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Pemako Punakha
Punakha, Bhutan · Pemako · High Luxury
Bill Bensley plotted 21 tented pool villas into the Mo Chhu hillside so Bhutan's first homegrown luxury brand, Pemako, could open without flattening the forest. Each villa has a private heated pool, a Bhutan first, plus copper tubs and Serge Ferrari fabrics, and guests still arrive across a prayer-flag suspension bridge. Tashi Group's Wangchuk Dorji spent seven years on this Punakha flagship, the country's first tented luxury resort.
- 21 rooms
- Opened 2024
- Neighborhood: Wolathang
- Rooms from 560 sq ft (52 m²)
- Architect: Bill Bensley
About Pemako Punakha
- Pemako is Bhutan's first Bhutanese-owned luxury hotel brand, created by Tashi Group chairman Wangchuk Dorji; Punakha is the flagship after a seven-year build (late 2023 / early 2024).
- Designer Bill Bensley laid out 19 one-bedroom tented villas, one two-bedroom, and one presidential villa, each with a private heated pool.
- Arrival copies the Pemako beyul legend: guests cross a suspension bridge, pass a waterfall, and receive a blessing at a choesum before reaching the tents.
- Alchemy House serves Bhutanese cooking in a restored heritage farmhouse on the property; Lotus Realm spa treatments follow Sowa-Rigpa (traditional Bhutanese medicine).
- The smallest published suite or villa start at 560 sq ft (52 m²).
Restaurants and bars
- Alchemy House — Restaurant · Traditional Bhutanese
- Soma — Restaurant · International
- Five Nectars Bar — Bar
Experiences
- Signature arrival — Cross a suspension bridge, then pass a waterfall, prayer wheel and choesum (altar) for blessings.
- Lotus Realm Spa — Sowa Rigpa-inspired spa with hot-stone bath, infrared sauna, steam rooms, yoga studio and foot-massage room.
- Picnic spots — Chef-prepared meals served out in the fresh air.
- Hidden beach and Ati picnic deck — Rustic setting with indigenous landscaping, Sorig Garden with seasonal herbs, a hidden beach and Ati picnic deck.
- Library — Curated collection of local literature and texts.
Amenities
- Pool
Open Pemako Punakha in the atlas for live weekend rates, photos, and the full folio.
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