Choosing a Hotel in Lhasa with a Potala Palace View

One of the most important things for many travelers around the world is the view from their hotel rooms. A good view can make all the difference, and in Lhasa, the best views are those of the Potala Palace, the iconic red and white palace that sits overlooking the city.

Best Hotels with Potala Palace Views

When it comes to staying at a good hotel in Tibet, it would be ideal if the hotel actually had rooms with views of the Potala Palace. While not every luxury hotel can offer this for tourists to Tibet, there are a number of five-star hotels that can cater to this requirement, as well as several other hotels that have some great palace views. And the view they offer depends on their location in relation to the palace itself.

Lhasa Shangri-La Hotel

The Lhasa Shangri La Hotel lies to the west of the Potala Palace, and offers side views of the palace from many of its rooms. In fact, the hotel has the most rooms with a Potala Palace view of all the hotels in Lhasa. The rooms are less available in the peak season than in the low seasons, and its close location to the palace makes it an ideal choice for discerning tourists.

Lhasa St. Regis Resort

Ranking high in TripAdvisor as one of the most popular hotels in Lhasa with international tourists, the St. Regis is well designed with a sumptuous interior and comfortable rooms. However, only around ten rooms have a view of the Potala Palace to the northwest, so you need to book in advance to be sure to get one.

Lhasa Manasarovar Hotel

Lying just 4km to the east of the Potala Palace, the Manasarovar is one of the most luxurious hotels in the city, and has some great views of the palace from its west-facing rooms. The hotel also has great views across the Lhasa River, and is located conveniently close to the Jokhang Temple and the city center, yet far enough out to be in a quieter location.

Four Points Sheraton

Sitting just north of the Lhasa River and with great views out across this beautiful river to the south, the Four Points Sheraton is less than 3km from the Potala Palace, and has some great views from around a quarter of the total rooms in the hotel of the Potala Palace to the northwest. The hotel is also ideally located for the city center and the Jokhang Temple.

Lhasa Brahmaputra Grand Hotel

Sitting close by the Manasarovar Hotel, the Brahmaputra Grand Hotel has some good rooms with a view of the Palace, though they are limited and very popular with their foreign guests. You do need to book early to make sure you can get one of their limited palace-view rooms.

Xin Din Hotel

A small but well-kept hotel, the Xin Din lies around 3km to the south of the Potala Palace, on the northern bank of the Lhasa River. All of its north-facing rooms have great palace views, as do several of the east-facing rooms. These are popular with international tourists, so you do need to be specific on booking, especially in the peak season.

Lhasa Gang Gyan Hotel

Directly east of the Potala Palace, the Lhasa Gang Gyan Hotel also lies just north of the Jokhang Temple, in the center of the city. The hotel is popular with foreign guests that want to be centrally located, and it has a number of west-facing rooms with good Potala Palace views. There is also a dedicated Potala Palace Viewing Balcony on the fourth floor that is open to the general public.

Tashi Nota Khangsang Hotel

Located to the northeast of the Potala Palace, the Tashi Nota Khangsang Hotel is a quiet and peaceful place at night, a little away from the busy center of Lhasa. The rooms with the views of the Potala are in the western wing of the hotel, and you have rooms, suites, and family rooms that have a good view of the palace to choose from.

Lhasa Yak Hotel

Located just a short distance to the northeast of the Jokhang Temple, the Yak Hotel actually has some great views of the Potala Palace from its west-facing rooms. The palace, which lies directly west of the hotel, can also be seen well from the hotel’s roof garden, which is open to the public.

Hotels without Potala Palace views still worth staying at

Having a Potala Palace view is an interesting option for many tourists traveling to Lhasa, but it is not the be-all and end-all of the holiday. While it can be nice to have a view of the palace when you look out of the window, it is not always necessary, and some people put quality before the view.

Lhasa Intercontinental Hotel

Though it doesn’t offer a room with Potala Palace View, it offers free oxygen in rooms and an oxygen bar, which is very helpful for those that want to try and get a good night’s sleep, especially in winter months. Styled after the great pyramids of Egypt, the Intercontinental offers some great river views instead and has a relaxing atmosphere.

Tibet Tianshu Garden Hotel

Lying far to the northeast of the palace, this delightful hotel may not have the views of the palace that others offer, but it does offer some stunning gardens in its own large grounds that can help you relax and feel the real tranquility of the City of Sunshine. And with all the facilities of a luxury hotel in a four-star setting, you can be sure your worries will wash away in this peaceful hotel.

Classic Tibetan-styled Hotels

If you are looking for those classic hotels in Lhasa that are renowned for their traditional typical Tibet decors, then you will not be disappointed, as there are plenty to choose from.

The Lhasa Dhood Gu Hotel lies just 2.3km from the Potala Palace and 100 meters from the Jokhang Temple, but has limited views. It is more popular for its traditional Tibetan décor, which the owners have gone to great trouble to restore and preserve. 

The Lingtsang Boutique Hotel on Lugu 1^st Alley is a traditional Tibetan-styled building, much of which looks like it has stood there for a thousand years already. The interior has all the original Tibetan decorations from before it was ever a hotel, and the typical Tibetan roof garden is the perfect place to relax.

When it comes to typical, Tibetan styling in a hotel, the Kyichu Hotel on Beijing East Road is a perfect example of traditional decoration and styling, as well as having staff that holds the traditional Tibetan values and customs to heart. More like staying in a Tibetan family home than a hotel, this is one of the best cultural experiences in Lhasa for this grade of hotel. Named after the Kyichu River, otherwise known as the Lhasa River, the hotel lies between the Jokhang and the Potala in the Old Quarter of town, and is one of the oldest private hotels in Lhasa.