MunXX
Google
The views are indeed quite spectacular. Lobby on 48th floor, Lounge on 71st and we were given a room on 62nd floor. We had a bird's eye view of the city. We had a corner room with windows that literally hug against the building - L shaped, with which we had a wonderful view of the city from high up above. ||In addition, the check-in process was quick and efficient. While the room was not ready since we had arrived ahead of the check-in time, we were given the option to rest in the club lounge while waiting (though we eventually headed out for lunch in the meantime). ||The hotel is also directly connected to the adjacent mall via a side door on the level 1, which is great if you need to pop by the supermarket for some necessities or for additional food choices. ||Unfortunately, that is where the positives end. ||With a high-floor and floor-to-ceiling windows, this meant that the room felt like a greenhouse during the day - plenty of sun and heat trapped in the room, to the point where we had no choice but to keep the curtains drawn. The somewhat malfunctioning air-conditioning also meant that though we had set the temperature at 16 degrees celsius for the entire day, the room still felt warm. ||The layout of the toilet in our room was extremely odd and cramped - the shower was nestled in a corner between the sink and toilet bowl, and one had to manoeuvre one's way into the shower. For a larger person, this would be inconvenient and perhaps even uncomfortable. The toilet bowl was also situated immediately behind the door, which is an odd choice that re-emphasises the cramped nature of the room. ||The sofa in the "living room" area of our accommodation did not come with any cushions - very peculiar choice - and the material seemed to be a polyester mix, such that it would not be comfortable if you were sitting there for long periods of time and started to get warm. ||Breakfast at the lounge was lacklustre and underwhelming. There was a grand total of 2 tables of food to choose from, of which only one had hot food (eg hash browns, bacon, sausage etc). There was just the basics - which, for lounge service, is manifestly inadequate. While understandable that a full spread would not be available in the lounge (as compared to the usual breakfast spot / restaurant), surely this is too sparse for even the most easygoing traveller. ||The lobby was packed with visitors who were here not to check in or head to any of the restaurants, but simply to admire the view from the 48th floor lobby. This meant that the lifts were not only slow, but also almost always uncomfortably full. We even witnessed an older Caucasian man, who was not a guest, tailgating hotel guests into the lifts to access floors which require a guest keycard. It is clear that the hotel staff and security must be more vigilant in policing visits by non-guests, which only serve to ruin the experience for actual guests. ||Ultimately, it seems one has to decide between (a) a wonderful view of Ho Chi Minh from above; and (b) comfort. It is clear from the review above that Vinpearl has prioritised the first at the expense of the second. I would not make the same mistake twice.
