KATHMANDU, APRIL 3

One of the world's topmost luxury brands has taken over a property in Mustang, making the first-ever entry into Nepal's tourism and hospitality industry.

Shinta Mani Hotels, owned by Bill Bensley, who has created more than 200 fantastical properties, including one hotel awarded world's best in 2020, today signed a memorandum of understanding with Sherpa Hospitality Group to run the luxury hotel in Mustang.

Now, the state-of-the-art property of Mokshya Mustang will be re-branded as 'Shina Mani Mustang', according to the MoU signed by Bill Bensley and Namgyal Sherpa, chief executive officer of Sherpa Hospitality Group.

When anyone lands in the Bill Bensley design, they certainly feel like being in another world.

'This is the first-ever world's classic luxury brand taking over Nepal's hotel to make a difference,' Lhakpa Sonam Sherpa, chairman at Yeti Group, said.

Bensley, the Bangkok-based American architect has masterminded over 200 high-end properties in over 40 countries.

The award- winning designer believes that your stay in the newly branded Shinta Mani Mustang is going to have more than a touch of verve, glamour, and irreverence.

Believing in a strong compelling storyline, the 63-year-old designer now brings his exuberant aesthetic in Mustang offering a quantum leap with Shinta Mani Mustang, CEO at SHG Namgyal Sherpa said, adding that this initiative will certainly help Nepal's tourism sector and also encourage other luxury brands to invest in Nepal.

Located at the gateway to the forbidden kingdom, the warm and inviting Shinta Mani is hidden deep in the undulations of the Himalayas. Facing the dramatic 7,000-metre snow-dusted peak of Nilgiri, the resort is a remote escape for intrepid guests looking for adventure, as well as comfort to retreat into at the end of a day exploring some of the most unforgiving places on the planet.

'We need to welcome such luxury brands in Nepal's hospitality sector,' Bijay Amatya, managing director at Kora Tours, said.

A version of this article appears in the print on April 4, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.