The best hotels in Dhaka

Gulshan is the clear answer. Gulshan Avenue has reliable restaurants, ATMs, and embassies within a 10-minute walk, and the streets are noticeably calmer than Motijheel or Old Dhaka. Banani is a close second. slightly more affordable, with Kemal Ataturk Avenue lined with cafes and expat-friendly spots. Skip Sadarghat for sleeping. It's fascinating for a daytime visit but the traffic and noise at night make rest nearly impossible.

Hotel 71 in Purana Paltan runs $55-85/night and it's the best honest budget option we've found. You're a 12-minute walk from Motijheel commercial district and 20 minutes by rickshaw to Bangabandhu National Stadium. Don't expect luxury. Expect clean rooms, working AC, and a staff that actually picks up the phone.

In Gulshan, Banani, and Uttara, yes. these are the planned residential and diplomatic zones and feel completely different from the congestion of Purana Dhaka. Avoid walking alone after 10pm near Farmgate or the areas around Kawran Bazar. Hotels in our list all have 24-hour security; the Westin Dhaka and InterContinental Dhaka both have vehicle checkpoints at the entrance.

Best Western Plus Maya in Uttara is the closest. roughly 15 minutes by car when traffic cooperates. Hotels in Gulshan 1 and Gulshan 2, like the Westin and Amari, run about 30-45 minutes from the airport depending on the time of day. Arriving during evening rush hour (5pm-8pm) on Pragati Sarani Road? Budget 70-90 minutes. Take a metered CNG or book the hotel pickup.

November through February is the sweet spot. Temperatures sit at 12-25°C, humidity drops, and you can actually walk around Old Dhaka without feeling like you're in a sauna. Hotel rates dip slightly compared to the Eid peak weeks. Avoid March-April: it hits 35-40°C and pre-Eid bookings push prices up 30-50% across mid-range and luxury hotels.

It depends entirely on the property. The InterContinental Dhaka and Westin Dhaka include breakfast in most rate tiers, and it's actually worth eating there. the spread at InterContinental runs 6am-10:30am with a solid Bangladeshi and continental selection. Mid-range hotels like Hotel Sarina and Amari Dhaka charge extra, usually $10-18/person. Budget picks like Hotel 71 don't include breakfast. head to any of the tea stalls on Purana Paltan Road for a $1 breakfast instead.

Hotel Sarina in Banani is built for it. The business center on-site handles printing, translation, and meeting room bookings, and you're 8 minutes by car from Gulshan 1 commercial zone. Four Points by Sheraton in Mohakhali is another strong pick. the conference facilities are bigger and Mohakhali is close to the BIDA offices and major telecom headquarters. Both properties have reliable high-speed WiFi, which is not something you can assume in Dhaka.

InterContinental Dhaka on Minto Road is the top of the pile at $260-380/night. It's been the address for heads of state and senior UN delegations for decades, and the level of service shows. If you want something more modern and design-forward, Six Seasons Hotel in Gulshan 2 at $280-420/night is genuinely one of the most beautifully finished hotels in South Asia. Both are worth every taka.

Ride-hailing apps Pathao and Uber both work well in Dhaka. A cross-city trip from Gulshan to Lalbagh Fort runs about 150-300 BDT depending on traffic and time of day. CNG auto-rickshaws are cheaper but you'll need to negotiate. agree on a price before you get in. Dhaka has no metro line serving hotel zones yet, though the MRT Line 6 now runs from Uttara to Agargaon and is expanding.

Honestly, no. Old Dhaka near Lalbagh Fort and Sadarghat doesn't have any quality hotels we'd recommend. The closest vetted option is Hotel 71 in Purana Paltan. 25-30 minutes by rickshaw through the back streets of Nawabpur Road. Use it as a base and do Old Dhaka as a day trip. That's how most experienced visitors handle it.

Dhaka Regency Hotel and Resort in Nikunja is the clear family choice. It has a proper outdoor pool, kids' play area, and the Nikunja neighborhood is quieter than central Gulshan. less traffic noise, more room to breathe. It's also only 20 minutes from the airport, which matters when you're traveling with kids and luggage. Rates run $120-180/night, which is fair for what you get.

VAT in Bangladesh is 15% and is often not included in the quoted room rate. always check the fine print. Some hotels in Gulshan also add a 10% service charge on top of that. Airport transfers can be aggressively priced: hotels like the Westin charge $25-40 for a pickup that a Pathao ride would do for $4-6. Also check whether the listed rate includes the government tourism levy, which applies at most 4-star and 5-star properties.