What makes Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary, Bhutan different from other hotels?

Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary is Bhutan's first wellness-inclusive luxury resort, nestled in the serene Neyphu Valley between Paro and Thimphu. Born from one man's love for Bhutan, it offers immersive experience of the nation's culture and transformative wellbeing.

Bhutan, Asia

Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary

Inspired by his love for Bhutan, Louk Lennaerts built a luxury wellness sanctuary in the serene Neyphu Valley, offering guests an exclusive experience of the nation’s culture and generous hospitality

In 2013, Louk Lennaerts visited Bhutan for the first time. He fell in love with the country and decided to build one more hotel, a Sanctuary, where people could experience the essence of Bhutan.

The Sanctuary is the only hotel located in the Neyphu Valley, a farmer community between Paro (only international airport in Bhutan) and Thimphu (capital of Bhutan). The Valley is one lush green oasis, with rice fields, pine forests and some small monasteries and nunneries. It is a place of silence and beauty. The Sanctuary is the first and only wellness-inclusive 5 star luxury resort in Bhutan. Offering two room types: Terrace and Balcony, it is the ideal location to experience the cultural essence of Bhutan and enjoy a unique form of generous hospitality.

The Sanctuary is specialised in Traditional Bhutanese medicine. After arrival, guests are invited to benefit from a private and complimentary consultation with one of the in-house Traditional Bhutanese Medicine Doctors. The doctors have completed a 5-year study at the Faculty of Traditional Medicine in Thimphu. The doctors provide guests with a wellness program to achieve a healthy balance between body, mind and spirit. All wellness treatments are 100% herbal based.

Meditation is an essential aspect of Bhutanese culture. During your visits to monasteries and nunneries, you will see many people in deep meditation. The Wellness Team provides sound meditation, guided meditation, gratitude meditation and focus meditation.

Part of your all-inclusive stay is a Bhutanese cooking class with one of the Sanctuary’s Chefs. Sample delicious Bhutanese dim sums, which are called momos, and come in all kinds of varieties. Or the well-known Ema Datshi, a dish made of yak cheese and lots of spicy chilies.

By law, 60% of the country is covered by forest. This makes it a fantastic place for walking and hiking, starting from the Sanctuary itself, or from a bit further away. There are walks available for every fitness level, and the team will be happy to prepare a homemade picnic for you. To refresh and rejuvenate after the intense mountain hikes there are two saunas and steam rooms, one for female guests and one for male guests.

Traditional Medicine

The all-inclusive Wellness concept is based on Traditional Bhutanese Medicine which makes use of the enormous amount of healing herbs available in Bhutan

A Mountain View Sanctuary

The heated, indoor pool is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass doors, providing a magnificent view of the mountains and valley surrounding the Sanctuary

Bhutanese Cooking Class

Master the art of Bhutanese cuisine with a hands-on cooking class, and discover the secrets behind delicious momos and the fiery Ema Datshi

Guided meditations

Explore the meditative heart of Bhutanese culture and find your inner peace with expert-led wellness sessions

Your Host - Louk Lennaerts

Louk Lennaerts, the founder of the Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary, visited Bhutan for the first time in 2013. At that time, Bhutan was an unknown and somehow mysterious destination for him. During his visit, he became fascinated by the unique country and its possibilities and felt it would be the perfect place to build something different and new: a Sanctuary in the land of wellness.

Our Philosophy

The Restful Mind philosophy, based on the teachings of His Eminence Gyalwa Dokhampa, is infused in the daily life at the Sanctuary. “We think and act consciously, in our daily work and interactions, with each other and our guests. We realise we all are part of, and responsible for, the well-being of all that and those who surround us.”

Our insights..

Transparency is essential if we are all going to grow and improve together and this is why we have dedicated this section to sharing what we love about each place and its hosts. We work with each of our hosts to improve their guest experiences, sustainability practices and local impact, this is where you can learn more about that along with what still needs to be improved, the measures being taken to ensure our hosts continue to move forward and every now and then we’ll come back to update you on their progress.

