Banyan Boutique by 5H

Like a silver lining behind a storm cloud, my wife and I discovered this hotel quite by accident. We were supposed to be staying at the Dalat Palace Heritage Hotel for 4-nights, which was probably the worst hotel that we've stayed in, EVER. Wracking our brains for a better place to stay after just 2 nights, we chanced upon this place, just because we visited it's associated restaurant for dinner. The hotel is basic, as an Eco place should be. Construction of rooms and villas is mainly wood. Rooms look basic, but on closer examination, there are all the usually facilities that a 4* offered. What's missing is room dining service, a refrigerator and a television. Otherwise, all the other mod cons are there. Check-in was a breeze, staff are friendly and conversant in English. However, reception is a basic affair, a wooden desk in a walk-through room, that's it. Grounds aren't huge but beautifully laid out, full of greenery and vegetable patches dotted around the property. Apparently, all these vegetables end up of the dining tables of the hotel's restaurant. It's was mid-winter when we stayed and the weather dropped below 10C at night. Staff had wooden fires going in at the various courtyards around the property, something welcoming on these chilly nights. As an added bonus, there are various reading lounges situated around the property, places great for reading, if not for a quiet chat. Breakfast is part of the room charge. No buffet, but you can order your morning meal off their breakfast menu. Portion sizes are probably insufficient for those with huge appetites, but nonetheless food is good. Also, children under 5 years of age are "NOT ACCEPTED", so great for a quiet time since local kids have a tendency to be unruly, uncontrolled by their parents and noisy. AWESOME!

We came to stay for two nights and ended up staying 5 nights. This hotel is a hidden gem. You are tucked away from busy Da Lat traffic in a hidden oasis, which is not exactly in the center but in very close walking distance to, e.g., the night market. The bungalows are placed in a beautiful garden and everything is most beautifully decorated- inside and outside. Also the staff was very helpful- we actually communicated via messenger, e.g., for driver arrangements, and it worked out perfectly. Very responsive and supportive. Minor drawbacks were that they don‘t serve breakfast and that water pressure isn‘t always good. Also, walls are a bit thin. We were staying in the Garden View Double Room. But all of that didn’t really make our stay less beautiful and relaxing. Absolutely recommend!