I needed a simple and comfortable place to stay in Sylhet town while visiting relatives and shopping. I wasn’t looking for anything fancy—just somewhere with a decent shower and basic amenities.
Location
The hotel is situated in Zindabazar, occupying the 10th and 11th floors of the Al Ahmara Shopping Mall. The location is excellent very central, making it easy to access local markets, and incredibly convenient with shops just an elevator ride away. popular restaurants like Panshi and Steakout are within walking distance.
Accessibility & Elevators
One downside is that only two elevators serve the 11 floors of the building, so there can be a wait at times. If staying at the hotel, it's better to use the left-hand elevator, as it only stops on the 5th, 6th, and hotel floors. The shopping mall has two additional elevators and escalators for other floors. Also, note that access to the hotel is through the basement parking area.
Room & Comfort
We stayed in a two-bedroom apartment, on the 11th floor which was simple and basic but met our needs. The air conditioning was excellent—like an Arctic blast! However, despite being on the 11th floor, the sound insulation wasn’t great, and we could hear traffic and road noise from below.
We also checked out another room on the 10th floor that was slightly more modern the bathroom was also better in that room however they only have 1 of those rooms which was available. The apartment layout suited us better so we stuck with the apartment instead.
Facilities & Housekeeping
Hot Water: Worked every day, but you need to remember to turn the switch on 10 minutes beforehand.
Cleaning & Towels: Rooms are not cleaned unless you request it, and towels are only replaced upon request. We also had to call reception a few times for toilet paper.
Amenities: No fridge, safe, or hairdryer, but they did provide an iron upon request. room service was generally quick.
Breakfast
The breakfast was very basic and self-service. In fact, we only ate it once during our stay—it really wasn’t worth waking up for!
Payment Issues
Upon checkout, I had trouble paying with Monzo and Starling bank cards, as the hotel’s card machine kept saying "invalid transaction," even though I had used the same cards elsewhere in Bangladesh and there was enough money in the account. I ended up withdrawing cash from an ATM around the corner, which wasn’t ideal but worked in the end.
Overall
The hotel has its flaws, but considering the price, it was reasonable. There were other options available—we also checked out Noorjahan Grand, which was much nicer, but even with discounts, it was three times the price. Since we were out most of the day and just needed a place to sleep, this hotel worked fine for us.
Would I stay here again? Maybe—if I needed an affordable and convenient base in Sylhet.
read moreread less
Richmond Hotel Sylhet
