Asia Hotel & Resorts

Rooms and decor

Walk into the lobby at Asia Hotel & Resorts and the first impression is a familiar South Asian midscale business hotel — high ceilings, warm gold lamps, polished marble floors, a dark-wood reception desk and staff who smile and greet you straight away. The palette leans beige, gold and brown, comfortable rather than flashy. The roughly 100 rooms are laid out as Deluxe and Suite types in several sizes, with wood-panelled walls, heavy curtains, soft king beds and a long work desk that suits a business traveler tapping away in the evening. Bathrooms on higher floors have a separate tub and shower, the hot water comes fast and the pressure is fine. This is not the sleek modern look of a brand-new build; it is the kind of comfort that gets you a deep sleep after a full day exploring the city. The overall feel is a Thai midscale hotel from the early 2000s that has been kept up well.

Food and amenities

What sets this place apart from a typical $31 room in Dhaka is the Thai spa and sauna on site — a compact Thai-style spa where guests can book a massage or scrub at very friendly prices, ideal after a day on your feet in Puran Dhaka. The sauna and a small gym are free for guests. Up on the top floor is the other highlight: a restaurant where window tables look out over the Dhaka skyline at night, the lights of Motijheel's towers running all the way to the silhouette of Puran Dhaka. The menu covers Bangladeshi staples like chicken Kacchi Biryani, Beef Bhuna and Daal, plus international plates — fried chicken, pasta, steak — for anyone wary of heat. Prices are easy, and the staff explain the menu well. Breakfast is included on many packages: eggs, paratha, chicken curry, fruit and tea or coffee — not lavish, but enough to start the day. Wi-Fi is free throughout; the lobby signal is steady, but reviews note it can be weak in some rooms, so you may need to sit near the door.

Location and getting there

Location is the strongest card Asia Hotel & Resorts holds. It sits in Paltan, central Dhaka, on Bir Uttam C.R. Datta Road, the link between the Motijheel business district and Puran Dhaka, the old quarter every heritage traveler wants to walk. A rickshaw or CNG (gas-powered three-wheeler) from the front door reaches Lalbagh Fort, the 17th-century Mughal fort, in about 15-20 minutes. Ahsan Manzil — the "Pink Palace" on the banks of the Buriganga River — is close by, and Sadarghat, often called the busiest river port on earth and a favorite photo stop, is a short rickshaw ride away too. Landmarks in Motijheel such as Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Stadium, the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque and the Dhaka Stock Exchange are a short walk or rickshaw hop. From Hazrat Shahjalal International airport it runs about 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on traffic, riding the Mayor Mohammad Hanif Flyover into the centre. If your plan is to focus on Puran Dhaka without losing time crossing town each day, this location fits perfectly.

Things to know before booking

Plainly, to help you decide: the thing reviews flag most is the noise and traffic of Paltan. This is a busy commercial and trading district, with cars, rickshaws, CNGs and a constant chorus of horns all day into the evening. Rooms facing the main road hear all of it, so light sleepers should ask for a high floor on the inner side of the building at booking — it helps a lot. Second, the building and decor are an older midscale style: furniture, curtains and carpet in some rooms look well-used, a few spots show wear, and some lifts are slow in the morning. If you expect a sleek, minimal, freshly-finished hotel, this is not it — but if you want a clean air-conditioned room, a soft bed and working hot water at the best price in the area, that deal is hard to find in Dhaka. Third, in-room Wi-Fi on some floors is shaky; reviews grumble about it on and off, and you may end up working in the lobby instead. Breakfast, though included on packages, is fairly limited — not the big buffet of a 4 or 5-star — so grazers may want to try a spot or two around Paltan. Last, on money: the hotel desk's exchange rate trails the banks nearby in Motijheel, so change there instead.

Our take

Having read through real reviews on both Agoda and Booking, Asia Hotel & Resorts nails one thing exactly: a central-Dhaka location at a midscale price that is the best value for heritage travelers. If the trip in your head is leaving the hotel early, taking a rickshaw to Lalbagh Fort, carrying on to Ahsan Manzil mid-morning, eating lunch in the old lanes of Puran Dhaka, boarding a boat at Sadarghat in the afternoon, then coming back for the sauna and Thai spa in the evening before dinner over the Dhaka skyline on the top floor — this is the base that fits best. But if you expect a sleek, freshly-finished hotel, a perfectly silent room or a full 5-star breakfast buffet, Asia Hotel & Resorts may not be your answer. Overall we give it 7.8/10, best suited to backpackers, solo travelers and budget-to-midscale travelers who value location and price over a brand-new room.