The Zhiwa Ling Heritage: Traditional grandeur in Bhutan’s gateway valley

Bhutan’s National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World awardee—the Zhiwa Ling Heritage—is a magnificent property in a quiet corner of Paro Valley. The three-story traditional wood and stone buildings in subdued Bhutanese colors and design sprawl across a rolling landscape of grass, rock features, water, bamboo, pine, and aspen some 20 minutes drive from the kingdom’s only international airport. Terraced rice fields and traditional farms surround the lodge, close enough for forays into Paro’s market center. It is the lodge nearest Tiger’s Nest monastery, Bhutan’s iconic hike. 

The main building, the highest floor of which houses an ornate and fully functioning Vajrayana Buddhist temple, is a bow to the kingdom’s spiritual tradition. Built in the style of the majestic monastery fortresses or Dzongs, massive buildings which are each like the capitols of the kingdom’s 20 administrative centers called Dzongkhags, each level of this impressive five-storied central structure features four-cornered galleries looking down on an ornately pillared “hall” that serves as the hotel’s main lobby and front desk. From the intricately carved pillars at the entrance to the doors with giant brass knockers reserved for temples and ceremonial buildings, the architectural details signal traditional grandeur. The primary wing also includes an adjoining restaurant, a gift shop with high-end museum-quality religious artifacts, paintings, jewelry, and textiles, including the obligatory yathra jackets made from the colorful handwoven yak-and-wool fabrics of central Bhutan and excellent handmade examples of Bhutan’s 13 arts and crafts.

 To reach the rock-walled guest accommodations reminiscent of prosperous Bhutanese country homes, take the winding flagstone path from the main building that snakes past quietly flapping prayer flags. Each building, named for the eight auspicious symbols of Buddhist felicity, or more commonly, the “Eight Lucky Signs,” is accessed by wooden stairs climbing to the Junior and Premier suites. Push past the heavy wooden door into one of these suites with the ornate and (weighty!) gold key, and you enter a generous, tranquil space with a round, stylized calligraphy painting that instantly sets you at ease. In the bathroom, pleasing, matte-textured Swedish heated tiles are an enticement to pad across the floor with bare feet. The expansive square footage, the set-in-place bathtub next to the equivalent of a train window looking on to vistas of green forests, blue hills, and dark cliffs—framed by red and pink splashes of thorny, wild briar rose—enhance the general sense of repose.

A sizeable backlit vanity mirror above the sink, cascading shower with an “invisible” glass screen, and custom-designed, organically-pressed lotions and soaps are other welcome luxuries in each room. Additional hints of luxury include the dark leatherette tray with a personal French press with local hand-ground coffee, a pile of fresh fruits—mainly apples and pears—and an engraved wooden box of premium teas. A modest back veranda facing the Paro Chhu River features plush velour sofas and en-suite, casually elegant chaise lounges in signature burnt gold. Soft beds and sheets that feel cool to the touch and pillows you can sink into ensure a good night’s sleep. 

The restaurant at the Zhiwa Ling is a tranquil, minimalist affair with a Nordic aesthetic. It reputedly draws some of the best graduates from Bhutan’s Royal Institute of Hospitality, another way the lodge provides opportunities and supports the development of the local Bhutanese industry. A partially covered bridge-like outdoor extension to the restaurant welcomes the tired guest to enjoy a bright, sun-splashed meal, a reflective afternoon of reading, or a crisp outdoor breakfast. 

Further up the property, some distance beyond the main building, on a quiet corner of the grounds, sits the meditation buildings with their pagoda-like, ornamental gazebos in traditional style, with tiered flagstone courtyards that afford privacy for quiet contemplation. The area is also a great outdoor space for weddings and celebrations, a fact we took advantage of recently with a wedding group of 13. 

For the athleisure set, the adequately-equipped fitness center near the property entrance allows the busy traveler to maintain the momentum of a fitness regime. The magnificent full-length swimming pool, worth the price of admission, looks onto a green valley with floor-to-ceiling glass windows that bring the outdoors—the shimmering emerald trees that sway in the wind—in. Underwater lights turn on after dark to give the pool water the bright crystalline hue of an Icelandic mineral spring. The heavy, round-timbered crossbeam construction in the pool building overhead is reminiscent of the interiors of a grand old hunting lodge. In all, the Zhiwa Ling Heritage is entirely worth the splurge. It’s a rare opportunity to enjoy the pampering of a truly magnificent, wholly Bhutanese-owned lodge, which means any money you spend here circulates almost entirely within the Bhutanese economy. All this, and we’ve not even begun talking about the spa yet!

Pros: Genuine luxury with local sensibility, featuring elevated traditional Bhutanese architecture, design, and aesthetics. A personal handwritten note in each room from Lodge Director Kezang Dorji (no relation) welcoming each guest to the room is an excellent human touch.

Cons: The small, windowless water closet space is inconsistent with the luxurious square footage. The bath tissue is rougher than expected—a lodge priced at $800 per night would do well to upgrade its toilet paper. 

Suggestions: Temperature-controlled bidets would be a fitting luxury upgrade for a place of its caliber. Softer bath tissues that are easier on the tush, please! 🙏🏽
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An actual human tested, vetted, and wrote this review, NOT an aggregated, disembodied, data-driven AI.