Richmond Hotel Sylhet

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, 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 that was slightly more modern, but the apartment layout suited us better. 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 my Monzo and Starling cards, as the hotel’s card machine kept saying "invalid transaction," even though I had used the same cards elsewhere in Bangladesh. 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.