KATHMANDU: The inspection team of the Department of Tourism (DoT) has inspected 81 buildings of 48 hotels and resorts in Kathmandu Valley and its surroundings till date and three hotels among them have been marked unsafe.

Among the 48 hotels inspected, The Everest Hotel, New Baneshwor; Hotel Norbulinka, Thamel and Budget Hotel, Thamel, have been marked with red placard, as per Kosh Nath Adhikari, technical director of DoT and the coordinator of the inspection team.

The team has said the Budget Hotel needs to be demolished at the earliest. Similarly, The Everest Hotel and Hotel Norbulinka have been asked to conduct detailed assessment of their buildings so that appropriate steps can be taken for maintenance.

The Everest Hotel has already started maintenance works on three pillars located in the lobby section that had been damaged.

Apart from these three hotels, some buildings of other hotels and resorts have also been marked unsafe. The Hunter Lodge of the Gokarna Forest Resort; Heritage Building of Kathmandu Guest House, Lazimpat; casino building of Hotel Annapurna, Durbarmarg and one building of Dhulikhel Lodge Resort, Dhulikhel, have been marked with red placard. Likewise, one building of Kantipur Temple House, Thamel and the casino building of Hyatt Regency Kathmandu, Boudha, have been marked with yellow placard, which means they need to be promptly repaired.

A five-member team led by Adhikari and comprising two engineers from Department of Urban Development and Building Construction, First Vice President of Hotel Association Nepal, Amar Man Shakya and a representative of National Society for Earthquake Technology-Nepal has been inspecting the hotels.