The Hilton footprint in Vietnam is expanding rather rapidly these days. There are plenty of new properties upcoming, and some of them are really solid. I am looking forward to the upcoming WA Hanoi. I have also previously tried the Hilton Da Nang. This is another property that I have been wanting to try. It looks so good from the pictures. I am a little shocked by the price that they are commanding. It is a lot more expensive for Vietnamese standards. Glad to finally check it out while stopping by the city. The Hilton Saigon officially opened in March 2024. It is still rather new. I will be spending quite some time here since I am mainly here to relax and recover from my trip. Let’s see how the property is.
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
I will be staying here for 2 nights and got the base-level guest room. A couple of days out from my stay, I got an automated upgrade to their Deluxe Corner Suite River View. This is such an excellent upgrade and a lovely one. Kudos for the excellent elite treatment. This amazing suite would have cost around 700 SGD per night if booked directly. I have also reached out ahead to make some Spa reservations. The Hilton Saigon features 240 guest rooms and suites, categorised into 9 distinct types. You can find the breakdown below.
| Rooms | Executive Lounge Access | Bathtub | Room Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guest | No | Yes | 39 Sqm |
| Guest City View | No | Yes | 39 Sqm |
| Deluxe River View | No | Yes | 40 Sqm |
| Premium Corner River View | No | Yes | 50 Sqm |
| Executive | Yes | Yes | 39 Sqm |
| Deluxe Corner Suite River View | Yes | Yes | 70 Sqm |
| One Bedroom Suite River View | Yes | Yes | 80 Sqm |
| Premium Suite River View | Yes | Yes | 111 Sqm |
| Saigon Suite | Yes | Yes | 118 Sqm |
Checking In
I landed at Ho Chi Minh airport at around 11am. We had a long taxi ride, and then it was also a very long walk to the immigration office. That is when the horror started. It has been ages since I saw such a bad line. They are apparently famous for this. It took me around 1 hour to clear immigration. Thankfully, the luggage was already neatly lined up. Booking a grab was also fast, and it took me less than a minute to wait. It cost me 110K for the ride. I got to the hotel at around 12.45pm.
Upon Arrival, the bell team came over to help me with my bags. I was then ushered over to the lobby, which is located on the 9th floor. The ground floor is just a reception area. The entrance is posh and comes with some seating. The lobby boasts an amazing view of the surrounding area and the river. Everything still looks so new!
A friendly staff member helped me and provided me with all the information for my stay. I was also thanked for being a diamond member. They reconfirmed that I will be upgraded to a very lovely suite. The entire place is gorgeous. You have one set of elevators here that takes you from the ground floor to the lobby and another one that takes you straight from the ground floor to the lobby.
Deluxe Corner Suite River View
I was assigned a suite on the 17th floor, one of the lower floors of the hotel, but you’re still guaranteed to have an excellent view, given how unblocked the area is for the Hilton. This is a Deluxe Corner Suite with River View. It is the entry-level suite over here, but it speaks premium. I got suite 1705 to be exact. It is just around the corner from the elevators. I was wowed the moment I entered the suite. It looks so grand and gorgeous with views of the river. It comes with a very spacious entrance way with a display on the left.
You have a powder room or half bath here. This will be handy for gathering or if you are having guests over. I always appreciate having another toilet in the suite.
Heading on in, you can find the minibar set up. I love how classy this cabinet looks. This is so classy. One of them is a wine storage and the other is the minibar. It comes well equipped with a kettle and a proper commercial-use Nespresso coffee machine. There are numerous capsules and packaged teas being provided. Complimentary bottles of water are provided too, and they are generous with them. These are replenished during daily housekeeping and turndown service.
Moving on to the main space of the living room itself, the setup is so comfortable. In the corner, you have a circular dining table with seating for two. This is a full-size dining area. It can definitely fit more.
