윌링 리조트

Trongsa continues it's historic role as a pitstop between Western and Eastern Bhutan. There is a spectacular dzong, with a watch tower museum and there is also a big hydro electric dam, however there is not much else to see. Perhaps many treasures await discovery! We visited to see the annual tshechu, in mid January. The tshechu was spectacular and totally untouristed. The black lamas with drums and the lords of the cremation grounds were very memorable. Visiting the tshechu created the challenge, where should we stay? The answer was the Willing Resort. This is a Bhutanese owned enterprise and it is partnered with the excellent and convenient Willing Cafe on the main road through town. The resort is perched in spectacular fashion on the mountainside far above town. It brought to mind one of the liars of the Bond villains, with added rooms for guests. Reception staff were friendly and efficient. The rooms were spacious with great views, with excellent bathrooms attached. Everything is new and there is a snagging list for upkeep (some doors to the main building didn't close easily for example) In common with several places where we stayed in January, the hotel was almost empty, making it hard to properly judge the atmosphere and the service. The restaurant served tasty food from a menu with three or four choices. Service was quick as my daughter and I were frequently the only guests eating at the time. The Willing Resort served it's purpose for us as a comfortable place to stay for the festival. I remain unsure as to who comes here and why at other times. There are some nice walks around the sides of nearby hills and a local temple close by that welcomes visitors. You would need to drive downhill (down the mountain might be more realistic) on unpaved or partially paved roads to hit Trongsa if you wanted a change from the Resort menu. We blended dinner at the Resort with sandwiches and cakes picked up at the Willing Cafe for lunch and this worked well. Overall it is good to see more locally owned hotels of high quality and we enjoyed our stay.

of all the places we stayed at during our Bhutan expedition this one was simply fabulous. The room was luxurious, the views incredible. Great mattress for a change. The eve dinner was a la carte but not totally to my liking in spite of how well presented they were. There's an outdoor pool and lots of other amenities to enjoy.