GGuest UserDalat Palace Heritage Hotel
It’s true that the last time we stayed at the Dalat Heritage Hotel was years back. It had a different name then too, when it was, we believe, under a different management. The place was beautiful, with vanished wooden floors, beds with canopies and bath tubs on steady golden legs. Golden taps and fresh looking bathroom tiles. Most importantly, it was clean, the cushioned chairs felt firmed, the rooms & bathrooms brightly lit. It was an equivalent if not better than the Raffles in Spore.
We decided in our latest trip to stay at the now Dalat Heritage Hotel for two nights, 23 & 24 July 2025 . We learnt that it had changed hands and while we expected it to have aged, we thought most hotel managements, would have done some upgrade, some renovation some replacements of essentials.
Sad to say, our stay was a tremendous let down. I’m trying not to use the adjectives “traumatising experience” and will not offer photos, so that the hotel has an opportunity to spruce it up and bring it to its former glory. The property has too much potential & history to be abandoned by visitors to Dalat.
We stepped into a an old, tired looking lobby. Waited a long time to register and was told to expect welcoming drinks which never came. We girls had to use the “ladies. ” another disappointment. It was old, the flush was a pull up lever which almost didn’t work. The taps were tarnished.
We finally got into our rooms. The floors were scratched, not quite the varnish, but we thought, it’s ok, a little authenticity, somethings must age. The beds still had its canopy, but the linens looked worn, tired. The little table with its two cushion chairs were well placed, but the cushions were totally worn, we could feel the base of the seat. There was a dressing table, thoughtful… but then there was no light for any lady, vain or otherwise, to apply her war paint. The room was badly lit, no extra lights at the dressing table or anywhere. The stand alone cupboards were large, but dark as well. I almost missed the black hair dryer kept in there, and we couldn’t find the room slippers and had to ask for help to locate it in the cupboards.
The most disappointing was the bathroom. It was badly lit as well. The taps were all tarnished and without my glasses, I could see the bits of mould growing around the base of the tap. There was also limescale deposits. The floor tiles were badly worn, and I wish I could say it gave the bathroom a feel of the grandeur of yesterday years ageing gracefully, but hygiene is too important here to do so. The highlight was when we took a shower and stepped into the bathtub supported by “stone legs.” It wobbled continuously and made such a lot of noise that kept the user on edge. Then, we saw it all, the grouting of the wall tiles were caked with black moulds. To top it all, the bathroom had a stench of clogged pipes. It stayed with us like a faithful friend that won’t leave even if we tried pushing him out the door!! Did I mention the mosquitoes that bunked in with us? They bit my friend on the face & eye lid which swelled for 2 days. In the mornings, they sounded the wake up calls around our faces. If it had been possible, we would have cancelled the wake up calls.
Breakfast was good. There was a good spread and the chefs behind the counters were friendly and all smiles. However much could be done to train the waitresses, who hid in corners. I asked one of them where the toaster for the bread was, she said there was none. I found it on the second morning. It was there all along. I guess her English needs polishing.
Luckily, the porters were friendly and quite quick with umbrellas as it rained the whole 2 days we were there.
On the whole, the hotel had a handful of local guests while we were there. I hope they chip in, in encouraging the hotel to relook at its offerings. We would really like to go back, but perhaps, only if someone wrote a review that says otherwise.
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