You then have a cosy living area with a gorgeous and spacious sofa sitting set. This could fit 6 easily. It surrounded a coffee table. The staff later brought over some snacks and chocolate bonbons along with a welcome letter. These were delicious.
Mounted on the wall is a large, high-quality Samsung smart television. It comes with a good number of both local and international TV channels too. Sadly, you can’t cast content from your mobile devices. This would be great if possible. The living room doesn’t have much of a view to speak about, given that it is just facing the apartment building next door. The blinds and sheers over here are electronically controlled. Weirdly, there is only one control for both sets of blinds.
Moving to the bedroom area, it is segregated by a proper door that can be locked as well. This is preferred; I really love having a physical barrier between the living space and the bedroom area. This is great if you have an opposite schedule and so on. The bedroom area is extremely spacious and huge. The bedroom area also comes with views of the river. It is so good and panoramic. I love how bright everything is with the natural light coming in from the large panels of windows. The view is so good both in the day and in the evening when the lights are on.
Immediately after entering the bedroom to the right, you have a walk-in concept wardrobe area. It comes with a huge luggage storage area. It could fit on any side and multiple bags here. What a great set-up. There is additional space underneath, too. It comes with plenty of hangers, bathrobes, bath slippers and a safe. This is one of my favourite aspects over here. It looks chic.
You can similarly place another television on the wall over here in the bedroom. It is of a good size and similar to the one in the living room. The TV is at an angle and not in the centre of the bed. I would love for it to be on a movable rack. That will make things much better over here with the layout and orientation.
There’s another circular working desk in the room. All sorts of power outlets and plugs are located within reach. The Wi-Fi works very well in the room, too. With the amazing view, this will make a nice office set-up. It comes with a chair that offers great back support for short periods.
The centrepiece of the bedroom is definitely the plush king-size bed. I love that the mattress is on the firmer side. The sheets and pillows were top-notch. They didn’t have a pillow menu here, but the ones that they provided are lovely, and you can get some additional ones. All sorts of controls are found to the side and within reach.
Last but not least, let’s come to the bathroom. This is another gorgeous one. It comes with glass panels that open it up to the rest of the room. It can be frosted if you want an additional level of privacy. The bathroom is very spacious and huge. There is only one sink, which seems like a waste given the space here. I did wish that they could squeeze in a double sink or so. As per usual, amenities are from Crabtree and Evelyn in large pump-size bottles. The bathroom comes with a separate bathtub area, toilets and showers.
I love that they have a ledge over here that allows you to wash your lower extremities with ease. The place comes with both a handheld shower head and a rain shower. The water pressure is excellent, but temperature control can be improved. The water is on the hotter side. I had a great shower.
Turn-down service is automatically offered in the evening with a sweet treat left on the bedside. I love the whole place and had such a comfortable rest. To fault a little, the air conditioning was annoying. It has this energy-saving mode that will automatically turn up the temperature to a pre-determined central one, which makes the place really stuffy after coming back. This is especially crucial for a place like HCM.
Fitness Centre
All of the facilities are located on the 11th floor. The gym operates 24 hours, and you can simply access it with your key cards. The gym is nice and fully equipped. It comes with a view of the swimming pool ahead and the surrounding area. Drinking water and towels are provided. It comes with a good number of equipment such as treadmills, weights, lighting system, and yoga balls. It is well-maintained. Great facility if you need a workout anytime you fancy.
Swimming Pool
The swimming pool is similarly located on the 11th floor. It is open from 6am to 10pm. It is a little on the smaller side and kind of snakes around the building. It does get a pretty good view from the pool itself. The length of the pool does allow you to get laps done. This is handy. By the sides of the pool, you have multiple cabanas and sunbeds. This is really nice for soaking in some of the sun and lazing around here. You can also order some drinks and food at the pool itself. Towels are provided.
eforea Spa
Eforea Spa operates from 10 AM to 8PM, and the Swimming Pool is from 6AM to 10PM. You can find the spa menu here. Prices are very affordable for a 5-star luxury hotel. You should also note that Diamond members get a further 15% off, which makes it even more amazing. I paid around 80 SGD for a 90-minute massage. With that being said, it is still a premium over outside spa places. They did have a very hefty and weird tax rate. This is respectively 13% for packages and 45% for massages.
