LLFauntleroy
Google
I liked the Saigon-Condao Resort and might stay there again when I return for scuba diving, relaxing, and letting myself get overwhelmed by the Con Dao prison exhibit. I am from USA living in Vietnam, so I know what hotels and resorts are like around the country. What I most liked is that we were among the only Westerners there, the guests were predominantly Vietnamese, and cultural immersion is a big item on my travel agenda. The front desk checkin was easy, and the staff are all very friendly and most spoke basic English, and a couple spoke very good English. Vietnamese are generally shy and lack confidence about their English fluency, and this is often mistaken for unfriendliness. But if you engage these magnificent people with a little smile and speak slowly, their smiles come alive at the front desk. ||||The building and grounds are beautiful, and the location is excellent in the village center-- walk to everything. The rooms are not luxurious by Western standards, but they are by Vietnamese norms. We got a suite, and it had a spacious king bedroom, large beautiful bathroom, and small functional living room. It did not have the advertised balcony (only a couple of rooms do), but faced the ocean and had nice views through the thick trees that obscured it. The furnishings were typical Vietnamese- unremarkable but clean and maintained. The air conditioning in our suite was excellent. The maid service was prompt and nicely done. The minibar had a few little things in it, and a hotpot is provided for your instant noodles which await you.||||The buffet breakfast was almost all Vietnamese food, but with an individual order grill so I could have fried eggs, and pile on some rice or noodles. The buffet food labels are all in Vietnamese, and many I did not recognize, but it was fun. Many of the Vietnamese guests are business people at the resort for retreats and meetings, and I enjoyed talking to them, they are educated and speak English. Again, like most Vietnamese, they are not going to speak first, but when I did, they jumped right in. ||||The swimming pool was pleasant, set in nice tropical landscaping, and most importantly, was clean inside and out. The hotel is across the street from the "beach", not really a beach you could lay on, but locals like to perch on the sea wall, and many Vietnamese guests went down the stairs and had swim. It was a beautiful scene to see them and their kids having fun in the water. The neighborhood is tree-lined and some great old abandoned homes are busy being engulfed by the tropical vegetation. Vietnamese believe every old structure is inhabited by ghosts, and I had a lot of fun at Trang Mon's expense making ghost noises as we strolled around late at night. If you want a taxi or a guide or a restaurant recommendation, the front desk will hop right to it for you. There are many little parks all around.||||This hotel is not pleasing for some Westerners, but few Vietnamese hotels could be. It is too expensive for Western budget travelers, but not luxurious enough for Westerners with money, so it gets mixed reviews on the travel sites. If backpackers could afford to stay here, the reviews would be effusive. Nonetheless, this is a sweet little property in my opinion, with very friendly staff, tropical plants, a serene ocean front, and a management that tries to make you happy. I recommend it.
