Centre de congrès International Convention City Bashundhara

Great décor, very modern and in parts almost futuristic. Being an architect, I found some of the design choices interesting and unusual. The room facilities and amenities were excellent, as was the acoustic insulation – we never heard anyone next door or in the corridors. The open hand basin within the bedroom was a little strange and something I had never seen before. Staff were generally very helpful. The strangest experience was the entrance. Security itself was not unusual, but the arrangement was. Instead of walking towards the entrance, bags go to a scanner on the left, you then pass the entrance to go to a body scanner on the right, before coming back to the middle to enter. There were also 3–4 staff outside in military-style uniforms surrounding the entrance and cars, helping with bags and sometimes saluting, rather than a traditional doorman/bellboy. It could feel quite intimidating. What made it more uncomfortable was the repeated attention. The same men might welcome me 2–3 times outside, then another 2–3 times while I was at reception, repeatedly saying “Good evening, sir”, saluting, smiling and lingering, while often ignoring my wife. It began to feel like an attempt to attract attention for a tip. We tipped staff throughout Bangladesh, but when several people handle your bags from car to reception, it becomes awkward – do you tip everyone or nobody? We noticed this tipping pressure elsewhere in Bangladesh, but here it felt particularly excessive.

excellent hôtel. très belle chambre.