We Care:

Making a Change – Making a Difference!!

 

We Care - Little Things We Do for Big Good that Brings Humble Sense of Joy and Happiness!

 

Heritage Hotel Suites & Spa and its Sister Organisations are committed to integrating Corporate Social Responsibilities in the area of environmental, social, communities and ethical principles into the Heritage Hotel Suites & Spa groups’ way of life and imbed its core business policies into its philanthropic and humanitarian aids, thereby enhancing the long-term objectives of the stakeholders. That initiations are aimed to reach out and touch the lives of people of the Himalayas – for the improvement of quality of life of the communities – slowly and silently improving the Health, Education, Livelihood, Rural Development. Besides, it also undertakes contributions in the areas of disaster relief, environment and ethnicity all intended for the over-all development of the communities of the Himalayas.

 

Our Story:
1) Heritage Hotel Suites & Spa, and its sister organisations have been recognized worldwide, as having brought in the largest number of foreign adventure tourists to Nepal. Because majority of the Tourist comprise of Adventure Tourists, and Mountain Tourism, these directly and indirectly greatly contributed in many ways to the rural communities to improve the quality of life of the societies we serve, which is the primary objective and policy of Heritage Hotel Suites & Spa Group. The Group have been awarded with numbers prizes by the Kings, Prime Ministers and Tourism Ministers of Nepal time and again.

 

2) Heritage Hotel Suites & Spa Group continue to pay the highest tax and bring in the highest foreign exchange revenue to the Government of Nepal. This helps the development of this under-developed country in many ways.

 

3) We have been honoured with numerous prizes by almost every tourism minsters, prime minister and even the Kings of Nepal for developing many regions and remote communities of the Himalayas by introducing and pioneering many trekking routes, trails in numerous remote regions of the Himalaya – Nepal, Tibet, India & Bhutan, and social and public-spirited contributions. For example: From 1979, with great initiatives, the Group developed hundreds of trekking routes in the remote regions such as new routes (both south/north B.Cs) to Kanchenjunga, Makalu Base Camp, undeveloped routes to Ganesh Himal, and several approach routes to none other than Mount Everest, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri, Machapuchare, Langtang and New routes to Annapurna IV Annapurna, Circuit, Everest, Dhaulagiri, Ganesh Himal, Makalu, Kanchenjunga, Humla/Juma/Rara Lake, and other areas like Panchase, Ghanpokhara, Chitlang, Gongar, ArunValley, Pike Khop, Hongu Hinku Valley, Barun Valley, Hidden Valley, Api, Nar Phu, Tilicho, Laprak/Barbak, Hilsa etc. etc. We operated the first ever tourist groups in these regions, including Jumla/Humla, Pike, Dolpo, Mount Kailash etc etc from the early 80s.

 

The current (2020) popular Great Himalayan Trail which is taking its rounds in the world these days, was long since developed and operated by Heritage Hotel in 1987. In Tibet, besides operating the Highest Rafting Adventures which was filmed by Channel 9 TV of Australia, it developed numerous Trekking ideas such as Highest Trek (promoted under Ultimate Trek) - taking the Foreign Guests to Camp-III of Everest (on Tibet side), without any mountaineering. Similarly, in India, it explored Great Himalayan ranges from Manali, Zanskar, Darcha, Kulu, Leh, Nandadevi, Sources of Ganges, Arunachal etc. etc.

 

4) In the field of community services, Heritage Hotel Suites & Spa and its sister organisations have be bestowed with several awards: firstly for pioneering environmental conservation by starting to use liquid fuel for cooking instead of firewood, which was destroying forests and tree-line, and the pristine environment and ecosystem in the Himalayas. Also for establishing and promoting ecosystem management: Eco-Trekking Workshops & Seminars for Trekking Agents of Nepal at our own expenses, which engaged and educated adventure industry personnel in conservation of the Himalayas. This idea was passed on to Tibet, Bhutan and India gradually. The expertise was later passed on to Trekking Agents Association of Nepal and KEEP (Kathmandu Environmental Education Project) from the year 1986.

 

5) Many awards and prizes have also been bestowed on us for Social Services, for example Staff & Porter Welfare with first ever policy (which was unheard of in Nepal ) for accidental insurance, health insurance to staff. Environmental Concerns (Bio-Plants-Eco-Trekking Workshop & Seminar), Voluntary Donations, Blood Donation Camps, post humueous eye donations, establishment of small factory/workshop to destitute homes to generate income to self-sustain, help build 2 porter shelters at Labuche (near EBC) and Base of Island Peak etc., Installation of Electricity line at the village of Shimbhanjyang, supply of furnitures, roofing materials and installation of water supply facilities to schools under “water for life” projects.

 

6) We have also been recognised for Staff Welfares and for starting from 1980 to provide porters with clothing, providing food, shelter during treks, tents, sleeping bags, mattresses and other welfare schemes, helicopter evacuation, insurance for staff and porters, which were unheard of in the industry before us.

