The Shankar is not our usual style of hotel, but a friend recommended the location as a reprieve from the chaos of Kathmandu, and it was that! Our room was large, very clean, a very modern bathroom, outlets on both sides of the comfortable bed, a safe that worked, electricity the whole time of our seven night stay except for a few blips for very short periods of time, TV, two large bottles of water every day and laundry service. None of those things can be taken for granted in Kathmandu, and it’s a credit to the staff that they can deliver that. The internet was mostly pretty strong, but depending on the time of day, only a limited number of devices could be on it at any given time. It was wonderful to be away from the traffic noise and dust. We didn’t use the gardens due to the chilly weather, but I’m sure they are lovely at other times of the year. It is about a 20 minute walk into the tourist center of Thamel. There are usually a few taxis waiting just outside the door, and I highly recommend that you ask for Mr. Bhai Raj Mahayana. We used him one day for a short trip and liked him so much (good English, comfortable car, nice personality) that we booked him several days for other trips around the valley. This would have been a five star rating except for two things. The room rate we booked did not include breakfast and that was an additional $14 per person, which I think is a lot for breakfast. (We walked around the corner to Mike’s Breakfast everyday). Also, while the support staff were nice and friendly, the main manager at the front desk was not friendly at all.