We were booked to stay at this lovely-looking boutique hotel for 4 nights this coming summer. We were looking forward to experiencing this hotel, the gorgeous rooms and the traditional Tibetan designs. And we were happy to hear that the owner was Tibetan.

However, we just learned that the Lingtsang Hotel was taken over by a new owner. The new owner has significantly increased the room rates. The new owner will not honor our reservation at the rate that was quoted and confirmed by the previous owner. There are ethics in the hospitality industry but apparently not here.

We are very disappointed but have vowed to not give this place our money. We will not be staying here.

Nice hotel but not suitable for winter.
Here we spent the coldest night of our lives. With temperatures of -3°C outside, we only had a small electric heater in the room, we didn't have hot water and its own employees worked with jacket and scarf.
The hotel is very nice, I guess in summer will be a nice place but in winter is the worst place I have been in terms of value.
We had booked 4 nights and after the horrible first night we decided to move to other hotel. The guide suggested us the Yak Hotel, a 3 star correct and clean hotel, with heating, which only cost us 180 yuan / night instead of the 1200 yuan / night that costs this one.

Recently saw this 9-room property cited under Lhasa in The New York Times’s “Places to go in 2012” and wanted to comment on a recent December 3 night stay. Overall the hotel delivers a strong atmospheric feel , but it must be noted this has both advantages and disadvantages.
First off the advantages. The location, while arguably a bit hard to find at first, is really right in the thick of things. You are just south of the Barkhor circuit and the primary temple. Walking anywhere in the old town is a quick and easy journey. At the same time, you are a little separate from many of the other old-town hotels, more in a local neighborhood.
The hotel itself is certainly atmospheric as well. Located in a old famous courtyard structure (you can read the history elsewhere), the property oozes atmosphere from the rooftop to the rooms. At the same time, it has been recently renovated to feature good plumbing, quality fixtures, and conveniences such as flat-screen TVs (If you’re coming to Lhasa to watch TV, uhmm…). The staff is also quite helpful – willing to help with whatever questions are raised. Some Mandarin may be helpful – in the offseason when I was there, English appeared limited.

That said, remember this isn’t the St. Regis (Lhasa’s trying to be global standard property) or for that matter any less atmospheric hotel. There is no central heating – there was a space heater by default in our room and we were provided with another upon request. Hot water availability wasn’t a significant issue for basic showering, but despite the beautiful bathtub (see pictures on the hotel website) we were unable to find a chance to use it as couldn’t get enough hot water to fill the tub. Also, the included breakfast was fine by Chinese hotel standards – but for a property attracting a more upscale international crowd I do wonder if more than baozi (Chinese meat-filled “buns”/dumplings), zhou (watery traditional breakfast porridge), and youtiao (Fried dough often served with porridge) quite cuts it.

Overall, as we paid under 500 RMB per night for an off-season rate it was an interesting experience. That said, in hindsight we may have been better off checking out a less atmospheric, more modern-standard property in town for less (~300 or less in the off season) and skipping this place. At the stated summer rates and without the difficulty of colder weather, the hotel still presents a complex decision in my mind.

After spending time in a couple of other "approved for foreigner" places in town. We managed to find and switch to this place. More expensive than your run of the mill, Yak, Shambala etc. But, as other's note, this place as the residence of one of the teachers for the 14th Dalai Lama. It's a traditional Tibetan construction, down to the very steep stairs and the pounded rock floors/ceilings. But the upgrade added nearly everything a western traveler would want while retaining all that you could wish from in an authentic Tibetan building. Our room was large and the most comfortable place we stated on our trip. And the location could well be the best of any hotel in Lhasa, in the old town, down a side street, less than 100yds off Barkhor street, and very quiet.
The only reason I'm not giving this place 5 stars is the hot water. Which mostly seems to come from solar heating. I think we were the only folks staying at the hotel, and April isn't the sunniest month. Some days the water was good for a nice shower (after running it for 10 mins), but on an overcast day it was only luke warm and make for a brisk wash. To get that extra little mark I'd suggest they add some kind of back up to the heating, just as we found in the Khordes Hotel in Lhasa. Then they'd have everything you'd ever want from a nice little place like this.
By the way, if the front door is closed, you open it by pulling on the left hand piece of the rope that snakes through two holes in the door.