Generally about hotels in Nepal
I put my specific info on hotels and guest houses in the tip sections of each place in Nepal. Check those pages. Here I just want to draw on some general experiences.
The general value for price of hotels in Nepal is great, but there are some exceptions. There are some hotels that are expensive with abysmal service and there are places that would pricewise and by the look of it hardly qualify as a hotel but where the service level is fantastic and you do not want to leave. Most of the time this is reflective of ownership structure and owners' interest in their business. Many hotels are rented, not owned by the operators.
Government run hotels are now more or less out and nobody complains. Some international chain hotels are up and running in Nepal, too, but not without having had to cut deals with governments, politicos and the palace (in the past), and this might have consequences for interior decoration, constructions and designs, hiring and firing etc.. Some hotels are run by Indian interests, Marwari business houses etc, and quite reflective of that. After the maoist uprising in Nepal, maoist caders have begun running some of the hotels on an extortion basis and putting in their friends and followers as employees. This has a terrible effect on services.
An exciting category of hotels to watch out for are run by private business interests of two population groups in Nepal, the Thakali and the Manangis. Both groups have had special trade privileges and traditions of hospitality lodging, the Thakalis since a long time. Another category, similar, but more limited in tradition and scope are the guesthouses and small hotels run by ex-gurkha soldiers (Gurung and Rai families especially) and tourist-income Sherpa investors and carpet and trade investment-rich Tibetan refugees. In my experience you find the most homely and best service hotels and guest houses among the latter categories of "indigenous" hotels and guest houses. The international chains and Indian-owned hotels tend to be stiff, yet impeccable and rather impersonal. There are, however, some exceptions to this, take my word for it, so if you want to enjoy 5* in Nepal, you can find so with a homely touch also. Generally, the hotel constructions in Nepal - with slight exception of the Thakali, Sherpa and Manangi lodges - are suffering from inferior designs and materials. The room facilities are often less glorious than expected, thanks to cheap Indian-manufactured wash basins, toilets, pipes etc. that easily break down. And lack of general infrastructure; such as the hot water tap that is frequently dry. Do count on such suprises in Nepali hotels, check facilities beforehand - at least to cover your needs - and take it with a smile.
Price wise, you get pretty much what the rack rate says, but there are some great deals to be had if you shop around and negotiate a bit. Pokhara tourism authorities are good at presenting such offers.
Watch out for run-down hotels that play on former glory, but have no cash or attention for repairs and upkeep - there are some of these in Kathmandu. Typically they are naming themselves 3-star hotels.
Watch out for the cultural shows offered by some hotels; you may not wish to stay in a hotel where the bar and restaurant area is occupied by a noisy and not always very good song and dance programme for most of the evening.
Real good value can be had for some multi-day stays packages at out-of town resorts out of the festival season, along the Pokhara-Kathmandu highway, in Nagarkot/Dhulikhel/ourskirts of Kathmandu, in Pokhara and Chitwan.
Five-stars in Kathmandu can give you a real good price if you come in late and seem to be an uncomplicated guest. They may give you 70-80% off if you drop by late and there is no hope of getting other customers.
Blue-Bird, Shangri-La, Fish Tail and the big resort hotel Fulbari Resort in Pokhara may give you some good deals if you contact them directly.
