Where to Stay

If you have been traveling in Asia and got used to paying high prices for less than deluxe accommodations, Ho Chi Minh's hotel scene will be a welcome relief. Ever since 1986, under the government's "renovation" policy of doi moi, new lodgings have been springing up one after another. They are not only clean and new, but developed with the needs of foreign visitors in mind, and that means everyone from business travelers on expense accounts to backpacking students.

District 3, with its French-style local architecture and concentration of inexpensive restaurants, tends to attract those who favor Continental surroundings. Whether checking in at the inexpensive Evergreen or the plush International and Epco hotels, French-speaking visitors in particular will feel right at home here. Highly recommended is the Sol Chancery Hotel, which features elegant apartment-style units that make a long business stay a pleasure.

The Cholon area of District 5 claims top choice among the city's Chinese visitors. Hotels like the mid-range Arc en Ciel and the luxury-class Equatorial are apt to be quite full of tourists and merchants from Hong Kong and Taiwan. If you don't mind staying a bit far from the city center, you can find some real bargains here, with the added advantage of Chinatown right at your doorstep. A good choice might be the Metropole Hotel, which is a bit closer to the downtown than the other Cholon mid-class hotels.

By far, however, the most-chosen area for lodgings is District 1, with its budget inns in the west end and its upmarket hotels to the east near Dong Khoi. If you seek convenience and comfort, and couldn't care less about the cost, head straight to the French-influenced Kim Do or the view-encompassing Amara Saigon hotels. Both offer deluxe accommodations at rates that may make you smile.

For equally high-end rooms and even greater value, you might wish to try the Hong Kong-influenced New World Hotel Saigon, frequented by no less luminary guests than American President and Mrs. George Bush (the elder). Alternatively, the Japanese-owned and -operated Saigon Prince Hotel affords Oriental luxury at irresistible rates, while the Hotel Sofitel Plaza Saigon brings European elegance to the district. And for five-star excellence overlooking the Saigon River, your best bet is the Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon, with its fine restaurants and close proximity to the city's commercial center.

History abounds in this part of town. Walk in the footsteps of expatriate authors Somerset Maughm and Graham Greene through the Continental Hotel, originally built by French colonialists in 1880. Ride up a 1930's elevator to the elegant suites of the moderately-priced Grand Hotel. Have a drink at the Rex Hotel, a favorite watering hole of American military officers during the Vietnam War. You will begin to realize that this has always been the center of action in the southern metropolis.

For those on a budget, an abundance of guest houses around Pham Ngu Lao make staying in Ho Chi Minh City easy on the pocket. One of the more popular ones is Guest house 127, with its free fruit and coffee served throughout the day by warm-hearted owner Madam Cuc and her family. Private rooms and good strong showers are the norm here, as they are at the equally inexpensive and family-run Minh Chau Guesthouse, which rather recently added email services. Dormitory-style accommodations can be found in the area's many hostels, so even if you feeling the pinch at the end of extended travels, you will have no problem getting a roof over your head.

One option for those staying in Ho Chi Minh City overnight and anticipating an early departure is the Novotel Garden Plaza on the outskirts of downtown just a few minutes' drive from the airport. As with all upscale hotels, advance reservations are recommended, of course, especially during the Lunar New Year (Tet Festival) when rooms command premium prices and the city's hotels can be overbooked.