 

7) Unlike most managers of adventure companies, our Managing Director Mr. Ravi Chandra Hamal, has not only pioneered many trails and itineraries that slowly developed remote regions which helped the rural and remote communities. He himself has reconnoitered many remote regions of the Himalaya and trekked most of the Himalayas i.e. in Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and India. And he has travelled to more than 80 countries worldwide promoting the Himalayas and its communities.

 

8) In 1980 initiated and started for the first in the Himalayan Tourism Industry, the concept of Local Leaders with the belief that “who better to lead in Nepal than the Nepalese”. This endeavour generated employment opportunities to graduate Nepalese and Indians, Tibetans, Bhutanese, and also facilitated holidays for the Foreigners in masses as the Holiday cost was significantly reduced as wages of Foreign Guides, cost of airfares, high wages and hotel cost of the trip was curtailed. This now remains adopted by all international companies.

 

9) In 1982 for the Women empowerment and rural development it initiated to establish Women’s Groups in villages of popular trekking routes to exchange cultural interaction. These Women’s groups performed cultural programmes, and in turn the Trekking Groups/clients contributed funds to the village clubs. Heritage Hotel Suites & Spa matched these amounts in contribution. These funds were used for health and education of the Children.

 

10) Around 1984 Foreign Students rarely travelled to Himalayas, and AmaDablam went ahead to promote Holidays for Foreign Schools and promoted incentive groups for multinational companies. Example Sony and Camel Companies. BBC, International TV Channels, and foreign dignitaries such as American Senators Excellencies Ambassadors have utilized the Groups services to outfit their programmes.

 

11) Before 1985 Tibet was forbidden to regular Foreign Tourists, and Nepal Government with China initiatives opened its doors to Tibet via Zhangmu/Khasa border, and AmaDablam immediately promoted numerous Holidays to Tibet, that gradually generated employment to Tibetans and its communities. Our MD went on a Research Reconnaissance trips to Tibet in 1982 via Chengdu and travelled by Russian Truck (in those days China used Russian Trucks), to Lhasa. Later sent 2 foreigners (Mr. Bob Gibbons & Sian Fitzgerald Jones) to research and compile many trekking information in Tibet.

 

12) In 1986 developed the concept of 50 plus Holidays for Elders as senior citizens were fearful of travelling/trekking in the Himalayan mountains.

 

13) In these early days of Nepal Tourism only the Businesses in the cities of Kathmandu, Pokhara, Dharan were benefitting from the advent of Trekking Tourism and to purposefully change the equation between the ‘Haves & Havesnot”, and for the equal distribution of wealth to the needy poor in the mountain communities, Heritage Hotel Suites & Spa, in 1987, conscientiously introduced “Tea House” Trekking in earnest that passed the best part of the benefits from Tourists from House to House and villages to villages and slowly removed abject poverty to sustainable livelihood – and to economic freedom!

 

14) In 1988 started “Family Holidays” that opened doors for the development of Holidays to the families in the Himalayas. Before this families feared to travel for Holidays in the Himalayas for several reasons.

 

15) In 1988 also started “Dollar-a-Day” Charity Funds for CSR programmes.

 

16) To develop new and deprived region, and in 1989, Heritage Hotel Suites & Spa established Everest View Adventure Resort, in Daman (from where 400km of unbroken chain of Himalayan Range can be seen). To alleviate poverty this new region could be introduced and developed while others were mushrooming in Nagarkot and Dhulikhel or Kakani. This generated employment in Makawanpur district. Makawanpur District has the highest under-privileged population where, it will sound disgusting and alarming to us many, that even the families sale off their daughters to brothels in Indian Cities. This district has the highest trafficking of girl child.

 

17) In 1990 developed and promoted “community tourism’ by promoting Home Stays in the Villages like “Sirubari” “Chitre” “Baglungpani”, “Siklis”, “Ghanpokhara”, “Chitwan”, “Chitlang”, “Pike Khop”, “Tashi Gaon”, “Patale”, “Jorsale”, “Barbak”, “Bhalche”, “Jorsale”, “Dingboche”, “Chhukung”, “NingSo”, “Khare”, “Ngeiu”, “Lhachhewar”, “Bigu”, “Sanam”, “Pangum”, “Burause” etc. etc just to name a few, in the beginning, and slowly developed to other regions of Nepal. We endeavor to explore remote regions with every opportunity, and develop them into New Trekking Regions with Community HomeStay and promote them to alleviate the livelihood of the backward communities. Today, Community HomeSaty have become one of the major income generator for the village communities. This has helped alleviate abject poverty from backward communities to progressive self-sustaining communities with distinct differences in the livelihood of people – bringing them confidence, dignity and happiness as the qualities of lives – with better health, good education, decent livelihood of the children and families have greatly improved.

