Azerai La Residence Hue

Hue is a city steeped in history, and the Azerai La Residence Hue has one of the best views in town: it sits across from the famed 19th century citadel where Vietnam’s last imperial family once ruled. The 122-room boutique hotel (rooms start at $250 per night) was opened in a renovated French-colonial mansion by Adrian Zecha, the founder of Aman Resorts, who has a knack for finding extraordinary settings. Within the citadel, guests can visit emperors’ tombs, ornate pagodas and other remnants of the Imperial City. Afterward, they can head to the hotel’s saltwater swimming pool and lush lawn—both of which overlook the Perfume River, which gets its name from the scented flowers that fall into the water courtesy of nearby orchards. —Amy Gunia