Tings Tea Lounge & Lounge Hotel closing down

In 2009 we moved to Nepal to realize a project we had been dreaming of since we returned from a year-around-the-world travel in 2001: To start-up a small business where we could engage talented young boys and girls.

The business – Tings Tea Lounge & Lounge Hotel (or just Tings) – opened in February 2011 in Lazimpat only 15 minutes minutes walk from Thamel. 

From day one it became a small HUB for international travelers and local creatives who have relaxed, worked, held meetings, exhibited, performed or held hands over a pot of tea from our Lounge’s ambitious selection of quality teas from all over the world or a lunch or dinner from our menu of homemade international dishes made from local ingredients.

Via Tings we have not only met a lot of fantastic people from Nepal and all over the world. We have been so privileged to be involved in more than 100 business & art projects: Exhibitions, concerts, workshops, poetry readings etc at Tings –  we have held lectures and worked as consultants for some of Nepal’s biggest companies, supporting the local start-up environment have had hands-on involvement in local small and medium size business, and we have promoted Nepalese art & culture and artists all over the world.  

Our thousands of happy guests have enjoyed our food together with Michelin Chefs passing by. So have local & international companies in Kathmandu, Embassies, NGOs & iNGOs  and lots of nepalese families in and around Lazimpat. At Nepalese Weddings Parties, business receptions, anniversaries or at our spontaneous Play Food events – all prepared and created by the fantastic team in our lounge and kitchen. Thanks to them Tings was chosen to cater for HHR Prince Frederik’s reception when he visited Nepal back in 2015 – in front of Kathmandu’s leading 5 star hotels. Something we’re very proud of mentioning because it shows how much talent Nepal has. 

It has been an amazing journey – only made possible because of the numerous talented young boys and girls we have been working and living together with 24/7 since we moved here. It’s impossible to express our gratitude for being able to witness how they have developed.  

Time calls for a change

Tings may not be the same as when we opened in 2011. Almost 10 years have had its imprint on our being and doings. But our attitude, behaviour and services are the same. Tings is still ranked among the best places to stay and dine in our category – the Tea Lounge as well as the Hotel. 

And we’re still privileged by having a lot of loyal guests who – despite our struggle with bandhas, loadshedding, earthquakes etc – have returned again and again and brought Tings a lot of new guests by spreading the word. 

Like most other Asian cities Kathmandu has changed – and not only for the better. But we still love the city and its fantastic people – so we could live with the pollution, the traffic and the hopeless infrastructure that gets worse and worse. And having ‘survived’ the Earthquake in 2015 it may be possible for us to get through the current Covid_19 close down. 

But what we can’t live with is the real estate prices. A trippeling of the houserent makes it difficult to run a business like ours! So while we are still at the top, we are forced to close Tings Kathmandu. 

Saying that we hope that it will be possible for us to find a solution for a future Tings in a new location, and modified setup. We have potential local partners who are very interested making the new Tings happen together with our partner and MD, Dorje Dolma. We are very motivated and supportive for this solution, and hopefully in autumn we will be able to tell you more about a reopening of Tings after we get through this complicated COVID.

Thanks to all our loyal guests, friends, supporters, supplyers, from Nepal and around the world AND our fantastic kids that have been a part of our life for a decade… we love you all.

Love to everybody who has followed our journey… you know who you are.

Annette & Thomas