Best hotels in Everest

Tucked into a quiet corner of Monjo village, this stone-built lodge sits on a hillock between the local monastery and a century-old Sherpa home – a fitting spot for one of Nepal's most heartfelt mountain retreats. With just eleven rooms and views across the imposing flanks of Thamserku, it's the smallest and newest of the Mountain Lodges of Nepal collection, and definitely the most intimate. The family behind it have been pioneers in Himalayan travel for over three decades, and that legacy shows in everything from the organic greenhouse supplying the kitchen to the genuinely warm welcome at the door. A restorative pause before the climb to Namche.

Four hours' downhill from Lukla's goosebump-inducing runway, Phakding Lodge catches trekkers completely off-guard with its Scandinavian-inspired luxury. In fact, the Sherpa family behind the Mountain Lodges of Nepal collection have somehow wedged top-notch comfort into the Khumbu valley – think electric blankets, happy hour cocktails and vegetables grown in organic gardens. Massive riverbank boulders form the bones of the lodge and it's literally built into the landscape rather than on top of it. With a selection of coveted amenities (including hot showers – bliss!), Phakding Lodge has become the first-rate first-night stop for trekkers who've decided that reaching Everest Base Camp doesn't have to be uncomfortable.

There's a stone house in Phaplu, tucked into pine-forested slopes 18 miles south of Everest, where Sir Edmund Hillary spent months at a time. He called it his "happy place" and declared the views the finest he'd ever seen... Built in the 1970s through a collaboration between Italian explorer Count Monzino and a local Sherpa family, the house has now been lovingly - and beautifully - restored into an intimate ten-room retreat. Expect hand-painted Buddhist murals, artefacts from Monzino's legendarily lavish expedition, and a team of local people dedicated to revealing their magnificent homeland.

Situated within the Sagarmatha (Everest) National Park in Nepal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the hotel offers a 360-degree view of the awe-inspiring peaks. With a view of Mt. Everest from every room, visitors can immerse themselves in this mesmerising scene in luxury.

Opened in 1971, Hotel Everest View has been listed in the Guinness Book of World Records (2004) as the Highest Placed Hotel in the world at 13000ft. Featured in numerous guidebooks and having received media coverage, the resort has become a destination in its own right.

Lying at the very end of Lukla bazaar, a ten-minute walk from the airport, past all of the town’s shops, cafes and pubs, this acclaimed lodge often serves as the first stop at the start of a trek, or the one at the end of it. But that’s still enough time to enjoy the local treats, and the sweeping views of Lukla bazaar and surrounding mountains.

Namche Lodge sits on the upper slopes of Namche, the Sherpa capital, close to the Everest National Park headquarters and just a five-minute walk from the Sherpa Culture Museum. This comfortable, family friendly spot is the ideal acclimatization station, a basecamp for cultural experiences, and spa treatments. Namche Lodge also offers a revitalizing spa, providing a peaceful retreat amidst the stunning Himalayan views.

The Mountain Lodges of Nepal (MLN) in Deboche is a luxurious and serene retreat located in the heart of the Everest region. Nestled in a peaceful rhododendron forest, the lodge offers stunning views of the Himalayan peaks, including the majestic Ama Dablam, and is situated close to the iconic Tengboche Monastery.

Set on the chilly lap of Kongde Ri, surrounded by majestic mountains on all sides, Kongde Lodge is hours away from, and several thousand feet above, the closest bazaar. While the trail from Lukla all the way to Everest Base camp is dotted with hamlets, and busy with tourists and locals alike, the Kongde path—taken by Khumbu Sherpas in centuries past—offers a purer interaction: just you and the landscape.