A storied old establishment with a modern facelift at the center of Bhutan’s bustling capital

There’s a certain poetry to waking up in the heart of Thimphu and stepping outside your hotel at the central clocktower square to people watch or startle the busy flocks of cooing pigeons pecking around the square and watching them nostalgically as they take whirring to the air in a drafty whirl of feathers. The Druk Hotel manages its duality effortlessly — it sits in the very center of town, yet can also feel like a lodge tucked far from the hum of the city.


“The Druk” is one of Thimphu City’s oldest established landmarks — a property that has quietly witnessed the city’s transformation from a sleepy Himalayan outpost to a modern cultural capital. There was a time when being seen at “the Druk” was the height of sophistication and indulgence.



While newer and glitzier places give the grande dame a run for her money—Dusit, a modern chain, Le Meridien, part of the Marriott Bonvoy program, and even her own gussied-up sister property up the street, the magnificent Pemako—the now refurbished (and updated) hotel still carries a whiff of her old elegance. More importantly, she still retains a fierce loyalty among the older elite of Thimphu, and those who remember the Druk’s heyday. After extensive renovations closed the property to the public for a few years, it has now reopened with polished floors that gleam beneath hand-painted mandalas and works by Bhutan’s master painter, and our old friend, Asha Kama Wangdi. Bhutanese motifs dance along carved cornices, and a faint note of lived-in confidence, not unlike the fragrance of rich leather, still lingers in the air at the Druk. The rooms provide the right level of comfort without being ostentatious. Silk-draped headboards, handwoven textiles, and window views of prayer flags fluttering against the mountains lends each valley-facing room a sense of place that feels unmistakably Bhutanese. Refurbished bathrooms gleam with polished stonework and warm lighting — a welcome luxury after a day exploring monasteries and museums.


But the biggest plus of this hotel and, perhaps, also its most significant drawback depending on which way you look at it, is that it offers the heartbeat of Thimphu at your doorstep. Step outside, and Bhutan’s most modern (and capital) city unfolds in a rhythm both familiar and foreign. The weekend market, with its stacks of red rice, mountain mushrooms, and woven baskets, lies a short stroll away. The popular Ambient Café (roasters of carefully sourced local and regional coffee) is directly across the street, a great place by the way to meet interesting locals. Also, a few paces away, Norzin Lam, the city’s main drag, buzzing with cafés, craft shops, and monks in crimson robes thumbing cell phones as they pass. Yet, when you return to the Druk, the hush envelopes you again (until the nighttime rounds of the capital’s roving packs of street dogs begin their nightly crawl, a phenomenon for which ear buds are strongly recommended, unless you’re one of those lucky souls who can sleep like a rock through anything!)

If you’re into Indian cuisine, the chef and restaurant at the Druk consistently delivers the best Indian meals in the capital, so legendary, in fact, that Indian embassy diplomats regularly patronize their weekly dining scene; also recommended, their soft and pearly chicken (and beef or pork) momos. The bar, though not as wildly popular as before, can sometimes still see interesting local patrons in attendance, so it’s worth a peek. But if you’re looking for a livelier scene, head a block or two up the street to The Grey Area, a chic and friendly evening lounge scene run by the ever-gracious Kelly Dorji—a local-boy-made—good Bollywood actor and, undeniably, the capital’s most consummate host.

What makes the Druk so compelling in this moment is not opulence, but what it stands for. There’s a sense that the hotel is somehow woven into the country’s fabric—a blend of ease and comfort where service is delivered, if not always impeccably, with the willingness and grace that is the true mark of Bhutanese hospitality. In a world of fast-changing hotels and transient luxury, the Druk remains enduring, endearing, and unapologetically local. For travelers seeking to feel the pulse of Thimphu without losing sight of its soul, this is the place where the two converge.