The culinary options at Shinta Mani Mustang – A Bensley Collection will include the 60-seat Nilgiri Restaurant, named after the majestic mountain it looks out onto and a large outdoor dining patio in modern Nepal cuisine and western cuisine will be served, using locally sourced and foraged produce.
Shinta Mani Hotels, owned and operated by HMD Asia, in partnership with Kathmandu-based Sherpa Hospitality Group, will open the 29-suite Shinta Mani Mustang – A Bensley Collection luxury lodge on 1st March 2023.
Sokoun Chanpreda, Managing Director of HMD Asia, said, “we are delighted to be entering into this agreement with the Sherpa Hospitality Group and highly value our partnership with them. A selection of unique excursions enables guests to make a different trip every day for up to two weeks, including trekking, horse riding, rock climbing, cycling, archery, hiking, helicopter tours, wellness and more.
Shinta Mani Mustang – A Bensley Collection will be an all-inclusive experience, with the guests’ journey curated to provide the most remarkable 360-degree luxury experience in the Himalayas, one of the most unique and preserved regions in the world. “Mustang” in Tibetan translates to “Plain of Aspiration” and is bordered by the Tibetan plateau with an elevation that rises from 1,372 to 8,167 meters above sea level. We have incredible synergies between our brands and look forward to a fruitful and successful alliance in this unique and very special destination.” Rates include all food and beverage, private guided activities and excursions; unlimited spa treatments; a personal Bensley Adventure Guide and transfers between Kathmandu and Jomson (by air or air and road).
Activities
A highly personalised, privately guided guest experience programme honours the traditions of local Sherpa hospitality and has been curated exclusively for our guests. Led by our experienced Bensley Adventure Guides, guests will be taken on various day trips, hiking along rarely travelled trails with incredible dramatic landscapes and incredible vistas, dining on Shinta Mani gourmet picnics made with the freshest farm-to-fork ingredients.
Design and Sustainability
Before its official opening, design genius Bill Bensley is adding his creative magic to the mountain Lodge, bringing a unique verve to a location that remains untouched. Each of the 29 suites measuring 45 square meters (2,484 square feet) is designed in the style of a traditional Tibetan home with an open-plan bedroom combined with a living area and a separate bathroom.
Philanthropy
In keeping with Shinta Mani’s philosophy of giving back to the communities in which they operate, the Lodge will work closely with the Psang Lhamu Foundation, which the owning family founded after their Mother became the first Nepalese woman to blaze a trail to the summit of Mt Everest in 1993.
The Wellness Center has two exquisite treatment suites with floor-to-ceiling windows facing the mountains, each with a hot plunge pool, steam room, sauna, shower and two massage beds.
Rates at the all-inclusive Shinta Mani Mustang – A Bensley Collection will start from USD1,700 per couple per night for a minimum 5-night stay, plus applicable service charges and government taxes.
Location
Shinta Mani Mustang – A Bensley Collection is located in an area known as The Forbidden Kingdom, the gateway to Tibet. We are very excited to be pushing the boundaries and creating a new and exciting project that will position Nepal as quality, luxury destination, not just for the budget traveller.” https://pasanglhamufoundation.org/
Scheduled flights operate via Kathmandu direct or Pokhara to Jomson, from which it is a short drive to the Lodge. Huge fire pits on the outdoor terrace will allow guests to admire millions of stars in the night sky in warmth as the temperatures dip. This will be their base camp for explorations all around these phenomenal mountains, as always guided by our kind and infinitely knowledgeable Bensley Adventure Guides, for the experience of a lifetime,” said Bill.
Our dream was to create world-class luxury hotel experiences in the Himalayas. We couldn’t find a better partner than Shinta Mani Hotels to collaborate on this vision as we share similar values. In his typical upcycling style and sustainable mindset, Bill has used recycled materials that he has repurposed into unique new furniture. Inside, every area will be complemented by the artwork of the late artist Robert Powell, a friend of Bill’s who drew the region’s vernacular architecture in incredible detail. I have never seen such wildly dramatic landscapes as the mountains and valleys of Mustang.
I am thrilled that Shinta Mani can be the first to introduce this Forbidden Kingdom to international adventurers – and all the more so under the special wing of the Bensley Collection. The Foundation is a non-profit, non-political, non-government organization with the core pillars of Education, Vocation Training, Health and Immediate Assistance.
Namgyal Sherpa, Owner of Sherpa Hospitality Group, added, “Our group has been promoting experiential travel in remote areas of Nepal for many years. Interiors will incorporate warm-coloured fabrics and materials to reflect the rich tones of the surrounding landscape, which can be viewed from every window of the Lodge. It is rich in Buddhist culture with many monasteries and has some of the highest snow-capped peaks in the world, including the formidable Mount Nilgiri. The Tibetan wellness programme will be developed by a local 11th-generation Tibetan Amchi Doctor, using traditional herbal medicine. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer majestic views of the Nilgiri mountain.
Bill Bensley
“This is perhaps one of the most exciting projects we have ever had.
