Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon, as more people call it) is full of hotels. Everywhere you look, you will find accommodations. The problem – if you can call it that – is choosing one. You may opt to go the “normal” route and search hotel web sites such as Asiarooms. I tried this before a month before our trip, but ended up undecided. Lucky for me, my friend found two options that were not that expensive.
You see, the countless hotels in Saigon offer good rates – anywhere from USD15 to USD40. The really big names, like Sheraton and Continental, are out of my league. I would have loved to stay at the Sheraton but it was just too much. Anyway, we ended up staying at Blue River Hotel for the first two nights, and then moved to Blue Diamond for the last three nights.
We chose Blue River Hotel 2 (there IS a Blue River Hotel 1) because it was very cheap – USD30 for a family room (good for at least 4 people). They have WiFi (free), hot water, cable TV, a bathtub (for this particular room). The only problem I had with the hotel is its location – about 10 minutes of walking to the bars and Ben Thanh Market (more about this in another post). There’s nothing to complain about regarding the staff – they are amazing!
Entrance to the alley going to the hotel.
Entrance to the hotel.
Blue Diamond Hotel is a bit more upscale, and it opened about two months ago. It is very very new and for $40 a night, it is very much worth it. It’s located just behind the Ben Thanh Market, making it ideal for tourists.
Their breakfast buffet.
With all the choices available to visitors, picking out a single hotel can be confusing. If you’re heading to Saigon anytime soon, I suggest checking these two hotels out. You really won’t regret doing so.