Booking

Location

The Park Hyatt Saigon was in the heart of the Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1, just minutes from popular landmarks such as the Opera House, Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica and Reunification Palace. As the central part of the country’s biggest city, District 1 is the hub of Vietnam’s commerce, and you could easily spend your entire visit in this one neighborhood.

My friend and I got into an Uber at the airport at 9:45pm and arrived 24 minutes later for a fare of 94,000 Vietnamese dong ($4.15).

Check-in

The property immediately stood out thanks to its French Colonial theme. We were greeted at the entrance and helped with our bags.

At the check-in counter, I was thanked for my Discoverist status (a humble perk of the Hyatt card), which got me 15% off of spa services. I asked if a room upgrade were available and was told we were already on a higher floor but could get a suite for an additional $200 a night. I declined. I was also offered breakfast for $30 a day. I declined that as well.

Room

Like magic, the lighting in the room came on as we entered. This didn’t look like any Hyatt I’d ever been in. The 245 rooms (including 23 suites) had gone through a complete renovation, and the place looked great.

The room decor was the least corporate I’d seen in any chain hotel. On the room’s elegant rug sat the two twin beds, a short dresser with flat-screen TV, a small desk (with iPad for guest use), two chairs and a small round table. On that were two fresh dragonfruits and a welcome note from the general manager. (Fruit was refreshed later in our stay.)

The hallway’s wood floors led to a spacious marble-clad bathroom on the immediate right, with a closet whose doors opened on both sides.

The bathroom was well-lit, with an enclosed side-by-side tub and shower. The water temperature and pressure were excellent, as were the big towels. My friend assured me the complimentary cosmetic products were also high-quality.

In the corner was a hutch with hidden mini-fridge and snacks (110,000 Vietnamese dong — about $5 — for a Coke), topped with a Nespresso machine and stoneware tea set. In almost every piece of furniture, tiny compartments held everything from Ethernet cables to sugar packets. On the nightstands were Bose speakers and analog alarm clocks.

The windows let in plenty of light, with views of the pool below.

The free Wi-Fi was slower than I hoped, but never proved to be a problem, though there was a short outage at one point.

Not only did the room look great, the functionality was outstanding. It was as if the people who designed this room had asked me in advance what my pet peeves were and addressed them all. Just to highlight what was near the bed: outlets (universal electric and USB), well-marked light switches and bottled water.

There may be a storage room in the basement with hundreds of identical clocks, lamps and coasters, but it felt like this room was uniquely decorated. Few things seemed mass-made or chosen on the corporate level, and it was a great pleasure being in a room that had a sense of place, that felt it belonged to the city it was in.

At Opera’s entrance, it was hard to resist the offerings of the Pastry Boutique, beautifully crafted sweets lined up like jewels in a glass case. 

I did not stay away from Park Lounge, a sophisticated tea lounge-cum-nightspot just off the lobby that offered strong cocktails and desserts under crystal chandeliers. The piano player was great. Even better were the house-made sorbets.

Around the corner, 2 Lam Son was a dark and stylish bar worth a visit at happy hour for its half-priced drinks and appetizers, many inspired by local flavors and cultures. 

Square One, the hotel’s notable Vietnamese-French restaurant, was closed for renovation (or as the sign put it, “luxury redefinition”). It’s reopened since I was there.