This is definitely the best hotel I've ever stayed in. The room (in the old part of the hotel) was extremely atmospheric, very comfortable and absolutely spotless. The public areas have been sympathetically restored and it is hard to tell the original parts of the building from those that are new. Service is friendly and efficient - nothing is too much trouble. The swimming pool overlooks the Perfume River and is salt water. One word of warning - 'Vegetarian' includes seafood on the menu. You have been warned.

We spent two weeks in Vietnam, but only 1 night here in Hue. This was a big mistake we could have easily spent 4 nights here in Hue, and especially because of the La Residence Hotel. As stated in many reviews it is a fantastic art deco hotel beautifully restored. We had a great room, over looking the river, with a huge balcony. The bathroom was good with a huge bath. We had a drink in the bar after a long day sightseeing, and the best dinner of our whole trip in the restaurant. Breakfast the next morning was very good with a great range of cereal, fruit, hot and cold main course, pastries and juice. The spa looked very good and the prices looked reasonable. If only we had enough time to take advantage of it. I would definitely recommend this hotel and give it *****

We are coming to the end of a week's stay at La Residence and have thoroughly enjoyed our time here, therefore I am somewhat surprised at a couple of the most recent reviews. Yes, there are some irritating things about the hotel but, on the whole, I would certainly recommend it. The decor and general ambience in the hotel is lovely, none of your large chain, could-be-anywhere-in-the-world type of hotel. It is situated in the quieter part of town and, though not as convenient for the restaurant area as the likes of the Saigon Morin, it has considerably less traffic going past, so it has an air of tranquility, even round the pool which is a stone's throw from the main road. There are usually cyclos parked outside if you want to go into town (VND 30k per person) or you can grab a taxi (VND 50k) so it is no hassle to go to the restaurant area. Talking of food, we had our best meals in Hue at the hotel's restaurant, it was superb and remarkably good value for money. The Asian food at the pool was also spot-on in terms of taste and value and it was refreshing that the prices quoted on the menu were what you paid on the bill: there was no ++ for govt tax or service, it was all included. In the centre of town, we ate at the following in order of preference: Hot Tuna, Le Caramel, La Carambole and Omar Khayam. I had an excellent facial at the spa in the hotel and thought it was very good value for a 5 star hotel - we did not find anywhere in town that looked worth going to. We organised a river trip through the hotel's agent and, though it was probably a lot more expensive than if we had done it ourselves, we had our own boat, an English-speaking guide, entrance to the sights we visited and a car back to the hotel, all for about US$100 for a 4-hour trip. Our room was of a good size and pleasant, although the bathroom was on the small side (difficult to find space to put out all the toiletries) plus getting in and out of the bath for a shower could pose problems for the less able as it was a bit of a balancing act. My biggest gripe was the fact that EVERY noise from the corridor could be heard in the room (screaming children, banging doors etc) and I had to resort to ear plugs, being a light sleeper. It is highly unlikely that we will ever come back to Hue (a week has been more than enough) but, if we did, I would not hesitate to stay again at La Residence.

I am another amazed at the adverse reviews here.This was a wonderful hotel experience.Great atmosphere,friendly and efficient staff and a wonderful restaurant. We were told waiting to be checked in that the welcome drink was made from Pandanus leaves and a sign on the glass tells you this saying it is a local herbal drink. I checked all the airconditioning panels in public areas and the air con was on but set at 24C-by the way what a public awareness campaign over the Aussie summer suggested was the appropriate setting so as to not add more to climate change-no wonder the hotel got an award in 2007 for environmental awareness. Breakfast was the best buffet we have had so far.Sure there is not a lot of each food out but it is swiftly replenished.The staff were very efficient unlike the Sofitel Metropole in Hanoi as I am still waiting for my coffee to appear.The dinner menu was extensive,presentation excellent and taste much better than anything we had had previously in Vietnam.Again extremely friendly and efficient staff.As anywhere in the world where English is not the native tongue I point to what i want on the menu and everything we had was correct. Prices in the restaurant and spa were also lower than for other hotels we have stayed in so far. I agree with the noisy hallways but that is a small price to pay for a hotel with such a wonderful ambience.

I am dumbfounded to see the two critical reviews placed around this time. We travelled the length of Vietnam and in the combination of value for money, friendliness of the staff, location and the hotel itself it was the best (and that's comparing it with the Nam Hai and The Metropole). The hotel is in the former French Ambassador's residence a wonderful piece of art deco architecture. As you approach it up the drive it sits over the Perfume River looking like a cruise liner from a bygone day. The staff are wonderfully polite and couldn't do enough for you. We had river view rooms which overlooked the Citadel with the gigantic Vietnamese flag that flies over it day and night. Dragon boats to cross the Perfume River or to go down to visit the pagodas can be picked up from the back of the hotel. The breakfast is a multi-cultural buffet with outside seating if the weather permits. One evening we sat outside and had the buffet which was extremely reasonably priced, caters to all tastes and the food was just excellent (save room for the wonderful desserts). Inter-connecting rooms are available. The beds and bathrooms are both comfortable and retain the art deco elements that are throughout the hotel. There are lovely gardens at the back of the hotel with a good sized swimming pool by the Perfume River. The service at the hotel is exemplary even to the point of the hotel at a very reasonable price picking up my party from the Victoria in Hoi An and bring us all the way to Hue. Don't listen to the critics this is a wonderful hotel that provides a wonderful experience and certainly a place I wish to return to one day.