Lonely Planet Review

There's nowhere in Kathmandu quite like this former Rana palace - the kind of place where you expect at any moment to bump into some whiskered old Rana prince shuffling around the creaking wooden corridors. If you value dilapidated charm over mod cons, this could be the place for you.

When you first arrive at the Shanker it's hard not to be impressed by the palatial whipped-cream facade of columns that look out onto a huge front garden. Inside, the rooms are quirky (some are loft-style 'double deckers', where the bedroom is accessed by a wooden ladder) but not exactly stylish. The hotel decor oscillates wildly between the 1870s and the 1970s. Some rooms have the original ceiling friezes and low arched windows but for some real grandeur you'll have to track down the chandeliered Kailash dining hall and Durbar Hall conference space. The decent open-air swimming pool and bar is a plus in summer. At night, be careful not to bump into one of the ancient claret-jacketed waiters that dodder around the hotel delivering room service.