Executive Lounge
This is a lovely space and open to diamond members as well as guests booked in Executive Room or Suite Room and above. The lounge is open from 6am to 10pm daily. They offer two services, afternoon tea from 2.30pm to 4.30pm and evening cocktails from 5.30pm to 7.30pm. You will find it easily right out of the elevator. You can simply access it with your key cards. The staff are also on hand to assist.
The place is so welcoming and vibrant with tons of natural light coming in. It comes with a lovely view of the river. This will be a good spot to work from or to just recuperate. I also appreciate that the lounge is open almost all day long. Throughout the day, you can find refreshment, such as water, juices, soft drinks, coffee, tea, fresh fruits and some snacks. Here are some pictures of the place.
For afternoon tea, they had some scones, pastries, fruits and salads. The drinks are the same throughout the day. I did love the artisan juices that they have. It is alright if you are around in the area.
Evening cocktails is a much larger affair and slightly more crowded. Alcoholic drinks are provided, and there are some wines, spirits, and beers. These are pretty standard. They also have some mixers available.
The food selection is a little smaller than I expected, but high-quality. They have a selection of cold cuts, salads, fruits, cold prawns, spring rolls and some hot dishes. They also have a local Bahn Mi, which is very good. It is not the best, but it can be a light dinner replacement. This could do some polishing.
Breakfast is also served at the lounge. The selection here is definitely a lot smaller than the restaurant. Service is polished but not far off from the restaurant. You do get better views from here. I would still head to the restaurant since the food there is excellent. Special mention to the lounge manager who stood by at the egg station the moment I got there since the chef was temporarily away. I did love the golden kiwi that they have over here.
Breakfast at The Strand
The Strand Restaurant operates from 6am to 10pm, and breakfast is from 6am to 10.30am. It is located on the 10th floor. The place looks fancy. It was quite quiet when I was down in the morning. I was warmly welcomed by the staff and ushered in. On the way in, we stop by this little booth, and I was invited to partake in their morning welcome ritual with some kick-start your day shots! Amazing!
I was then shown to a table of my choice, and drinks orders were taken. They have barista-made drinks and local Vietnamese coffee if you want to give them a try. Super robust. The ambience here is so nice and cosy. I love the natural light too. It does lack a little on the view aspect. Service is very attentive!
Breakfast is a huge spread and entirely buffet style with a couple of live stations. Everything is so delicious and high quality. There are 3 main sections to it: Pastries and Cold Items, Asian and Local Selections, and Western Selections. You can find a Pho station and a beef sizzling plate station. Both of these are excellent. Besides an assortment of freshly squeezed juice, they also have whole coconuts. This was amazing!
Breakfast in Vietnam is never disappointing! They were constantly excellent throughout my travels here. I prefer it to Thailand properties! Service in the breakfast restaurant is excellent and polished. There are plenty of staff roaming around to clear plates, and they are also very proud to recommend their local coffees. They were so excited when I ordered some Vietnamese coffee.
Conclusion
The only Hilton over here in Ho Chi Minh. This is an excellent one. It is a little pricier than what I would love to pay for in this part of the world. With that being said, this is one of the best Hiltons that I have ever stayed in. It is definitely in the upper echelons of things. With a little polishing, it could be a Conrad. There are a couple of properties in the lineup over here in Vietnam. I am definitely looking forward to the WA in Hanoi. Everything is close to perfect. I enjoyed the suite and the breakfast. The Executive Lounge is decent, too. This is one to go for if you are visiting HCM. I might just be coming back here more often if this is how well they treat me every time!
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