Lantern Hotel

Free laundry is a big bonus, and there’s plenty of good food nearby, especially Pho Thai down the street. The location is great, and the front desk team made the stay feel wonderful. Everyone was friendly, attentive, helpful, and respectful. Highly recommend!

The one thing to keep in mind is that the mattresses felt extra firm, which may matter if you’re particular about beds. Otherwise, this little hotel was clean and quiet, with modest premises and service and amenities that were superb for a mid-grade, no-name place. The room and bathroom were sparkling clean, with a separate shower, good towels and toiletries, plus thoughtful extras like a toothbrush, comb, and shoehorn. There’s no tea or coffee in the rooms, but you can make instant coffee in the lobby, where cold tea and lemon water are always available. The complimentary laundry was fantastic, and the kind, friendly staff went out of their way to handle requests. Getting around was easy: Ben Thanh Market is a 10-minute walk, the Independence Palace is 15 minutes away, and the opera house is about 20 minutes on foot. In the morning, you can exercise with local people in the park across the street. We liked Mon Ami cafe for coffee, and Le Lai Coffee and Tea House is another option. Hanoi House and Banh Mi Thanks are just around the corner for dinner.

We forgot to take photos, but had a wonderful experience at Lantern Hotel. The staff were kind and spoke English as well as Vietnamese and Japanese. There were lots of free snacks in the lobby, complimentary water and Coca-Cola in the room fridge, and free laundry, which you don’t often get. The hotel is in a relatively quiet spot, away from the really hectic Saigon nightlife, though there’s loads of food and things to do in HCMC just one or two blocks away. The rooms were spacious and clean, and the bathroom had pretty much everything you’d need, though there was no bidet or spray. When other rooms were using a lot of water, ours sometimes didn’t get very hot. With December heat, super-hot water may not be necessary anyway. The beds were firmer than I’m used to, and I’d still prefer something softer. The elevator was slow and small, but that wasn’t a deal breaker. One new thing for me was having to hand in our room keys whenever we went out. Staff said it was for security and helped them know who was in each room. I didn’t mind it. I’d come back if the service stays the same.

The rooms were roomy, cleaned every day, and the free laundry came back washed and folded the same day. Friendly staff and a great location made this a great hotel. I’d recommend giving it a try.