HOTEL ZHIWA LING

HOTEL ZHIWA LINGCompany BackgroundThe Zhiwa Ling Hotel is located in the scenic valleyof Paro, near the Bhutanese capital of Thimphu. Thebuilding is a tribute to the ornate architectural arts ofBhutan, combining the cultural heritage of the countrywith the conveniences of modern western luxury. Everypart of the hotel was made by hand, from the massivehand-carved wooden beams to the seemingly endlessdesigns on the colourful, hand-painted ceilings andwalls. Zhiwa Ling is the first traditional luxury hotel inBhutan that is completely locally-owned and locallyfunded.After extensive travels all over the world andseveral years of work in the tour operator business,Ugyen Rinzin, had the idea to create a hotel whichincorporated the basic ideals of the Bhutanese wayof life: preservation and conservation. From this vision he began developing the Zhiwa Ling Hotel.The hotel now has 45 rooms, 3 suites, 42 junior suites, 2 conference rooms, a business centre, and atemple, made from 450-year-old timber from the Gangtey Monastery, built to honour the spiritualheritage of the ancient Buddhist kingdom.Concept of Zhiwa LingTo attain the high standard achieved in theconstruction of Zhiwa Ling, a substantial investmentwas made by the owner, with help from local banks.It was important to Ugyen Rinzin that the cash cycleremain within Bhutan with regard to interest beingpaid to local banks on locally funded loans. Thereforehe would not accept overseas investment for themultimillion dollar hotel. The Bhutan National Banksupports initiatives to further develop the hotel asand when required.The overall philosophy is to give back to the localcommunity, with 87 locals in employment. Thesalaries earned are year round even though the hotelis a seasonal operation, providing the safety net1

as the development of the business.of consistent income for the staff.This extra earning power enablesemployees to invest in their families’education, enjoy a higher standardof living, and meet a higher standardof healthcare. All salaries are spentlocally, generating a cash cyclewithin the community. The ownerand senior managers are dedicatedto ensuring that, as Bhutan emergesfrom its past feudal system, thedevelopment of the local inhabitantsis given the same time and attentionImplementation ProcessZhiwa Ling aims to offer an optimum guest experience while avoiding negative environmental,cultural and social impacts. To preserve the staff’s link with their history in a modern environment,the hotel supports Bhutanese traditions, such as wearing national dress as their hotel uniform,encouraging guests to participate in the national sports of Kuru and archery, greeting guests in thenational language and presenting them with a traditional khaddar or scarf.The hotel has a policy of continuing education and training, as well as a philosophy to provide equalopportunities for employment and development for men and women in all positions. Employees arealso trained to implement a model of conservationand sustainability:• Apart from some gas appliances in thekitchen, all facilities in the hotel are poweredby hydroelectric sources.• The hotel practices recycling and compostingof organic waste wherever possible.• To overcome shortages in local markets,Zhiwa Ling has its own organic vegetablegarden.• The ten-acre hotel site is being landscapedby primarily growing native plants and treesto give guests a genuine feeling of Bhutan’snatural flora.• In line with the conservation practicesenforced by the monarch of Bhutan requiring2

a minimum coverage of 70%of native forests, Zhiwa Linghas only one open fireplaceand uses a minimal amountof scarce firewood. The woodis purchased from localsuppliers who have permits togather fallen timber to sell asfirewood.• Zhiwa Ling has developedits own training manual andworkbook which are basedon a “learn as you work”programme. The workbook contains study materials on several different issues, such aswaste disposal, food hygiene practices, and health and safety issues. Those who completethe study course receive an internalcertificate.• Zhiwa Ling has implementedEnglish training programmes forstaff members who wish to learnEnglish, which is both successfuland popular. The hotel employs thetutors and provides the learningmaterial.• Experienced experts fromoutside Bhutan are hired for staffworkshops on environmental issuesand other subjects. Employees arealso sent away to various destinations to gain more experience in sustainable hotelbusiness practices• Some employees are offered the chance to study in the Bhutan Middle Management HotelProgram, which is run under the guidance of the Swiss Hotel School.• The hotel provides staff uniforms, shoes and grooming practices to all team members. Alluniforms and shoes are purchased locally, even if at a higher price than imported equivalents.The staff laundry is done by the hotel to ensure that biodegradable detergents are used.• Fresh staff meals are provided three times a day to ensure proper nourishment.• Various local arts and crafts, such as hand-woven clothing, wooden masks and jewellery, areshowcased in the hotel’s gift shop.• Zhiwa Ling has worked with the ministry of agriculture to support some of their initiativesby offering to purchase their products. The agricultural department has now made available3

locally produced cheeses, pasteurised localmilk and locally made yoghurt. The hoteluses all of these products.• Workshops with suppliers of meats, fish andvegetables have been held on such subjectsas quality and production standards.• In cooperation with other companies, ZhiwaLing has invested 100,000Nu (2.200 US$) inthe construction of a plastics recycling plantthat will not only aid in disposal of usedplastic products but will also create localemployment. The project is not yet finished.Zhiwa Ling has faced several challenges inimplementing these objectives. Bhutan suffers froma lack of national examples, and Zhiwa Ling has hadto play a pioneering role with its high standards andquality practices. Access to the distribution and supplychain is difficult, as is the acquisition of necessary equipment and products that meet the hotel’s CSRstandards. Due to a lack of awareness and understanding by the hotel team, constant training isrequired to ensure that the practices arefollowed. Luckily, hotel management ispatient and persistent, and by refusingto give up, the hotel continues to meetits own high standard.BenefitsDirect company benefits at Zhiwa LingHotel are not measured in terms ofrevenue, but in what the business isable to achieve for the country and thelocal area. The stakeholders take greatpride in being able to contribute toa sustainable development in the country through tourism. Direct and indirect benefits are createdthrough employment opportunities and local purchases. The staff benefits by receiving professionaltraining and reaching higher educational standards. The internal training programme includessubjects outside the hospitality industry, such as English classes and basic accounting. They transferthese standards to their day-to-day lives and improve food handling and health standards in the localcommunity. The hotel’s gift shop generates income to an estimated number of US$ 35000 per annumfor local artisans and helps to preserve and promote the cultural heritage of the country.Contact Address4Brent HydeMail:Website:Zhiwa Ling HotelGeneral Managergm@zhiwaling.com Address: Satsam Chorten, Paro, Kingdom of Bhutanwww.zhiwaling.com Phone: +975-8-271277