Henry Yen Wei L.
Google
Location-wise, the hotel is within walking distance from places of interest in District 1 (Cathedral of Notre Dame, Post Office, Ho Chi Minh statue) and the offices of foreign banks and insurers. I came to stay for a team offsite event as well as visiting my company's Vietnam office nearby, and my wife joined me for an extended stay in HCMC. The fact that my wife has no complaint about the room (and she has high expectations) speaks volumes. Our room, bed, duvet and pillows were clean and comfortable. There is no need to bring along power socket converters as the built-in plugs can cater for the British type G plug and others as well. Other memorable things we liked about our room and the hotel were:
1) the large mirrors (one for the dressing table and two mirrors in the bathroom) which ladies will find very useful. There are also 2 large mirrors near the elevators to check your appearance before going out.
2) the tastiness and the variety of food in the breakfast and lunch buffet, with local delicacies (banh mi, pho, Vietnamese coffee), French boulangerie breads and healthy choices in addition to the customary selections.
3) the hotel gym has sufficient machines and tools for a good workout
4) the outdoor swimming pool which I swam one of the mornings. There is a children's wading pool and one can have a good view of District 1 surroundings from level 18.
5) the staff at the lobby, business centre, restaurants and housekeeping were courteous, attuned to guests' needs and very helpful.
6) The fragrance, ambience and the general atmosphere in the room, business centre, gym, restaurants and the swimming pool commensurate with a 5-star hotel.
7) the transport from the airport to hotel - comfortable cars, with a bottle of water and a driver who can drive safely and calmly amidst the hectic HCMC traffic.
The thing that might be of a concern but not the fault of the hotel, is noise from the street outside. The road is a major road and could be noisy during weekdays. The prices of Sofitel Saigon are only slightly lower than 4-star hotels in Singapore, but in my view it is worth the value. Kudos to GM Mr Alistair Minty, Manager Mr Eban, Miss Zoey at the front desk, Mr Tiger and the young driver at the airport, housekeeper My Chau and all the other staff who have made our holiday a pleasant one.