The Westin Dhaka

Rooms and decor

Picture a 24-floor glass tower standing on Gulshan Avenue, the center of the most upscale embassy and business district in Dhaka. That is The Westin Dhaka, open since 2007 and still one of the 5-star hotels working travelers know best in this city. The lobby is high and airy in warm cream-and-brown marble, with a wide lounge area to grab a coffee or hold a meeting before heading up. All 235 rooms and suites sit between floors 5 and 23, decorated in warm brown and cream in a polished business-hotel style. Open the door and you find a big work desk with an ergonomic chair, a sofa by the window, and a walk-in closet in the suites. What keeps people coming back is the Heavenly Bed, Westin's signature mattress that so many reviews agree sleeps unusually well. Anyone who has stayed at a Westin knows this bed is the real thing. High-floor rooms facing Gulshan Lake get a lovely look at the Dhaka skyline at night, especially at sunset when the sky runs gold, orange and purple.

Food and amenities

The star here is EEST, a high-floor Asian restaurant and rooftop bar serving pan-Asian food, Chinese, Thai, Japanese and Korean, in a modern setting. The open-air bar lets you sip a cocktail over a near-360-degree view of the city, and some nights a DJ plays a low, easy set. Downstairs is Seasonal Tastes, the all-day main restaurant, where the breakfast buffet spans international, Indian, Arab and Bangladeshi dishes. Reviews agree it is generous and fresh, with eggs cooked to order, fresh-baked bread and a wide spread of fruit. For spa-goers there is Heavenly Spa by Westin, with several treatment rooms for chain-standard massages and treatments. The rooftop also holds a pool with a fine city view, not huge but fine for a workout swim, and next to it a 24-hour gym with full cardio and weights. The one thing not to miss is the Executive Lounge for executive-level rooms, with free breakfast, evening food and cocktails. If you book that tier it pays off.

Location and getting there

Location is the trump card here, no question. The hotel sits on Gulshan Avenue in the heart of Gulshan, the most upscale embassy and business district in Dhaka. Around it are several embassies, the offices of multinational companies, stylish restaurants, cafes and small malls to wander. Gulshan-2 Circle, the densest cluster of restaurants and shops, is only about a 10-minute walk. The Banani and Baridhara areas, two more upper-middle-class residential and business zones, are just a few minutes by car. From Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (DAC) it is about 12 km, normally a 30-minute drive, but a bad morning or evening jam can push it over an hour, since Dhaka traffic is notoriously heavy. If you are working around Gulshan, Banani or Baridhara, no location beats this. You barely travel at all, and you can step straight into the office or a meeting.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. The complaint that comes up most is the age of the building, open since 2007. A share of reviews note that some rooms, especially the un-renovated ones, are starting to show their years, with worn furniture, curtains or carpet, and some bathroom tiles a bit scratched rather than crisp like a brand-new 5-star. If you expect spotless luxury down to the last inch, it may not quite get there. Another common note is the price of food and drinks inside, which runs high by international 5-star standards, and some packages add a Wi-Fi fee, so check clearly when you book. The last point is out of anyone's hands: Dhaka traffic is especially heavy in the morning and evening. The airport is only 12 km away, but some days the drive runs over an hour, so leave plenty of time if your flight falls in a jam. And if you plan to see Old Dhaka across the city, it can feel far and slow. This place shines for people working around Gulshan more than for sightseers.

Our take

After reading through hundreds of real reviews, The Westin Dhaka sells its Gulshan Avenue location at the heart of the embassy and business district, the warm staff who speak good English in a way that is rare in Dhaka, the famous Heavenly Bed, and the wide-open EEST rooftop, and it delivers all of it with pride. If the trip in your head is working around Gulshan, Banani or Baridhara, coming back for a soak in the skyline pool, then dinner at EEST and a night on a soft Heavenly Bed, this is the most fitting choice. But if you expect a brand-new, all-out luxury build down to the last inch, or you are mainly here for Old Dhaka and its markets, another option may fit better. Overall we give it 8.4/10, best for business and luxury-minded travelers who value an embassy-district address and international-standard service more than the newness of the rooms.