Dhaka contains approximately 1,500 hotels across star ratings from unclassified guesthouses to five-star international chains. The city divides into distinct accommodation zones determined by infrastructure age and administrative planning. Gulshan, Banani, and Baridhara in the north hold the majority of internationally managed properties. Motijheel and Dilkumar in the center contain mid-range Bangladeshi-operated hotels serving domestic business travelers. Old Dhaka near Sadarghat and Lalbagh offers budget guesthouses with room rates starting near 800 taka per night, though plumbing standards vary significantly by building age.
The Westin Dhaka opened in Gulshan in 2007 with 238 rooms at rates beginning around 18,000 taka. The property maintains a pool measuring 20 meters and houses Prego, an Italian restaurant operating since the hotel's opening. Pan Pacific Sonargaon in Karwan Bazar has operated since 1981, making it Dhaka's oldest continuously running five-star property with 328 rooms starting near 15,000 taka. Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden opened in 2011 in Dhaka Cantonment with 312 rooms and Bangladesh's first legitimate hydroponic rooftop garden measuring approximately 1,200 square meters, which supplies herbs to the hotel's restaurants. InterContinental Dhaka operates in Gulshan with 226 rooms and maintains the city's only authentic Japanese restaurant, Elements, managed by chefs rotating from Tokyo properties since 2015.
Six Seasons Hotel in Gulshan operates 170 rooms starting around 12,000 taka with Jhilmil, a restaurant serving regional Bangladeshi cuisine from Sylhet Division and Chittagong Division since 2009. The hotel sources Sylheti citrus shatkora from contracted farms in Moulvibazar District and serves it in beef and fish preparations. Le Meridien Dhaka in Nikunja operates 267 rooms with Latest Recipe, a buffet restaurant displaying approximately 200 items during Friday lunch service including live stations for hilsa preparations. The property opened in 2014 and maintains room rates beginning around 14,000 taka.
Hotel Sarina in Banani has operated since 1996 with 86 rooms starting near 8,000 taka. The property contains Dawat, a Mughlai restaurant that has served kacchi biryani since the hotel's opening using a clay oven measuring two meters in diameter. Amari Dhaka opened in Baridhara Diplomatic Zone in 2013 with 200 rooms starting around 16,000 taka and operates Cascade, which sources produce from its own farm in Gazipur District approximately 40 kilometers north. The hotel maintains the farm through a subsidiary and delivers vegetables daily to the kitchen.
Budget accommodation clusters in Elephant Road, where Hotel Al-Razzaque operates 48 rooms starting around 2,500 taka with attached bathrooms and air conditioning units installed in 2018. The property has operated since 1994 and maintains a ground-floor restaurant serving Bengali breakfast including luchi and cholar dal. Hotel Golden Deer in Malibagh offers 35 rooms starting near 2,000 taka and has operated since 2003. White House International Hotel in Uttara operates 42 rooms starting around 3,500 taka with a restaurant serving standard Bengali and Chinese-influenced dishes.
Dhaka's restaurant sector operates through approximately 8,000 establishments registered with Dhaka South City Corporation and Dhaka North City Corporation as of 2023 records. The city contains distinct cuisine zones where restaurant density exceeds 50 establishments per square kilometer. Gulshan Circle 1 and Circle 2 contain the highest concentration of fine dining, with approximately 120 restaurants operating within a 2-kilometer radius. Banani operates roughly 90 restaurants in a similar radius, while Dhanmondi holds approximately 150 restaurants spread across a larger residential area.
Fakruddin Biryani operates 47 branches across Dhaka as of 2024 after opening its first location in Old Dhaka in 1956. The original location at Naya Bazar serves kacchi biryani using methods established by founder Fakruddin Ahmed, who began selling biryani from a street cart in 1948. Each branch maintains clay ovens and cooks biryani using the dum method where sealed vessels cook over charcoal for approximately 90 minutes. A plate containing approximately 400 grams of mutton biryani costs around 450 taka. Star Kabab operates from Dhanmondi since 1968 and serves approximately 1,200 customers daily during peak periods. The restaurant produces kebabs on open charcoal grills visible from the dining area and offers beef seekh kebabs at approximately 35 taka per piece.
Kasturi Restaurant in Gulshan has operated since 1994 serving regional Indian cuisines from Bengal, Punjab, and Rajasthan. The restaurant imports specific ingredients including Kashmiri saffron and Rajasthani red chili, and maintains a tandoor oven measuring 1.5 meters in depth. Butter chicken costs approximately 650 taka for a portion serving two people. Soi 71 in Banani opened in 2016 serving Thai cuisine prepared by chefs trained in Bangkok properties. The restaurant imports Thai basil, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves through Dhaka importers who receive weekly air shipments from Bangkok. Tom yum soup costs around 550 taka and pad Thai around 650 taka.
Izumi in Gulshan operates as Dhaka's first Japanese restaurant, opening in 2008 with chefs from Osaka. The restaurant imports Japanese rice varieties and maintains a sushi bar with fish sourced from Cox's Bazar and delivered to Dhaka within 18 hours of catch. Salmon arrives frozen from Norway through Chittagong port. A sushi platter containing 12 pieces costs approximately 1,800 taka. Saltz in Gulshan opened in 2019 in a renovated house and serves European cuisine with ingredients sourced from Dhaka importers and local farms in Gazipur and Tangail districts. The restaurant operates a wood-fired oven for pizzas and maintains a wine list with approximately 40 labels imported through Bangladesh's legal alcohol import channels available only to diplomatic personnel and specific license holders.
Khazana in Gulshan Circle 1 has operated since 2003 serving Mughlai and North Indian cuisine. The restaurant employs 12 cooks and maintains four tandoor ovens operating simultaneously during dinner service. Mutton rogan josh costs around 850 taka. Spice and Rice in Baridhara opened in 2012 serving Thai and Pan-Asian dishes with a menu containing approximately 150 items. The restaurant sources lemongrass from farms in Munshiganj District and Thai chilies from Dhaka importers. Pan-Asian fusion costs drive main course prices to approximately 700-900 taka.
Nanna Biryani operates from Gulshan since 2009 and serves biryani variants from Dhaka, Kolkata, and Hyderabad styles. The restaurant differentiates by rice type, with Dhaka style using short-grain rice and Hyderabad style using basmati aged minimum 12 months. Prices range from 380 to 650 taka depending on meat selection and portion size. The Kitchen in Banani opened in 2015 and operates primarily as a burger and steak restaurant using beef from farms in Pabna District. A 250-gram beef burger costs around 550 taka.
Star Hotel in Old Dhaka has operated since 1968 near Sadarghat and serves traditional Bengali breakfast including paratha, nihari, and haleem. The restaurant opens at 6 AM and serves approximately 400 customers before 10 AM. Nihari costs around 180 taka per portion with two parathas. Haji Biryani operates from Nazira Bazar in Old Dhaka since 1939, making it Dhaka's oldest continuously operating biryani restaurant. Founder Haji Mohammad Hossain began cooking biryani using a method he learned in Kolkata, and the restaurant maintains the same recipe using mutton aged 24 hours in yogurt marinade. A plate costs approximately 250 taka and contains roughly 350 grams of rice and 200 grams of mutton.