C'est La Vie Homestay

I was in Ho Chi Minh City for a short trip, and the host and staff helped me a lot. I really appreciated them. If I come back to HCM city, I’ll stay here again. Thank you!

On my first trip to Vietnam, everyone on staff was so kind and friendly. The room was very clean and had great amenities, so I could properly relax. I hadn't planned on having breakfast, but I added it and they made delicious food and coffee for me each morning. Next time I’d like to bring friends.

I stayed here for a month with a friend, and I’d definitely choose it again if I return to Ho Chi Minh City. It’s at the entrance to District 7, with good access to Districts 7, 1, and 4, and the area felt very secure. The daily market right outside and the locals’ occasional evening karaoke were fun to hear. People around there are really friendly. Bogo BBQ Buffet 179k, an all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ place nearby, is also well worth checking out. The place was newly built as of December 2023, and we seemed to be among the first guests. It was clean and pleasant, looked just like the listing photos, and had most of what we needed, including a bidet, air conditioning, and a smart TV. For a two-bedroom room, we paid about 10,000 won per person per day, which felt like great value. The owner's family and staff were incredibly kind. They helped with little things, travel information, and bookings, and even lent us towels and slippers for the pool. I felt both grateful and a bit bad about asking. Sometimes they even gave us snacks or food. The room was cleaned every day, and laundry was available cheaply through a contracted service. It is a very local area, so there aren't coffee shops or convenience stores nearby. We could pick up food while out and store it in the large first-floor fridge. We had to take a Grab to go sightseeing anyway, so stopping at a coffee shop on the way worked fine. The local feel is a big part of the appeal. There’s an unwritten expectation that guests return around 10 PM because they close the shutters. It is a homestay, so keep that in mind. You can message the owner on KakaoTalk in real time, though, and if you let them know beforehand you can come back late or stay out overnight. They may worry if you don't return.

I was so happy to find what seemed like a nice place, with a polite landlady. Then, just days before check-in, I got the news that there was no room for me. I had flown back to Vietnam from abroad on a two-day journey, and had already arrived. Had the landlady really thrown away her credibility in just two weeks?