Empress Hotel Dalat - Dalat, Vietnam 

After staying in one of the many budget hotels in Dalat on our first night, we wanted to get away from the noise and chaos of the market area and find a quieter spot. Someone recommended the Empress. First impression is excellent. The hotel sits on a hill overlooking the lake. There was a very friendly porter at the street level garage who directed us up the stone steps to the front lobby. As we entered, we saw a gorgeous courtyard with a view of the lake. Lucky for us, there were three rooms available. We asked to see the rooms and loved them. They are cozy and quiet, with dark wood trim and tile floors. The bathrooms are gorgeous, with wooden shutters on the windows and granite shower stalls. The place feels very old world, which makes sense given that it began life as a French Colonial villa. We loved our stay at the Empress. Breakfast was included in the price and it was simple, but lovely. There were noodles, egg dishes and breads, along with various little Vietnamese tidbits. My only disappointment was that they didn't serve the fabulously intense Vietnamese coffee. But the coffee they did serve was quite delicious. I loved the room. It had comfortable beds and tasteful decor. There was a beautiful little handwoven rug between the two beds and, a rarity in Vietnam, a reading lamp! It is true that when we first checked the room out, it smelled a bit musty. The woman showing us the room said that it was mosquito spray and would dissipate by the time we were ready to come back that afternoon. She was right. Our favorite part of the hotel was the beautiful courtyard. We spent a lot of time just sitting around drinking tea (or wine!) and enjoying the view. The gardens were well kept and lovely and the staff efficient and friendly. We would definitely recommend this hotel to friends and look forward to staying there again.