Crowne Plaza Dhaka Gulshan

Rooms and decor

Picture a district where embassies from around the world line up one after another, the roads run wider than anywhere else in Dhaka, big leafy trees shade the corners, and a foreign cafe or restaurant turns up at nearly every junction — that's Gulshan and Baridhara, the safest and cleanest part of the Bangladeshi capital. Crowne Plaza Dhaka Gulshan sits right in the middle of it, an IHG hotel cleverly built as two towers. The 119-room Tower Wing handles business travelers and short-trip guests; the 30-suite Residences Wing is made for people who need to stay a while. Each Residences suite has a kitchenette, a larger-than-usual fridge, and a sitting area separated from the bedroom, so it feels more like renting an apartment in the embassy district than checking into a hotel. Step out of the lobby and you're in a neighborhood busy with diplomatic cars, executive vehicles and foreign faces — a side of Dhaka most people don't picture.

Food and amenities

What makes this hotel stand out in Dhaka is the sheer number of options under one roof — 6 restaurants. The headliner is Cinnamon, an all-day-dining room serving from morning on, with a full breakfast buffet that runs from Western plates and fresh-baked bakery and eggs cooked to order through Indian dishes to local Bangladeshi food you rarely find in an international-brand hotel. If you want to try local flavors without risking a restaurant outside, it's a good place to start. The other treat is the rooftop bar, which is genuinely rare in Dhaka — going up for an evening drink and watching the city light up building by building is something foreign business travelers love. Several more specialty restaurants serve Asian and Western food, so you needn't go out on a night you're worn down by work. Beyond the food there's a sleek outdoor pool, a well-equipped gym, a spa for downtime, and meeting rooms business guests use often, plus an Executive lounge for the higher room tiers.

Location and getting there

This is another of the hotel's strong cards. It sits in the heart of Gulshan/Baridhara, within walking distance of Gulshan-2 Circle, the hub of the embassy district. From here it's easier than anywhere else in Dhaka to find cafes, foreign restaurants, convenience stores and supermarkets stocking imported goods. Embassies, NGO offices and multinationals line the surrounding streets, which gives the area a different feel from the rest of the city — fewer cars, wider roads, cleaner, and with Gulshan Lake Park nearby for an evening walk. The distance to Hazrat Shahjalal International (DAC) measures about 8.9 km, roughly a 20-30 minute drive in normal traffic — though in Dhaka the word "normal" is hard to predict. Heading to the old business district of Motijheel or to Old Dhaka takes considerably longer, depending on the day's traffic.

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to make the call easier. The most common gripe is the price, which sits high next to the local hotels in the same district, because this is an international brand. Some reviews say the rooms feel like a "generic chain hotel" without much character for what you pay. If you're expecting a plush boutique design, it may not fit; but if you value IHG service standards and the embassy-district location, that's why many guests keep coming back. The other issue is Dhaka traffic, the city's classic problem — the airport is only 8.9 km away, yet at rush hour (07:00-10:00 and 17:00-20:00) the run can stretch to nearly an hour, so leave time. The hotel can arrange an airport transfer ahead, which is worth using. As for Wi-Fi, speed can be uneven when the hotel is full, and rooms facing Gulshan Avenue catch some morning traffic noise — if you're a light sleeper, ask for a room facing the inner courtyard or a higher floor.

Our take

Having read through the real reviews — 8.4 on Agoda and 8.3 on Booking — Crowne Plaza Dhaka Gulshan is the best-value international brand in the safest, cleanest part of Dhaka. It fits business travelers flying in for meetings in the embassy district, families visiting relatives who still want an international brand with reliable service, and especially anyone staying a week or a month — the Residences Wing, with its kitchenette and separate sitting area, answers that well. If you dream of a Dhaka trip where you wake up and walk to a foreign cafe, skip the long cross-town traffic, and live in a neighborhood that feels safe, this place covers it. Overall we give it 8.4/10, strong on location, long-stay room options and the range of restaurants inside, traded against a price above the local hotels and a design that doesn't stand out much.