New Rupakot resort building enthusiam

Lekhnath: A five-star resort at Rupakot of Kaski financed by a Non-Resident Nepali (NRN) is nearing the completion of the first phase of construction.

The first phase of the project is being constructed with a total investment outlay of Rs 200 million. The high-end resort is located 20km away from Pokhara—a tourist hotspot.

According to Puspha Adhikari, the resort proprietor, the resort will initially have 42 rooms in nine buildings. “Around 80 percent of the construction and design works has been completed and the resort is expected to come into operation by January 2014,” the Belgium-based NRN said.

In the second phase, the resort plans to add an additional 74 rooms, totalling 116 rooms when the three-year project is completed. The resort spreads on 200 ropanis.

“Upon completion, we expect that it to be a model project under an NRN investment,” he said. However, frequent strikes remain a cause of concerns for investors. Adhikari too had moments of disappointment in the initial stage. “But now everything is on the right track and works are progressing well,” Adhikari added.

The resort is situated at an altitude of 1,080 metres from the sea level and visitors can observe panoramic view of  a Himalayan range as well as three popular lakes Rupa, Begnas and Fewa.

The construction of the resort has also brought on excitement among the locals. Despite having a tremendous tourism potential, lack of investment in Rupakot in the past had forced a large number of youth to migrate to nearby cities and beyond.

“But the construction of the luxury resort in the area has filled locals with new enthusiasm,” said Damodar Bhakta Thapa, a local tourism entrepreneur.

People in this area believe the building of resort will bring along employment opportunities, Thapa said.

The resort is close to a popular Royal Trek, and entrepreneurs expect that its linkage would boost the village economy too. According to Adhikari, the resort will give priority to the use of local products. Two more resort s—Rose Garden and Old Village—have also been planned in the vicinity by NRNs. The hotel’s design is a blend of traditional Nepali style, reflecting a décor of rural setting. The resort aims to provide visitors an experience of living in a highland village with complete modern facilities.

“The resort is designed to make visitors feel they are relaxed in a tradition rural house that is blended with modern architecture,” said Arun Dev Pant, an architect

of the resort . “It’s like a

traditional rural house outside and a contemporary boutique hotel inside, with modern amenities.” Against the backdrop of sustained growth in international tourist arrivals, more potential investors are comping up to construct hotels and resort s in many parts of the country.

According to the Department of Industry, a total of 33 foreign investors have pledged investments in hotel projects with capacities ranging from 10-200 beds. These planned ventures have 100 percent foreign investment. There were 18 proposals for hotel projects that are joint ventures between Nepali and foreign investors.

source: the kathmandu post,20 Oct 2013