihood of people of Mustang – it has given many job opportunities to locals and business to local tea houses,” says Jigme Singi Palwar Bista, whose family were Mustang’s hereditary rulers, and who now runs the 20-room Royal Mustang Resort, just outside the walls of Lo Manthang.Nuwakot, an authentic taste of rural Nepal without the tourist herds
“Since the road was completed, it has made travelling much easier. Before, getting here from Jomsom took three days on horseback; now it’s just four hours by jeep.”
Soon after the road opened, Sherpa, who leads the Sherpa Hospitality Group, commissioned Nepalese architect Prabal Shumsher Thapa to design a hotel in Jomsom employing his trademark sustainable solutions, principally using local sandstone and limestone as well as volcanic rock.
Having already opened the property, Sherpa hooked up with Jason Friedman, a hospitality branding specialist, who brought in Bensley to give it a substantial yet sensitive tweak.
“We didn’t change the structure of the building, but we did alter the interiors,” says Bensley, who has worked on more than 200 hospitality projects in 50 countries.
“The lobby is now flanked by the restaurant and bar, and two wings run alongside the central courtyard, containing the suites, spa and gym, while there’s an outdoor terrace with huge fire pits so guests can toast themselves while admiring the stars at night.”
Given that the hotel is in the middle of nowhere, it made sense to source materials locally, upcycling abandoned doors and whatever other materials came to hand.
The colours include dove grey, terracotta red and a yellow-tinged beige that are the key colours found in nearby clay pits.
The suites are draped with yak fur and adorned with a conch shell handle.
On the walls, Himalayan-themed artworks by the late Australian artist Robert Powell contrast with slates carved with Sanskrit poems.
“This is quite the most amazing of all our 16 hill hotels,” says Sherpa.
“Essentially, Shinta Mani Mustang is about repositioning Nepal as a luxury destination as opposed to the old budget and backpacking stuff. And it’s about understanding the value of what we have, respecting the people, culture, nature and environment we operate in, and creating a positive impact.
“Of course, we take corporate responsibility seriously and work closely with [the Pasang Lhamu Foundation, which] aims to assist women and children living in Nepal’s most remote areas.”
Apart from relishing their immediate, near-pristine alpine environment, working their way through the menus – yak meat stew pairs nicely with the local apple brandy – and sampling the wellness programme drawn up by an 11th-generation Amchi (Tibetan medicine) practitioner, guests – who pay US$2,000 per couple per night – can also ride horses, climb rocks, hike, cycle or try their hand at archery. The minimum stay is five nights.
Over in Lo Manthang, Bista – who would have been in line to become king of Mustang had Nepal not done away in toto with all its royal associations – is looking forward to the start of the autumn tourist season.
“We only charge US$217 a night for bed and breakfast, and we are right outside the walls of Lo Manthang, Mustang’s prime attraction,” he says of his hotel, which opened in 2017. It was designed by an octogenarian Japanese architect and took seven years to build, as construction was limited to spring and summer.
“We started the hotel chiefly to provide employment for local people. Shinta Mani is in Jomsom, so it really won’t affect us at all. This is pure Mustang.”
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