Premium White Lion Hotel

The breakfast was a real highlight. I enjoyed the generous buffet every day, with lots of Vietnamese and western choices. We also found the hotel good value for money. We picked it because it was in District 3 and cost less than hotels in District 1. At first I was worried about the very busy road outside, but our room had no window, so that kept most of the traffic noise out. The staff were friendly and helpful overall, though we clearly had different ideas about what was acceptable with smoking and roaches. We stayed five days, and my son spotted a small cockroach. I hate them, which is why I gave fewer stars. My sister, staying on a higher floor, also found one. She called staff, who didn’t seem to understand why she was upset. They came to spray it, but the room then had toxic fumes for hours. Maybe seeing roaches is normal in Vietnam, but to us it suggested the hotel wasn’t clean. My brother had a neighbor who smoked a lot and also smoked marijuana, and the smell seeped into his room. My son was there for only 10 minutes, but his clothes already smelled of weed. The neighbor stayed in his room all day, with women coming and going. It all seemed dodgy. My brother complained and was moved to another floor, but the hotel didn’t deal with the customer who was clearly breaking the no-smoking rules, unless there’s a smoking policy I don’t know about. The hotel also wasn’t friendly for people with disabilities. There are around 10 to 15 steps up to the entrance. We saw a woman with crutches struggle up one step at a time, and my mom, who has a bad knee, struggled on those steps too.

The service was very good, and there’s a buffet breakfast that suits Indians. It’s a decent hotel in HCM City, well placed for getting to the tourist spots.

Our first check-in went smoothly, but the stay turned into a very disappointing and upsetting experience. We were booked for two nights at the White Lion. The room was advertised as a triple, though it had two 1.5 double beds and a camp bed, an odd setup compared with other triple rooms we’ve stayed in. There was a cockroach in the room when we arrived. We got rid of it ourselves, then told reception as we headed out. They said housekeeping would spray the rooms, which felt like a rather underwhelming response. When we returned, we found another cockroach. It seemed they may have sprayed but not checked, and we had to kill it ourselves. I asked for a different room. They agreed, but didn’t really apologize. The replacement room had only two 1.5 single beds, with no extra bed. Reception said it could be moved in the morning or at 1am. It was already midnight and we had to get up early, so we gave up the extra bed and two adults shared one of the beds. Then we found ants all over the room and bathroom, and rubbish from the previous guests in the bathroom bin. The new room wasn’t clean either. We decided to check out early and booked another hotel. In the morning, reception said that was fine and immediately refunded the night we wouldn’t be staying. But they asked us several times to tell booking.com the hotel was too busy, rather than the truth, before they gave up. They did let us leave our bags, and we picked them up later before moving to our new hotel. Since then, booking.come contacted me to ask why I hadn’t checked in. I corrected that information. I could then see the hotel had cancelled my booking on booking.com, leaving me unable to review it there. In a city with so many options, please find somewhere else to stay in Ho Chi Minh.

The breakfast was the biggest letdown. I arrived at 9:25 AM, but most of the buffet was gone. The staff didn’t seem concerned or offer alternatives. They were cooking for themselves and sitting nearby eating, which came across as unprofessional. The room was small but clean, with basic essentials like toiletries, a bed, and air conditioning. There was an unpleasant smell when I entered, and the Wi-Fi wasn’t working. There’s no pool or other leisure facilities, so it seems better suited to short, budget stays. Parking is limited but can fit small vehicles, and there’s a sitting area at reception that’s handy while checking in or waiting for transport. I stayed one day at The White Lion Hotel on my visit to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The hotel is in a good central area, near shopping outlets, local restaurants, and lively walking streets, so it’s convenient for tourists exploring on foot. For the location and basic comfort, it offers value for money. Better customer service, cleanliness, and facility maintenance would make the experience much better.