Gokarna Forest Resort - Tranquil Haven in Kathmandu

This is probably one of the best hotels I have stayed in. Everything is good. We stayed in a cottage room which was very clean and spacious with a beautiful bathroom and a deep huge bath and lovely shower. The rooms are very quiet and the hotel has a fantastic ambience staff is extremely attentive and can get you whatever you need. We wanted to take a car up to see the mountains and they arranged this for us with no issue at all. The food is excellent. We ate traditional Nepali food and gurkha beer on both nights and it was delicious. We would definitely recommend this for your stay in Nepal, especially if you like to watch monkeys! There are also deer outside in the gardens and the golf course is fantastic. We took a forest walk with a guide who was well informed and very kind and funny. He was polite and took us through the forest to see a shrine with devotees who are offering Puja to their God because it is festival time. Thank you for a wonderful stay. We will definitely come back.

There is nothing that we didn't like but I could suggest one thing. If our bed had had a mattress topper I would have been more comfortable at night, but this would not prevent us from returning at all.

The atmosphere and the staff very helpful

There was small problem with water heater in shower but they fixed it urgently.

The location was perfect The food really good The nature, the best The staff, best of the bests

F&B is the best part of this hotel. The restaurant is fantastic - service, food, drinks, environment, everything. Great breakfast, nice selection of local and international options on the menu for lunch & dinner, servers who are friendly and helpful yet not intrusive. Even the welcome drink was noteworthy. The room we had was spacious and comfortable with a large bathroom and we often saw spotted deer through the window.

From the moment we arrived, we missed the level of hospitality found elsewhere in Nepal. It was raining when our taxi pulled up and the security guard refused to let us under the awning, insisting that the vehicle behind ours be given that spot. No one assisted us with luggage as we unloaded into the rain and walked into the lobby drenched. Reception staff was initially surly although warmed up quickly. By then, the first impression had been set and I did not feel welcome. The swimming pool & spa are in a stand-alone building and while we saw staff walking the grounds with resort-branded umbrellas, none were available for guests. Our rate included use of the swimming pool & gym but not the steam room, sauna, or jacuzzi so we had to pay extra for these. Our rate included a guided nature walk but no one mentioned this and in the rain, it wasn't appealing. The cost for this walk is the same as for use of the steam/sauna/jacuzzi so they could have switched the inclusion. The women's steam/sauna/jacuzzi area is odd. The door to the lobby is propped open and staff routinely walk through. The men's door stays closed. I saw a staff member spit into the shower repeatedly before throwing the contents of her cup on the floor (a shower I had previously been frog-marched into by staff while asking a question, a shower I had to fix before I could use it). Another was cleaning dishes in the bathroom sink for half an hour. There was more but let's just say the situation was bizarre. We laughed through it all but if you want a pleasant spa or spa-like experience, Gokarna is not the place. There is no elevator (or if there is, we could not find it). Not a problem for us but something to be aware of. WiFi is poor and there are not enough electrical outlets in the room. We had a good time and made the most of the experience (the restaurant staff are truly wonderful) but I would not stay here again.