Tan Son Nhat Saigon Hotel

The bathroom felt unsafe to use. The tub edge was over two feet high, with no steps or grab bar, and there was no separate shower. You have to climb into the tub and use a hand shower, which sent water everywhere. The shower mat was torn on one side, so I had to be very careful getting in and out. Toiletries for three people amounted to three shampoos and one shower gel, and we needed to wash our hair. The hotel also wasn’t easy to reach for sightseeing. No welcome drink was offered, and although some rooms seemed to have New Year flowers, we got none despite checking in at New Year. This was the last of seven hotels on our trip, and the most expensive one ended up being the biggest disappointment. Every other hotel we’d stayed at in Vietnam had been a great host. I guess they don’t need our tourist business.

I stopped by the Blue restaurant for lunch and coffee. It was clean, modern, and pleasant, and both the coffee and my shaking beef with fries were excellent.

The banh cuon I ordered was cold and really bland. The service was poor too, not welcoming and generally incompetent. Staff stood behind us just two minutes after we arrived, pressing us to order and making it stressful. We had to ask four times for another cup of hot water, and I didn’t see one smile during the whole visit. Five-star hotel, three-star food, two-star service.

The spa treatments were surprisingly affordable and world-class, and breakfast had lots of tasty choices. The grounds are huge and beautifully kept, with clean, spacious rooms and stunning views. The staff were consistently polite, professional, and ready to help. When you try to tip, they humbly say, “It’s our job.” Truly felt like a five-star stay. Highly recommend it.