Songtsam Opens Namcha Barwa Lodge in Tibet
Songtsam's 13th property is a 33-suite lodge at about 3,150 metres in Nyingchi, facing Namcha Barwa, one of the world's highest peaks.
Songtsam, the boutique hotel group founded by Baima Duoji, announced on 24 March 2021 the opening of Songtsam Lodge Namcha Barwa in Dalin Village, in the Nyingchi region of Tibet near the Yarlung Tsangpo valley. It is the group’s 13th property.
The lodge faces Namcha Barwa, which rises to 25,531.5 feet, or about 7,782 metres, and is listed by Songtsam as the 15th-highest mountain in the world. The hotel itself sits at around 3,150 metres (10,334.6 feet), and an oxygen supply system is built in to help guests adjust to the altitude.
All 33 rooms are suites, each combining living room and balcony behind sliding panoramic windows that open towards the peak. The four-storey main building steps down in terraces, with three reflecting pools positioned to catch the mountain views and a two-storey book bar on the third floor. A restaurant, a bar, a lobby lounge and meeting rooms complete the facilities.
More than 50 people work at the lodge, 15 of them from nearby villages, and the group directs 200 yuan, about US$30, from every room night to the development of Dalin Village.
Baima Duoji presented the lodge as part of Songtsam’s move into the more remote interior of Tibet, with the brand contributing to the well-being of neighbouring communities as it expands. Chief executive Zhishi Qilin pointed to the group’s two decades of operation and its intention to eventually hand the hotel over to the local community.
Namcha Barwa can be booked as a standalone stay or as part of Songtsam’s longer Yunnan and Tibet tour circuits. Details are on the Songtsam website.