La Rose Hotel

I stayed two nights and liked the room’s clean, nice decor, as well as the rooftop restaurant as a place to spend time. The management was good, and room and restaurant service were very good. Breakfast was included and tasty, though the prices were a little high. There’s no balcony attached to the rooms. I’d suggest putting a microwave in the room, and moving the fan and bedside light switches next to the bed.

The room was spacious, comfortable and clean, and the parking and location were good. The bathroom stayed wet with water collecting, though, and the pillows weren’t comfortable. They also promised buffet breakfast but served paratha with bhaji that was clearly from the day before. I was stuck there for three days during the Quota movement and curfew. On the final day, I asked reception about a late checkout because it wasn’t possible to travel before 6 pm under the curfew. I offered to pay half the room rate for the extra time and said I’d move to another hotel for the remaining five hours if that wasn’t possible. A staff member told me to wait until 2 pm for the manager’s decision. When I returned at 1:30, the manager said late checkout meant paying the full rate. I said I’d check out immediately and wait until dawn because of the military curfew and national emergency. He then said I still had to pay 50% even if I left right away. I was surprised, since the earlier staff member had asked me to wait. The manager said I’d spoken to someone else, not him. I didn’t argue and paid the full late checkout charge, as we had to stay until evening because of the nationwide curfew. We were the only guests, and the staff’s behavior was awful during a national crisis. When I went out for a walk, one staff member rudely demanded the key, saying, "Chabita diye jete hobe" (You have to leave the key). When I asked why I should hand over my room key, he said nothing.

The location is good, the rooms are roomy and clean, and the rooftop restaurant is nicely presented with a fantastic view over Sylhet. Facilities are good, and it’s a good hotel for the budget. The included breakfast is very ordinary, though. Regular room make-up and the quality of breakfast need improvement. Still liked it.

The spot is popular, but the rooms are really bad. Water sits in the wet toilets and you need help to clear it; there’s no bucket or anything. I paid over five thousand taka, yet there wasn’t even a hair dryer. In short, BAD. They need to improve the service.