Azerai - La Residence Hue

Rooms

The hotel has 122 rooms and suites: 10 in the original mansion and the remainder in the new wings. The former retain the different character and sizes of the French architect’s 1950s blueprints, while the 2 new annexes faithfully mimic the original building (you can hardly tell them apart), but some Superior Rooms are on the small side.

Decor is a beautiful blend of colonial charm and Asian opulence. Classic furnishings from the French-Indochina era include timbered floors, vintage ceramic-tiled bathrooms and cocoa-brown wood furniture; and there are elegant touches like pedestal sinks, Art Deco glass lamps and 1930s-style vanity mirrors. It's worth requesting a room (Superior or Deluxe) with those river views and wondrous sunsets.

Or, if your budget can stretch and you don't mind garden views instead, we loved some of the suites in the main building. One glorious first-floor Colonial Suite has a long curved wall of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the pool gardens, and a romantic netted four-poster. Some are themed (such as ‘Monuments d’Egypte’ and ‘Voyage en Chine’), with appropriate decorations like sphinx heads.

Commanding the entire upper-storey of the original building, the Resident Suite is spectacular and vast (72 sq.m.), with 2 high-ceilinged, curved-wall rooms and a palatial rounded terrace (the largest in the house) offering panoramic river and garden views.

Features include:

• Bathrobes
• Hairdryer
• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

Le Parfum has to be one the best dining venues in Hué. The cuisine is a mouth-watering mix of local, regional and international dishes which has justifiably won rave reviews, and it's some of the most imaginatively presented food we've ever seen - our scallops came on an enormous block of intricately carved ice.

The à la carte menu features international dishes with French overtones, but local cuisine is also well represented, in dishes such as goi cuon tom thit (fresh pork and prawn rolls with sweet and sour sauce). There are wines from both the Old and New World.

The extensive breakfast buffet has everything you could possibly think of: pastries and breads are freshly baked on-site, pancakes and eggs are cooked à la minute and there's a typical Vietnamese selection. Weather permitting, opt for the delightful Art Deco riverside terrace where you can watch the early morning traffic chug-chug along the river before the heat gets up.

There's also a seasonal riverside bar next to the pool, offering light snacks and sandwiches; and a wonderful Art Deco-infused lobby bar dubbed Le Gouverneur, which is great for lunch or pre-dinner aperitifs.

Hué is home to some of Vietnam's tastiest cuisine, so if you’re game it’s worth trying out local dishes at the small street-side stalls or family-run eateries in town.

Features include:

• Bar
• Kids' meals
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service

Activities

• Take in Hué’s vast cultural heritage: walk, bicycle or hire a cyclo to the Citadel and Forbidden City, then take a dragon boat on the Perfume River to the Emperor’s tombs and mausoleums; the beach is only 15km away too
  
• Other must-sees include the central market, the pagodas and the lovely garden houses
  
• The huge riverside swimming pool is heaven after a hard day’s sightseeing. Armed with a mojito from the bar, you can watch the sun sinking into the Perfume River
  
• If that's not enough pampering, book one of the spa treatments at award-winning Le Spa - choose from lymphatic treatments, Swedish massages or traditional Vietnamese healing therapies
  
• Or try a cooking class with the restaurant chef, bookable the night before: you start by riding a cyclo to Ben Ngu Market to learn all about Vietnamese ingredients and spices; back at the hotel, you cook 3 dishes under Chef's supervision, and then tuck into them in the restaurant, before getting a souvenir cap, recipes and a certificate
  
• Charter a traditional wooden boat for dinner, breakfast or sundowner cruises
  
• The hotel organises exclusive Royal Theatre Dinners in the citadel’s old theatre (pre-booked in advance for private groups)

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Boat trips
• Cooking classes
• Cycling
• Hiking
• Historical sites
• Horse riding
• Museums / galleries
• Shopping / markets
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Traditional cultures
• Well being

Kids

Children of all ages are welcome at this quiet mini-resort, set in large gardens overlooking the Perfume River. There's a small shallow swimming pool for kids, note that the main outdoor pool is big and deep; both are unheated. Some parents may feel inhibited by the hotel’s elegant interiors, but we (with three under-10s) found the staff very welcoming, especially at breakfast. Children up to 5 years old stay free of charge (including breakfast) when sharing their parents' room. Babysitting and cots are provided.

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

Deluxe, Deluxe River and Suite rooms can comfortably take 1 rollaway bed. If you have 2 or 3 children you'll need 2 adjacent Superior or Superior River rooms (and note that twin-bedded rooms are limited).

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

Distances:

• Airport: 20 minutes
• Hospital: 5 minutes
• Shops: 8 minutes

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

AZERAI - La Residence Hue is situated on the south bank of the Perfume River in the city of Hué, on Vietnam's central east coast.

By Air:
Hue Phu Bai (17km away) has regular services on domestic airlines from Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Nha Trang. Da Nang International Airport (100km away) is linked to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Nha Trang, Ban Me Thout, Pleiku and Quy Nhon.

If you're coming from Europe, you'll probably fly into Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi. From these airports, you can either transfer onto an internal flight, or travel overland if you're planning a longer trip.

From the Airport:
We recommended taking airport transfers arranged by the hotel from Da Nang or Hué. Taxis from Hue’s airport cost from around US$12, but make sure the meter works and it’s a registered airport taxi. A taxi from Da Nang will cost around US$50.

By Train:
Vietnam is well served by trains. Take the Reunification Express train, which operates along the coast from Hanoi, Saigon and Da Nang. See Seat 61 for more details. The train station is 200m from the hotel.

By Bus:
Long distance bus services go to Hanoi, Saigon, Da Nang and Hoi An.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.