A family friend is visiting Bhutan at the moment and invited us to dinner at the most expensive hotel chain in the country. At $1200 per night, this is where Steven Seagal and Richard Gere stay. Mike, the friend, is having his way paid by the hotel on the premise that he’ll write a review for them.
The food was fantastic and Marie is embarrassed at just how enthusiastically she attacked the slab of Aussie beef. The rooms were just as amazing, with a large cushy bed and a bath in the middle of the room. We were shown the rooms and the massage area by the hotel manager, an Indonesian woman.
Bhutan is still at the stage in development where top positions in international businesses are taken by foreigners. While there are some amazing minds in the government, they seem to be rare. Most people in management positions have no vision or interest in coaching their staff. That will change quickly now that the borders are opening up, promotion is becoming performance based and education is improving. Improvement comes at the cost of an unevenness in wealth distribution and rising level of crime due to the same forces. Bhutan is at the point where good meets evil and it’s up to them to decide which wins.