Simmi 5 Hotel & Apartment

I spent a month in a basic studio. It was clean and functional, and the bed and bathroom were the best parts, both comfortable and nice to look at. The neighborhood felt pleasant and safe. Staff were polite and professional, and spoke English well. The stay was quiet and uneventful, which suited me. Near the end, the air conditioner leaked one night. The night receptionist checked it and offered me another room temporarily, but I declined. A technician came the next morning and fixed it, and there were no further issues. I thought they handled the mechanical problem professionally and promptly. Probably just bad luck.

We rented a room for a month, and Nhi at reception made a real difference. She was marvellous and took care of all the little things that helped us feel comfortable. The manager also kindly moved us to a bigger, nicer room. Thanks to everyone on the Simmi 5 team!

The safe was never fixed, and that was just one of several problems. There was no hot water at the bathroom or kitchen sinks, the safe didn’t work, the shower had mold all over, and there were cracks where the walls met the ceiling. The extra room turned out to be an extension onto the rooftop patio. Later I learned hot water was available in the shower only. The building has five floors, but the elevator stops at the fourth, so you have to take the stairs to the fifth. I’d checked the high Google rating and came here around noon after leaving Sky Garden in Japanese Town to stay in Korea Town. The receptionist said check-in was at 2 p.m., then showed me the largest room with a kitchen and gave me the key, so I unpacked and looked around. I reported the water and safe issues before going to lunch; she said she’d handle them, but nothing had changed when I returned. She also spoke English so unclearly that I had to ask her to repeat herself three or four times and still had to guess. I wouldn’t recommend this place. At nearly $50, there are better options. My last day in Vietnam wasn’t all bad. The food was so-so, people were still friendly and unspoiled, and things were pretty cheap compared with the USA, though locals said prices had gone up. The country still needs more development.

I often travel to Saigon, and Simmi 5 is on my list for another visit. The room rate was economical compared with other places in the same area, and getting two laundry items washed free each day saved time and money. Ms. Nhi and Mr. Thiên provided good service and found the best solution when a room issue came up. Some things in the room still need attention: the safe needed resetting, which Ms. Nhi helped with, the bathroom drain and water heater need work, and the sofa needs a proper cleaning. The rate was cheap, so I couldn’t expect everything to match a four or five star hotel.