Lingtsang Boutique Hotel near Barkhor in Lhasa

Lingtsang Boutique Hotel, as the former residence of a saint, Ling Rinpoche, one of the teachers for the 14th Dalai Lama, was cited under Lhasa in The New York Times’s “Places to go in 2012”. This old famous courtyard structure with a history of over 300 years was renovated to a Tibetan style family hotel in 2011. It is also a new 5-star hotel in Lhasa. This authentic Tibetan building, down to the very steep stairs and the pounded rock floors/ceilings, delivers a strong atmospheric feel from the rooftop to the rooms.

Lingtsang enjoys a good location, just south of the Barkhor circuit and the Jokhang temple. It is within walking distance to the Jokhang Temple Square, the vibrant downtown area, and 1.5 km from the Potala Palace.

This traditional Tibetan construction has been recently renovated to feature good plumbing, quality fixtures, and conveniences such as flat-screen TVs. The rooms are very charming and comfortable. All suites are in a nice Tibetan design and very spacious. Room rate includes breakfast. Its restaurant serves local Tibetan food and also international cuisine.

The staff are not very good at English, but quite helpful – willing to help with whatever questions are raised. They'll ask you breakfast time and make it before you show up, so don't be late or your breakfast will be cold.

The bathrooms are updated, with a separate shower and a Japanese sitting tub. However, getting hot water for a nice shower in this hotel might be a problem in winter for you couldn’t get enough hot water to fill the beautiful bathtub. Water is heated by solar power, so on overcast days, water is tepid at best. And water pressure is on the weak side. In winter, staying in this hotel also might be a little cold as there is no central heating, only a small electric heater in the rooms.