With 20-foot lobby ceilings, huge exposed beams, locally woven carpets, and paintings of Tibetan nomads, the luxurious St. Regis Lhasa resort combines au courant comforts and Tibetan motifs inspired by the nearby Sera Monastery. The 150 guest rooms and 12 villas, in subdued browns with black-and-white photos of Buddhist pilgrims, have mammoth bathrooms with heated slate floors, heated toilet seats, and a separate tub. Despite the St. Regis’s Chinese and Tibetan restaurants, the focal point for meals is Social, where the menu is a bit high-brow for such a little-visited destination—an amuse-bouche of rich pumpkin soup with crabmeat, creamy imported Japanese scallops, and a sensational organic lamb rolled in cumin.

Lhasa Shangri-La hotel is one of the best 5-star hotels in Lhasa, it is an unusual hotel for anywhere in China because instead of it being a high rise, it is only about 8 stories. However, the floor plates are very large, so it can be a long walk to your room. The hotel has a quiet, zen like atmosphere reflective of the Tibetan culture. Furnishings and décor are quite tasteful. Employees are pleasant and helpful and have a sufficient fluency in English. 

The breakfast buffet in the restaurant has a great variety of both Chinese and western foods including cooked to order egg dishes. The hotel has a spa and an oxygen room that can help travelers acclimate to the altitude.