Press & Awards

OCT 14, 2024

The program is known for taking a rarely glimpsed, behind-the-scenes look at some of the world’s most extraordinary hotels. Few tourists get to visit the remote valleys of Bhutan’s Himalayas. The sixth episode of the latest series will see presenters Monica Galetti and Rob Rinder join the team at Gangtey Lodge.

OCT 14, 2024

From Maroma, a Belmond Hotel, in Mexico, to Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort, in Hawaii, reborn classics captured your heart this year.

OCT 14, 2024

As one of the last remaining Buddhist kingdoms in the Himalayas, Bhutan is a place where the philosophy of Gross National Happiness measures development. Here, people proudly wear traditional national dress, and as the world's first carbon-negative country, Bhutan preserves its sacred mountains unclimbed and bans fishing in its pristine rivers.

Sep 30, 2024

In an increasingly globalized world where many destinations struggle to combat growing crowds-UNESCO recently recommended that Venice's world heritage site status be listed as "in danger" due to mass tourism— the Land of the Thunder Dragon maintains an authenticity and blissful remoteness that's all too rare.

APR 20, 2023

Gangtey Lodge's namesake location is a wide, flat glacial carving of such extraordinary beauty that it is the favourite valley for many Bhutanese. Head to the twelve-suite retreat of Gangtey Lodge, and you'll find a seventeenth-century monastery on your doorstep and endless paths through the Black Mountains to follow.

MAR 1, 2023

For a little soul-searching, we suggest a trip to explore the thriving cultural gems of Bhutan. On this intimate expedition, you can join the monks for their prayers and meditation, halting at the monastery for the night.

JAN 19, 2023

Bhutan has recently earned headlines for the reopening of its 250 mile-long Trans-Bhutan trail, a 16th-century route once used by the runners who pinballed between its various fortresses to deliver messages.

Gangtey Lodge rewards the most intrepid travelers with spectacular views to one of the most remote places in the world.

Fifty years ago, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the fourth Dragon King of Bhutan, coined the term “Gross National Happiness (GNF)” an indicator that since then measures the well-being of the inhabitants of this unique Himalayan country. This concept has also been embraced by Gangtey Lodge, a small hotel located high up in the Phobjikha Valley that offers the perfect combination of luxury, nature, culture and spirituality.

OCT 14, 2022

Sink into the pinewood bathtub at the Australian-designed bathhouse and submit to dotsho, a traditional hot stone bath ritual. The bath is filled with soothing forest-foraged wormwood and heated with river rocks and baked in a fire.

OCT 13, 2022

The Gangtey Lodge embraces Bhutan’s concept of Gross National Happiness by pursuing a harmonious balance between respecting nature and promoting cultural preservation and sustainable development.

MAR 25, 2022

A labour of love for founders Khin Omar Win and Brett Melzer, Gangtey Lodge was originally intended to be a storage site for the couple's hot-air-balloon business. Today, having evolved into a 12-room lodge, the property makes for the perfect rural retreat.

OCT 14, 2022

Inspired by the region's historic farmhouses, this 12-suite Himalayan oasis cleverly blends traditional local design with luxurious modern amenities. Ornate woodwork, exposed beams, and Bhutanese-style pitched roofs are offset with freestanding soaking tubs, heated floors, and grand floor-to-ceiling windows that stare out to the expanse of the valley.

AUG 21, 2022

Close to the country’s centre, overlooking the Phobjikha Valley, is Gangtey Lodge, which next year celebrates its 10th anniversary. Owners Brett Melzer and Khin Omar Win first came to Bhutan almost 20 years ago, ostensibly to set up a satellite operation of Balloons Over Bagan, the experiential-travel outfit they have long run in Myanmar.

DECEMBER 13, 2022

Virtually unknown to the world before 2003, the enchanting Gangtey Valley was put on the map of dreamful Asian travel destinations thanks to Khin Omar Win and Brett Melzer, who envisioned the creation of an extraordinary lodging experience in consonance with the highly-regarded Bhutanese hospitality.

OCT 23, 2022

Your off-grid journey to Bhutan’s Gangtey Lodge will undoubtedly enrich your life. This all-suite accommodation which takes farmhouse living to new levels of luxury is nestled in a remote corner of the eastern Himalayas. This hideaway surrounded by mountains and forests also affords some of the world’s most spectacular outdoor activities.

AUG 10, 2022

On September 23, 2022, the Kingdom of Bhutan reopens its borders to tourism. You no longer have to book a minimum-spend package tour and the government is increasing its sustainable development fee to $200 per night.

AUG 10, 2022

Gangtey Lodge in Bhutan—which offers 12 suites with views of the Phobjikha Valley—is set to reopen this September. After a nearly three-year closure, Bhutan is poised to open with a focus on a sustainability model of high-value, low-volume tourism.

AUG 06, 2022

Gangtey Lodge , Bhutan – If you’re looking for boundary-breaking adventure in a remote setting, this Himalayan hideaway surrounded by mountains and forests is as off-grid as they come. A world away from the everyday, Gangtey Lodge is an all-suite outpost that takes farmhouse living to new levels of luxury.

JUL 18, 2022

The effect of regenerative travel varies from place to place and person to person. “It is based on the unique challenges each location is faced with and can be different person to person, depending on the potential impact of each traveler on the destination, and the destination on them,” says Gangtey Lodge co-founder and owner Khin Omar Win.

JUN 8, 2021

The New York-based designer has her eyes set on one of her bucket list destinations. Gangtey Lodge is mentioned in Harper’s Bazaar as a place Tory Birch would like to stay when visiting Bhutan.

JAN 19, 2021

CNT’s Shraddha Chowdhury includes Gangtey Lodge as one of her 10 remote escapes to flee the buzz of city life for a secluded getaway.

2019

Gangtey Lodge is honoured to be named in Fodor’s ‘The Best Hotels in Asia 2019 and in ‘The 100 Most Incredible Hotels in the World’.

DEC 16, 2020

From Bhutan and India to Sri Lanka – here, insider guides to all the places in South Asia you can’t wait to get back to or visit next year. The hidden Kingdom of Bhutan in the Himalayas is a perfect safe haven for first travellers, with one of the most successful COVID-19 responses in the world.

FEB 13, 2020

Since opening its doors in 2013, the Gangtey Lodge has offered guests a luxurious way to explore Bhutan’s Gangtey Valley. Husband and wife business partners, Brett Melzer and Khin Omar Win share their thoughts on owning a hotel in the happiest country in the world and what it takes.

FEB 13, 2020

In 1974, the leaders of a tiny, little-known kingdom on the eastern ridge of the Himalayas between India’s northeastern states and China, made a drastic decision. For the first time, Bhutan would throw open its doors to visitors. In that year, just 287 foreigners discovered a mountainous land shrouded in mystery and Buddhist tradition. Almost 50 years later, Bhutan is firmly on the adventurer’s map.

AUG 19, 2020

“The 12-room Gangtey lodge is uniquely Bhutanese and the harmonious amalgamation of Bhutan’s Vernacular Wood & Stone architecture with contemporary design patterns – absolutely marvellous and a treat to ones’ senses.”

MARCH 19, 2019

“The independently run Gangtey Lodge overlooks the sensational remote valley of the same name, and offers fantastic guided hiking. Yet the property is also nestled in the village, allowing for community gatherings, morning blessings at the local temple and encounters with lamas at the monastic college up the hill.”

JAN 21, 2019

To gaze out at the valley, one severs their connection to time and place. With black-necked cranes above, it only becomes more mystical. Of course, there’s also free, reliable WiFi and so many other amenities that luxury travelers require these days. But the spirituality many speak of when talking about their time in Bhutan can be inhaled here. With it comes peace of mind—and the staff does everything, both seen and unseen, to make sure it’s sustained.

MAY 21, 2020

Gangtey Lodge Bhutan is a hidden oasis at the heart of the Phobijika Valley. With only 12 suites in this luxury lodge, guests are promised top-quality pampering throughout their stay.

MAY 8, 2020

Forbes asks Co-Founder Khin Omar Win to share her travel reflections on Mother’s Day.

MAY 12, 2020

The spectacular Black Mountains National Park wildlife reserve envelopes the boutique hotel’s eight Farm House Suites, kitted out with terrazzo-clad bathtubs, wood-burning stoves, plush soft furnishings and traditional Bhutanese decor that all working to cocoon you in a state of deep happiness and harmonious balance that the country is known for.

AUG 29, 2020

The terrace at Gangtey Lodge, one of our favourite hotels in Bhutan, is the perfect place to spend hours simply staring at the scenic valley below. The weather changes so frequently that the light is constantly changing and there is always something to watch, while the staff bring you hot drinks, blankets, hot water bottles and neck warmers.

JAN 14, 2020

“Gangtey Lodge sits above a mystifying valley of the same name, rife with rolling landscapes, majestic mountains and traditional farmhouses. Each of the 12 lavish guestrooms takes advantage of the magnificent beauty of its surrounding. Facing the beautiful arched frame windows in the bathroom is an English roll-top bath that lets you enjoy the local scenery while in the lap of luxury.”

APR 24, 2018

FORBES’ Sophie Friedman interviews Co-Founders Khin Omar Win and Brett Melzer to find out the story behind Gangtey Lodge.

FEB 21, 2020

The Gangtey Lodge in Phobjikha Valley is surrounded by nature’s own never-ending panorama of unspoiled landscapes.

JAN 13, 2020

Perched above the mystical Gangtey (Phobjikha) Valley with sweeping views of towering mountains above and the valley floor dotted with traditional farmhouses and the occasional yak, multi-award winning Gangtey Lodge delivers a genuine and authentic experience in one of the world’s most undiscovered destinations.

JAN 4, 2019

You’ll have numerous opportunities for local cultural experiences that also give back in meaningful ways at Gangtey Lodge in Bhutan’s Phobjikha Valley, which can arrange for everything from prayer and mediation sessions at the local Buddhist monastery to donating robes to the monks, or donating a full day worth of meals – anonymously or with a blessing, of course.