Dhaka Sheraton Hotel

...started well. I arrived in Dhaka in the late afternoon and, before I even got to passport control, there was a man with a sign bearing my name. "I'm Mr Vodka," I introduced myself and he took my passport and arrival card and, minutes later, I was through immigration. I chuckled at the queue behind me as I left them behind and bypassed the Customs check too.

I later found out that the Sheraton run an airport lounge, so they ...
...an advantage for the first time person, or anyone who needs a bit of a helping hand,

Once through the airport I was placed in a car and whisked, slowly, through the busy streets of Dhaka, past the beggars tapping on the car windows, until we got to the hotel.

The Sheraton is located in the south of the city in an area that used to be the commercial heart of Dhaka. However over the recent years, the business has moved ... more

It's not very often that I want to shout at someone, specially for trying to be helpful. And even less often that I feel obliged to defend my honour, such that it is. Both of these occasions arose during my stay at the Sheraton in Dhaka.

I've stayed also at the unpronounceable Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel but on one occasion, for whatever reason, I decided to try the Sheraton. I think maybe I needed the Starwood points. However now, if I go back to Dhaka, I will start learning how to pronounce "Sonargaon"!
It's Shon-a-gun, apparently

Arrival
Things started well. I arrived in Dhaka in the late afternoon and, before I even got to passport control, there was a man with a sign bearing my name. "I'm Mr Vodka," I introduced myself and he took my passport and arrival card and, minutes later, I was through immigration. I chuckled at the queue behind me as I left them behind and bypassed the Customs check too.

I later found out that the Sheraton run an airport lounge, so they always have people there at the airport. This would be an advantage for the first time person, or anyone who needs a bit of a helping hand,

Once through the airport I was placed in a car and whisked, slowly, through the busy streets of Dhaka, past the beggars tapping on the car windows, until we got to the hotel.

The Sheraton is located in the south of the city in an area that used to be the commercial heart of Dhaka. However over the recent years, the business has moved north into an area called Gulshan, leaving the Sheraton somewhat isolated in something of a "has been" area. However, Gulshan is barely 10 minutes away, so the location is still good.

As the car pulled into the drive, my first impression was that the hotel looked very much like anyone would expect of a five star hotel in Bangladesh - bland, faded but with promise. Ooh, what kind of promise!

Reception and Check In
The lobby is constructed around a central lounge, under a blue dome; it almost seems like a tower or a turret added onto the side of the hotel. Around the sides are the reception, a concierge desk and so on while in the centre, a couple of steps down, is a seating area.

I was nicely welcomed, checked in quickly and was offered an escort to my room but I figured I could find it quite easily.

From the lobby there is a corridor leading down one side of the hotel. This contains another lounge area, a shoe shine station and, at the end, a pastry cafe. The lifts are part way down here. At the far end is a bar, a couple of shops selling pirated DVDs, and a corridor leading to a couple of restaurants and the health club.

The Room
The room was quite large, reasonably spacious and nicely furnished with a good sized double bed, which was comfortable enough. Opposite the bed was cabinet with a TV, which was tuned to a few decent stations. There was a work desk, armchair and stand lamp.

Exploring further I found a kettle with tea and coffee, a safe and a mini fridge - with nothing but beer and soft drinks, but that is apparently the norm in Bangladesh. Don't have hard spirits in the privacy of your room. If you want hard spirits, go and drink in front of other people in the bar! So I did.

The bathroom was not a bad size for a hotel bathroom. The shower temperature and pressure were both enough to wake me up in the morning. There were the usual bottles of condiments - shampoo, shower gel etc - of the normal Sheraton standard, which smell quite nice in the steam.

Restaurants and bar
With not much else to do, I wandered down to the bar. It is at the end of the corridor, right from the lifts, next to the DVD shops. The bar is a simple, rectangular room with the bar counter stretching down most of one side and seats and tables down the other. The evening that I was there, the TV was on showing a match that nobody was watching. A loud, drunk local man was shouting into his mobile phone for half an hour till the barman finally told him to keep it down. There were few others there.

I had breakfast and a dinner in the Bithika Restaurant, which is the main buffet restaurant. This is off at a right angle from THE corridor with the lifts. The restaurant looks quite appealing, and there is a good variety of food served, including several themed buffets during the week. The food that I had was nothing special but not bad either.

There is also a Vintage Restaurant which offers a menu of traditional, classic dishes. This looked like a wonderful place for an evening with a hot date, out to impress, or if all else fails with a business partner, but I passed on both!

The Italian, properly known as the Italia, is near the other two restaurants and is designed as an Italian bistro with red tiled floor, cozy tables and good food. The steaks are excellent and the wine list takes some beating.

Service
The service was good, but excessive. The staff just seemed to fawn over me, it was too much. It seems to be the same in all the hotels in Dhaka, that every person, at every contact, says "Good morning sir, how are you sir?" regardless of whether you are alone, on the phone or talking with someone. And when you answer, "Fine thank you" they answer,"You're welcome."

It was particularly intrusive in the buffet restaurant. Whenever I sat down, someone placed a napkin on my lap; the plate was removed a millisecond after I had skewered the last morsel on my fork; as I went to the buffet, someone wanted to carry my plate for me. I finally had enough when I got my coffee. I was trying to talk with someone as they brought over the coffee.
"With milk sir?"
"Yes please," I answered.
"Shall I pour?"
"No it's ok, I can do it myself."
He poured. "Enough sir?"
"Yes, it's fine, I can do it myself."
"Sugar sir?"
"No, sweetener. I'll do it myself."
He got a sachet of sweetener and tore it open.
"The whole packet, sir?"
"Yes, look, I'll do it myself, thanks."
He poured the whole sachet and picked up the spoon.
"Shall I stir?"

The "I'll do it myself" really came to a head, so to speak, in the health club. There is a gym, which has a good assortment of torture devices, and of course a massage. After a few weeks of travel, or a couple of meals in the hotel restaurant, I really enjoy a de-stressing massage.

In Dhaka, sadly, it is same-sex massage only - that means men get a masseur and women get a massage. Why won't the equal-opportunities fanatics have a go at that policy?

So I had a massage which was rather mediocre and nothing memorable until he did the tops of my legs then started massaging in long sweeps that went from my stomach to my knees, and rubbing everything inbetween. He then took hold of my wedding tackle and held it for a few moments then started to rub up and down.

Now, there's only three people that are allowed to touch me there - my wife, my doctor and myself. Ok, and maybe that stewardess that mixed me a fantastic vodka on the flight from Moscow. And Keira Knightly if she asked nicely. But a masseur in Bangladesh, no. Seconds later he was leaving the room, mumbling "finished sir" and I was in the shower, scrubbing VERY thoroughly!!!

Summary
I am normally a great Sheraton fan but my main memory of this place is of people trying to do rather too much. I can carry my own plate, stir my own tea, and if I really want someone to put a smile on my face I'll ask that waitress over there, thanks!

The rooms are fine, the food in the Italia and Vintage is good and the breakfasts are nice too. The service is fine, if you are able to say "no" and convince them that you do know how to handle a teaspoon. And yourself!

If you want to try my experience, it wil cost you around US$180-200, though you might find it cheaper on a web booker for around US$120-150. Enjoy! 

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