 

18) The highly anticipated Hotel Heritage Suites & Spa, one of the other sister concern of Heritage Hotel Group, in the lake valley of Pokhara, is an expression of the ways of living developed by a Nepali community and passed on from generation to generation- our connection to the past. Some of our most impressive antiques, artifacts & handicrafts are incredibly well preserved and its difficult to determine the precise dates they were built. Heritage Hotel, today stands inextricably linked to Nepal’s colourful history. Artifacts and antiques can be seen on display through out the property, maintaining the architectural heritage which evolved over the centuries of skilled craftmanship.

 

The aim and motto to build this hotel was primarily to protect and preserve the skilled artisans and the ancient architecture of Nepal, which are slowly disappearing as the art and artifacts that the Nepalese artisans could have created are gradually vanishing. Therefore, every Nepali and Historian must earnestly support our inherited heritage in all facets of Nepal’s culture, traditions, arts and artifacts - – it’s Nepal life and heartbeat…it’s Nepals’ legacy! It is Nepalese responsibility to preserve the historical arts as a unique gift to our future generations.

 

Being called “The Icon of the Lake Valley”, with 8 Years journey in the making and with over Rs1.4 billion investment is certainly an undisputed masterpiece and an architectural marvel. It’s a new benchmark and a perfect example of a work of distinctive hand-made beauty.

 

The Heritage Hotel, Suites & Spa evokes legends; the legacy and life of Nepalese, depicting age-old art & architecture that goes back 5000 years, is alive in the ambience & architecture of the Hotel. For Hotel Heritage Suites & Spa, social responsibility is a pivotal part of the company's corporate culture. By integrating our hotel operations with the life of the local community, society and our employees, we believe that the local economic and social impact of our hotel will be positive and responsible.

 

During and after the great earthquake of April,2015 throughout Nepal, 9 villages benefitted from the group’s contributions. Miss Dristi Hamal and Mr. Sauhardha Chandra Hamal went beyond their means to send 3 tons of clothes, medicine, sanitary/toiletries items and materials from Australia contributed by their near and dear ones and all the peers from their universities. The materials were distributed to the needy through Nepal Red Cross Society under the supervision of Heritage Hotel Suites & Spa and Everest View Adventure Resort Staff and Directores. In the later years, to continue with the spirit of social service and humanitarian welfare, Mr. Samridha Chandra Hamal, the youngest director of the company, took the initiative to trek from remote village to village in the Gorkha and Makawanpur regions, whose school children are under privileged, to distribute cold weather clothes, first-aid kits and meals during Nov-Dec, 2018.The Group continues to set standards in community and social services

 

19) Sustainability & Communities: The sister organization Hotels presents amazing opportunities for organic Farmers and the organic communities as a whole. Every day they collect milk and milk products, green vegetables and seasonal fruits from the local villagers to help the local community to be self-sustaining. The sister organization Hotels also have successfully recruited from the local communities through sharing job opportunities by words of mouth via existing staff. This is crucial for recruiting disadvantaged individuals from the local community because making qualifications as a pre-requisite for the jobs virtually eliminates poorer communities from the entry into even the lowest skilled jobs.

 

Discover Us:

 

20) Heritage Hotel Suites & Spa is also proud to have helped introduce and develop Himalayan products for highly esteemed international companies like Sobek Expeditions (now Sobek, Mountain Travel - USA) Adventure Centre (USA), GAP Adventures/aka G-Adventures (CANADA), Westcan Treks/Trek Holidays (Canada), Merit Travel/ Travel Cuts (Canada), Elder’s Trek (Canada), Guerba Expeditions (UK), Travelbag Adventures (now The Adventure Company (UK), Sherpa Expeditions (UK), Exodus (Mountain Biking-UK), Encounter Overland (UK), Hann Overland (UK), Classic Journeys (UK), Campus Travel/Student Travel (UK), World Expeditions (AUSTRALIA), Adventure World (Adventure Department - AUSTRALIA), Thor Adventure Travel (AUSTRALIA), I.T. Adventures (aka Kumuka - AUSTRALIA), Wendy Wu Tours (Australia), Active Travel (Australia), Sun Travel, Adventure World(NZ), Travel House, Go Adventures (New Zealand), Aventyrsresor (SWEDEN), Globo Treks, Baumeller, Intens Travel (SWITZERLAND), Ikarus Tours (Adventure Department - GERMANY), Yeti Treks (Germany), Hauser Exkursion (for Tibet Tours-Germany), MarcoPolo Tours (Denmark),Travel Life, Grace Tours, Trekking Beauretter, Ysukreisebureao (Denmark), Eventyrsero (Norway), Escape Tours, Explotra (Belgium), Geo Reisen (Austria), BM Reizen, Tourkoop Reisburo (Holland), Geographical Tours (Israel), Mountain Trip, Apple World (Japan), Silk Road Tours (South Korea), Golden Bridge International, Travel Advisors, Westminister Travel, Mera Travel (HongKong) etc --