Royal Tulip Chitwan, a luxury resort in Sauraha, Chitwan, has received a five-star deluxe classification. The resort was granted the classification following an on-site inspection by the Department of Tourism. The resort is operated by KTM Hospitality Limited.

The company had applied to the Department of Tourism for classification approximately three weeks ago. Following the application, a four-member team led by a department director conducted a detailed inspection of the resort’s physical infrastructure, services and facilities, security arrangements, guest services, and operational systems.

After the inspection found that the resort met the prescribed standards, the department granted it five-star deluxe status. According to available information, the Department of Tourism has so far granted five-star deluxe classification to only three other hotels in Nepal.

The resort extensively incorporates locally available construction materials, including wooden furniture, stone tiles, stone roofing, jute carpets, wood paintings created by local artists, locally made decorative items, and traditional mandro materials. A number of features reflecting Nepali culture and identity have also been incorporated throughout the resort.

Officials from the department who inspected the resort said Royal Tulip Chitwan has established a new standard of Nepali hospitality by operating as an environmentally friendly resort while making use of modern technology. They expressed confidence that the resort would continue to maintain this standard.

Spread across 4.12 acres near the Rapti River and close to Janakauli and Kumroj Community Forests, Royal Tulip Chitwan has 65 modern rooms. The resort features restaurants, a swimming pool, gym, health club, helipad, and a revolving restaurant. It is also operating Nepal’s first “Tanavi Bar.” A separate “Sports Bar” is available for late-night entertainment.

The resort is operated under a management agreement with the Royal Tulip brand, part of the international hotel group Louvre Hotels Group. The company began a soft opening of the resort in July 2025 and brought it into full operation in mid-December.

Meanwhile, KTM Hospitality Limited has also moved forward with plans to issue an Initial Public Offering (IPO) to the general public. The company has applied to the Securities Board of Nepal (SEBON) to issue 1.55 million ordinary shares with a face value of NPR 100 per share, equivalent to a total issue size of NPR 155 million.

For the proposed IPO, CARE Ratings Nepal assigned the company a “Double B Minus” (BB-) credit rating. The total project cost of the resort is estimated at approximately NPR 1.7005 billion. Following the IPO, the company has projected a debt-to-equity ratio of 61.5:38.5. The credit rating report identified the company’s affiliation with an international hotel brand and its experienced promoter group as key strengths.

KTM Hospitality was converted from a private limited company into a public limited company on Ashadh 25, 2081 B.S. The company is led by Rameshwar Shah, chairman and chief executive officer of KTM Group Holdings.

Sauraha, adjacent to Chitwan National Park, is one of Nepal’s major wildlife tourism destinations. Tourism entrepreneurs expect the classification of Royal Tulip Chitwan to further connect Chitwan with the high-end international tourism market and send a positive message to the region’s tourism industry.