I visit Nepal about twice a year and Vaishali is my favourite place to stay. I have tried Hyatt and Radisson before, but there is nothing like Vaishali. Maybe is not perfect 5* or 4* standard, but is close to everything and most of all - service is just amazing. If you are looking for simple rooms (recommend to try one of the suites which are realy very nice), good service, friendly staff and wish to feel like "at home" - I would definitly recommend Vaishali as the place to stay.

This was pre-arranged through a trekking company and I stayed 2 nights before and 2 nights afterwards. Its a 3 star rather than a 4 star place in my opinion and there are some issues - the shower was not that brilliant, the rooms could do with an upgrade and the power (like most of Thamel) cut out at about 6 every night. Its biggest plus is that it really felt like a safe sanctuary away from the craziness of Thanel. It is close to all of the major bars and restaurants which is great because Thamel is such a maze. I thought the breakfast was quite good although the Indian breakfast was much better than the western breakfast. Definitely recommended for those who want a standard hotel before and after a trek.

We stayed there for 1 night in October and 2 nights in November 07. I'm not sure about the room rate as it was a group booking. Pro's: Close to great shopping and sight seeing. Decent sized rooms. The only way to be closer to Rum Doodles was to be in Rum Doodles. It's in the Thamel district which hasn't seen any Maoist activity as far as I'm aware. Cons: Discovered bed lice and blood all over the sheets upon waking. I didn't inform staff as we left that day for a scratchy flight to Lukla. Found exposed electrical wiring hanging out of the wall. Plumbing leaking around toilet and onto the floor. Three squares of toilet paper one micron thick. Broke out the candles regularly as we lost power every night that we were there. TV didn't work (but who cares) Upon returning from 2 weeks of trekking up to Base Camp it was disappointing to find the showers were cold whenever I tried to use them. Synopsis: Definitely not a 4 star Hotel.

good location and service, large mildly rundown room, fair central air conditioning, warm bath, small unheated pool, good free breakfast

This is an Indian run hotel in a good location on the edge of Thamel's buzzing streets, and is cheap enough with friendly staff. Popular with pre- and post-trekking groups. The rooms are large and comfortable enough, but nothing special - could definitely do with updating, although I'm not sure what the competition is like in Kathmandu as I haven't stayed anywhere else there. The pool didn't look like it had been used in a long time. On our first night we had a suite which was huge and had some very "interesting" furniture! I think there is one ancient hairdryer for the whole hotel, so if this is important to you - bring your own! Breakfast was terrible - do yourself a favour and give breakfast a miss and find a nearby bakery (we liked the Bretzel Bakery) instead.