Azerai La Residence Hue

This is the pick of the hotels in Hue. It has a delightful location on the Perfume River, set in two hectares of lush gardens with the Citadel as its backdrop on the opposing bank. Formerly the French Governor’s residence (hence the name), this building also served as the centre of administration during the Ngo family’s reign in the early sixties.

Consequently, this was a prime communist target in the 1968 Tet Offensive. It then had several wilderness years as a mediocre government guest house, but now the art-deco building has been lovingly restored to create a property of considerable elegance.

Art-deco somehow suits Hue and La Residence is its finest example. There are 122 elegant rooms, many enjoying views over the fabled river, in which considerable care has been taken to preserve the authentic and chic style. The well-crafted interior design of both the rooms and the communal areas is pure opulence, combining dark woods, deep reds and Vietnamese silks with the art-deco motif.

The hotel’s signature suites in the original mansion building are truly spectacular, each individually designed with four-poster beds, beautiful furniture and spacious terraces.