The Rice Hotel & Tour - 131 Bui Vien

The room itself was newly refurbished and hard to fault, but I stayed in room 601 at 131 Bui Vien street, facing the front, and the location wasn’t right for me. Daytime was fine. After 6-7pm, the area came alive with very loud live music from the rock restaurant next door, which went on until 4-5am. Even with earplugs, I couldn’t sleep properly. Water pressure was very low, and the hot water wasn’t that hot. If you’re planning to drink and party until the early hours, this is a perfect spot. If you just want to visit the attractions, you may regret booking here. I can’t fault the hotel itself for my dislike of the location.

Some employees were lovely and tried to help, and breakfast and cleanliness were okay. The bed and pillows were very comfortable, but that wasn’t enough to make up for the noise. The music in this party area kept blasting until 4am and got louder as the night went on. The insulation is basically nonexistent. I could feel the bass in the walls and bed, and hear music through noise cancelling headphones. One club mostly played Pitbull, and another played techno remixes. The room also smelled like sewage. We complained and asked to switch rooms. They said we’d get a quieter one the next day, but after we checked out that day, we got a message saying they were booked out instead of receiving the new room in the afternoon. Agoda said they would refund us for 3/4 nights we booked, and we found a new, quiet hotel. Don’t book here if you want to sleep. The room costs too much for this level of noise, maybe it’d be okay for 5-7€ but not more. It’s a messed up room situation.

Really comfortable stay, with excellent service and a very convenient area. If you’re traveling light, Dan’s Wash & Stay at 185/10 Pham Ngu Lao is nearby. It’s a self-service laundromat where you can wash and dry clothes yourself for just 30K per load, which is super helpful for backpackers and tourists.

The hotel was newly renovated, good value, and the staff were absolutely delightful. But Bui Vien was a nightmare for us. We’d researched a lot as tourists and hadn’t come across anything about the street. We couldn’t sleep at all and moved hotels the next day. We’re very thankful the hotel refunded our money, with an extra day’s penalty. If you’re there to party until 6am, this might suit you. If you’re visiting HCMC as a family or couple and value your sanity, please avoid it at all costs.