Ten years learning hospitality from the inside. Now I'm building the guesthouse to put it into practice.
A guesthouse where the food, the rooms, and the welcome all come from the same place. It starts with the land in Sedi. Everything else gets built on top of that.
Why I'm building this
For ten years I ran a guesthouse with my family. That decade taught me what actually makes a stay memorable, and what quietly ruins one. It's rarely the big things. It's whether the produce tastes like something. Whether a room feels cared for the moment you walk in. Whether the person running the place is paying attention, or just going through the motions.
That decade also showed me how much the details matter. Where the vegetables come from changes how dinner tastes. What's on the bed changes how a room feels at the end of a long day. I started wanting a real say in those choices, because I could see what the whole stay would feel like if all of it lined up.
I'm grateful for those years. They're where I learned the business, the kitchen, the guests — and leaving wasn't a decision I made quickly or lightly. But the direction became clear. The only way to build a stay this considered was to build it myself, from the ground up.
Sedi sits on a quiet hillside, about 350 metres above the Phewa lakeside road. Close enough to walk down for a night out, live music included. Far enough up that the air clears and the pace drops. Mornings start with birdsong and the village waking up: gardens, school kids, dogs stretching out in the road. From here you can hike up to Sarangkot for sunrise, swim in the lake by afternoon, or just sit on the terrace and do nothing at all.
There's a particular kind of quiet that happens over a shared meal, when strangers turn into the people you wave to on the lane. That's what I'm building toward. If you feel the kitchen before anything else when you walk in, I've done it right.
The plan
Ground floor: A kitchen-led restaurant, bakery, and a proper café, opening onto a terrace that works as the house's living room. Fresh bread in the morning. Dinner and conversation by evening. The menu follows what's local and in season.
Upstairs: Rooms built for different lengths of stay — a weekend, or a whole season — but finished with the same care either way. Organic cotton linens, real desks, real storage. Monthly rates reward the guests who stay longest. Room counts and exact rates publish once the building does.
Where things stand
Five people have given so far — USD 2,700 (received as €2,500) toward a USD 150,000 target for phase one, due by mid-2027.
The plot is the furthest-along part of the project. It's 318m², with direct access from a paved side street just up from the lakeside road. That's close enough that the guesthouse will be easy to find — even for people who just want to stop in for bread, coffee, or dinner without staying the night. An offer is in motion, with a couple of backup options held in reserve in case this exact plot doesn't close.
Company incorporation and the bank account are moving in parallel. Once the land is confirmed, it becomes collateral for construction financing — securing it does double duty: it buys the ground and unlocks the loan that builds on top of it.
Five names are already on the Founding Wall.
- Land Offer in motion — Apr–Jul 2026. 318m² plot identified with direct street access near the lakeside road. Offer in progress, backup options held in reserve. Furthest along of the four stages — not yet closed, and the exact address publishes once it is.
- Nepal company In progress — since Jun 2026. Private limited company, 100% Maya, incorporating in Pokhara.
- Bank account In progress — since Jun 2026. Company account, opens the path for verified gifts.
- Build & open Not started. Kitchen-first ground floor, rooms above — begins once land and financing are confirmed.
Give toward the land
If you want this house to exist, a gift moves the land forward. Early supporters get a place on the Founding Wall — names remembered inside the finished guesthouse.
Email me first — I never publish banking details on this site. Email hello@maya-guesthouse.np with the subject "Phase One Gift" and I'll reply personally with verified details. Card checkout appears here once the company account is verified.
A gift is a gift: voluntary, non-refundable, no equity, no guaranteed return. Tax treatment depends on your country — ask your advisor. This is my commercial project, owned 100% through my Nepal Pvt Ltd. If I ever offer hospitality credits, written terms come first.
Thank you, whether you give or just write to say you're following along. I'll post updates here as the land gets closer.
— Maya
Follow along
This page will change as the project moves. Not just the numbers — the story too. When the land offer is accepted, I'll post it here. When the company is incorporated, I'll post that too. If you've given, or you're just watching, you'll see it happen as it happens.
FAQ
Can I book a room now?
Not yet — rooms open once the house is built. I'll announce it here.
Is a gift an investment?
No. It's a gift to the business, not shares or a financial return, and not tax-deductible charity. Any future stay credit would come as separate, published terms.
What does phase one money fund?
Land in Sedi, company registration, and the bank account that lets me receive gifts cleanly.
Where exactly is Sedi?
About 350 metres from the Phewa lakeside road. Exact address publishes once the land is secured.