As Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, was engulfed in a week of fiery political upheaval, protestors led by the Gen Z movement targeted not only government buildings but also symbols of the country’s elite wealth. In the midst of nationwide unrest that has left at least 51 people dead and over 1,300 injured, five-star hotels, luxury residences, and glass towers were torched, with the Hilton Kathmandu and the Hyatt Regency among the most high-profile targets.
The Hilton Kathmandu, a modern glass tower that was Nepal’s tallest hotel, was set ablaze, sending black plumes of smoke into the sky. Opened just last year by Shahil Agrawal, the scion of a powerful Nepalese conglomerate, the hotel represented a significant investment and a symbol of a new, globalized economy. A Hilton spokesperson confirmed the property’s temporary closure and stated that all guests and staff were safely evacuated, but the hotel’s website now notifies guests of a temporary closure, with reports indicating it has been reduced to a charred shell.
The Hyatt Regency, a sprawling property near the Boudhanath Stupa, was also damaged by protesters. Bhushan Rane, the hotel’s front office manager, told Reuters that no guests or staff were injured and that the hotel would remain closed until further notice. Another luxury hotel, the Varnabas Museum Hotel, owned by Nepali Congress lawmaker Rajendra Bajgain, was also set on fire. Bajgain later announced his intention to resign from parliament and expressed sympathy for the protesters’ cause.
The Hotel Association Nepal (HAN) has estimated that the hotel industry has suffered a staggering loss of over ₹25 billion, with the Hilton alone reporting damages exceeding ₹8 billion. The destruction of these hotels, along with the vandalism of nearly two dozen other properties, has not only hit the country’s vital tourism-driven economy but also highlighted the deep-seated anger of the youth toward a perceived culture of corruption and ostentatious wealth.
While Gen Z leaders have distanced themselves from the arson, blaming “provocateurs and infiltrators,” they explain the motivation behind the attacks as a rejection of the glaring wealth gap in one of the world’s poorest countries. For a generation where over 1,500 young people leave the country daily for jobs abroad, luxury hotels and elite clubs have come to represent the very system of inequality and nepotism they are fighting against.