Empress Hotel

Description:

• This Hong Kong/Vietnamese joint venture is a good, upscale but affordable oasis just a stone's throw from the lake and close to all the action. Tucked into the side of a hill, the hotel has rooms that form a courtyard, with the steep gable of a European lodge-style reception and restaurant on one side and two floors of rooms all facing the courtyard on the other. Comfortable rooms have dark wood walls, terra-cotta tile floors, rattan furniture, good indirect lighting, nice local artwork, and elegant cotton and silk bedspreads. Bathrooms are large, with granite counters and nice fixtures, some with bathtubs and others with an open arrangement with a combined shower/toilet area (like a guesthouse, but spotless). The suites are large and luxe, with a sunken tub and large sitting area, but for my money, I'll take a deluxe room ($110/£61), which is a larger version of a standard and has views of the stone courtyard and lake below. However, if you're looking at this price range, you are better off booking yourself into a room at Ana Mandara or a double at the Sofitel . There's a nice restaurant serving good local and Continental fare; if the staff is slightly cool, it's almost refreshingly real of them. Go for a room on the second floor (first-floor rooms are getting a bit musty).

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010