Lars von der Wettern

Visited the property in November 2023

“Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse quis tortor vel erat cursus eleifend ac a dui. Sed orci sapien, dapibus vel aliquam at, malesuada id felis. Proin id dapibus risus. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse quis tortor vel erat cursus eleifend ac a dui. Sed orci sapien, dapibus vel aliquam at, malesuada id felis. Proin id dapibus risus.”

Traditional Medicine

The all-inclusive Wellness concept is based on Traditional Bhutanese Medicine which makes use of the enormous amount of healing herbs available in Bhutan

Bhutanese Cooking Class

Master the art of Bhutanese cuisine with a hands-on cooking class, and discover the secrets behind delicious momos and the fiery Ema Datshi

A Mountain View Sanctuary

The heated, indoor pool is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glass doors, providing a magnificent view of the mountains and valley surrounding the Sanctuary

Guided Meditations

Explore the meditative heart of Bhutanese culture and find your inner peace with expert-led wellness sessions

Your Host - Louk Lennaerts

Louk Lennaerts, the founder of the Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary, visited Bhutan for the first time 12 years ago. At that time, Bhutan was an unknown and somehow mysterious destination for him. During his visit, he became fascinated by the unique country and its possibilities and felt it would be the perfect place to build something different and new: a Sanctuary in the land of wellness.

Our Philosophy

Our insights..

–

Lars von der Wettern

Visited the property in November 2023

Community & Sustainability Commitment

Here are some key sustainability & community practices that these hosts are committed to. Please use the key below the icons for reference. You might see that some measurements are not currently in place and that’s okay, we choose to support our hosts on their imperfect road towards a better world and we understand that that takes time.

Sustainability Practices

Community Commitments

Not in Place

Eco Certifications & Efforts

Just as we admire each of our hosts for their singularity, we appreciate that their sustainability journeys are also unique. Because of this, we do not require our hosts to have an eco certification or two under their belt, we simply guide them on improving their sustainable business practices one imperfect – but positive – step at a time. If a host has eco certifications they will be shown below, if not, then know we are working towards this together.

Food Production & Waste

As much as possible, organic food is grown on-site in a productive vegetable and herbal garden and a greenhouse. The Sanctuary also purchases local produce (farm-to-table concept) and serves 4-course lunches and 6-course dinners. The Culinary Team have perfected the art of portion control and as a result, guests can taste all of the courses while resting assured of there being hardly any food waste.

Harmonious Construction

The Sanctuary is built as a Bhutanese fortress and blends into its natural surroundings. The local monastery was requested for advice on how the building should be constructed and rooms situated to provide the best atmosphere for the team members and guests. Minimal interventions have taken place to the natural environment of the Sanctuary.

NGOs & Local Impact Projects Supported

Each of our hosts strive to have a positive impact on their local communities. Some of our hosts already have established connections with local partners to enrich the lives and wellbeing of their communities, others are in the process of creating these long term relationships. If a host has local NGO connections they will be shown below, if not, then know we are working towards this together.

Local Team

The team at the Sanctuary consists of about 70 people, of which more than 95% are Bhutanese. All middle-management positions are fulfilled by Bhutanese people. The Sanctuary invest in their team members with continuous on-site training. After a certain time of employment, team members become eligible for off-site training and/or studies to improve their skills and enhance their knowledge. All team members receive a legal contract with a job description upon employment. Team members are paid more than the average salary, their health insurance is covered and the Sanctuary contributes to a provident fund that people receive when they end their employment.

“We consider our team our family, and we take care like-wise.”

The 4Cs

The 4Cs is a framework designed by The Long Run that integrates sustainable and regenerative practices into any travel business. Designed by practitioners and experts, both proven and flexible, it makes strategic and holistic sustainability more accessible, breaking it down into four chunks: