The Shanker Hotel, Hotel With A History

The Shanker Hotel situated at Lazimpat, Kathmandu, is a hotel with history. In 1964 the late Ram Shanker Shrestha, who once ran Green Hotel in New road, took a 100 year-old Durbar on lease. It was one of the durbars owned by the late General Agni Shamsher J.B. Rana, father of Kendra Shumsher J.B. Rana and grandfather of Her Majesty Queen Komal Rajaya Lakshmi Shah.

The durbar was converted into a hotel but in the beginning it had only 20 rooms. Additional rooms were needed to generate enough revenue to make running of the hotel feasible. More living and commercial space needed to be developed. At the same time, Ram Shanker and his son Binod Shanker (the present MD) were totally against the idea of making any changes in the colonial architecture of the exteriors. After all, that was what was so unique about the property.

Shanker Nath Rimal, the eminent Engineer, was entrusted with the work of renovating the historic Durbar. It was decided to construct two more stories to the original three-storied building but the problem was that it had to be done without changing the existing exterior. And therein lay the challenge. Deep thinking on the subject resulted in the conclusion that, with the limitations at hand, additional floors were possible only at the cost of proportionate decrease in the height of the ceilings.

“Actually we had to make some compromises keeping in mind the commercial aspects of the hotel,” explains Engineer Rimal, “For instance, to make more rooms, we added two floors to the existing three storied building. Since we wanted to keep the exterior intact, the ceilings are a bit low. The outside is typically old European style but we added local styles while doing the interiors.”

“We have made absolutely no changes to the exterior,” confirms Binod Shanker Shrestha.

Some original interiors like the magnificent Banquet Hall on the first floor were left intact and in due time the hotel had five stories with one hundred and thirty four rooms. However, in the early eighties, an adjoining building’s lease ran out and was sold to the Finance Ministry. It now houses the Internal Revenue and VAT central offices.  At present, Shanker Hotel has 94 rooms and is fully owned by the Shrestha family.

The hotel is nestled in around 35 ropanies of land, and this spaciousness bestows the hotel with a regal environment and an air of expansiveness. The large lawns and garden has been landscaped but now a portion of it is being employed to make a swimming pool and health club - the designing and construction of which is under the able guidance of the architectural firm, Design Cell. “The design will complement perfectly the colonial architecture of the hotel,” says Prajwol Shanker, who, along with Prabhu represents the third generation in the Shanker family. They are at present, directors of the hotel holding separate responsibilities.

The hotel has tried with great élan, to make use of traditional Nepali craftwork in the interiors. The lobby has large wooden etchings that were crafted in Patan. Stepping into the Kunti Bar, on the ground floor, one is surrounded by Nepali hand crafted wooden windows. The splendid Kailash Hall (also on the ground floor) can accommodate about 350 people at a time and has very attractive designs as far as ceiling and walls are concerned. It is interesting to note that the first and only ‘Colombo Conference’ initiated by the Late King Birendra in 1976, was hosted in this hall.

In fact, according to Prajwol, a lot of improvements were possible during this time as there was a paucity of good hotels in Kathmandu then, and so His Majesty’s Government was especially supportive in the Hotel’s efforts to improve their infrastructure.

It should also be noted that the last two peace talks with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) were held here. Another historical fact.

The Banquet Hall on the first floor is equally resplendent and is an example of a typical ‘durbar’ found in Rana Palaces. In addition, there are two intricately designed and very large sized mirrors adorning one wall. One can also notice the lovely fresco painted glasses employed on the doors.

The hotels’ excellent facilities have been used extensively by many organizations that hold frequent meetings and conferences here. Organizations like Rotary Club of Kathmandu, United Women’s Organization Group, Save The Children, Voluntary Service Organization and Cultural Studies Group are some of the regulars. In addition, government departments like the Supreme Court and the Roads Department also consider Shanker Hotel to be ideal for their conferences and meetings, as do business houses and industrial establishments.

Besides the more than satisfactory conference facilities, the rooms are also something special. They are of various types. There are rooms with exotic woodcarvings, split level rooms (called the ‘Double Decker’) and rooms with intricate designs and wall hangings, as well as those with arched windows imparting an intimate atmosphere to the room. All the rooms are tastefully decorated. Soothing colors have been chosen for flooring and furnishings that lends the rooms an air of sophistication. One can assume that a good night’s rest is more than a probability in a room at the Shanker Hotel.  Besides, it is nice to see a generous sprinkling of paintings by Nepalese artists in the rooms besides lining the corridors.

All in all, the Shanker Hotel can truly be said to be a monument showcasing architecture of the Rana years besides being a Hotel with History. To those inclined towards taste and culture it is a perfect venue to hold banquets and conferences. Without doubt the banquets will seem more stately and conferences, weighty and substantial.