Hotel Review: Intercontinental Saigon
Hotel Classification: 5 Star
Hotel Booking: Book Intercontinental Hotel Saigon
For our second review, we have the InterContinental Saigon hotel, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. This luxury hotel is located right in the middle of District 1, in walking distance of all the major sights to see in Ho Chi Minh, such as the Cathedral, Post Office and the Ben Thanh Market. We stayed here for around 5 days, and we loved every minute of it! We came here to visit Nina's parents, so we got a 2 bedroom room in the residences, but with complimentary access to the club lounge in the hotel building.
Hotel Grounds
The hotel itself is more of a business and city hotel, as such, it is not too big. It comprises of two building: the hotel main building and the residences building, which are connected by a short walk through a mall. The residences are furnished apartments, and there are some expats living there. There is a pool, a gym and a spa, several restaurants as well as the Club Lounge that serves breakfast, afternoon tea and appetizers in the evening.
Pool & Gym
The pool is located on the one of the lowers floors and you have a view on the post office and the cathedral of Saigon. It's probably around 15m long, but what's cool about it is that two sides are made of glass and so it gives it an aquarium-like dimension. So, Andrea and I had some fun with a silly photoshoot!The gym is also well equipped, you can attend yoga classes and there is also a sauna (where it smells so wonderfully like lemongrass).
Reception
The reception is not too imposing like at some of the resort hotels that we've been to, since it is more of a business hotel, but it is still a luxurious and serene lobby with a little waterfall and beautiful flower ornaments. As you enter, you are greeted by the friendliest smiles you will ever seen!
Hotel Grounds rating: 8.5/10
Room
We stayed in the two bedroom residence apartment, which comprised of one massive master bedroom with big bathroom, another smaller bedroom with separate bathroom, a super spacious living room with balcony and a luxurious, fully-equipped kitchen.There was also a big TV with surround sound system as well as a washing machine at our disposal. The room was cleaned every day, so it felt more of like an apartment hotel.We really loved this spacious apartment, it was so big! The couch was super comfy, the beds were just heavenly, the shower was amazing and we even used the kitchen to cook some dinner for a couple of evenings. Definitely a five-star experience!
Room rating: 9.5/10
Food
Breakfast
We had complimentary breakfast during our stay, which was always served as a buffet at the main restaurant called Market 39. We also had the option to get breakfast in the club lounge, but since that one is smaller, we always went to the main restaurant to fill our bellies.The breakfast buffet was amazing, with lots of western options, such as bread, pastries, cereals, egg station and cheese and cold cuts as well as a of Asian food options that included Dim Sum, fried rice and noodles, Vietnamese Pho soup and the selection changed every day.They also had excellent coffee, tea, and mixed fruit juices. Once, we said that the cappuccino was too milky, so the barista came and asked us what exactly we wanted. We explained, and he made us new cappuccinos! Amazing service!
Dining
There are 3 restaurants in the InterContinental: Market 39 (Mixed), Yuchu (Chinese), Basilico (Italian) and Purple Jade (drinks).We didn't really try any restaurants (except for Market 39 for the breakfast buffet), as we had complimentary Club Lounge access, so every evening we went to the lounge to stuff our bellies with delicious appetizers and excellent wine. The food changed every day and there was always a live cooking station making some yummy fresh dish.We could also go to the lounge for afternoon high tea, and we got some delicious small sandwiches, cakes, tarts and desserts with some coffee and tea. We also popped by after walking in the city for a bit, and freshened up with a lovely Ca Phe Sua Da (Vietnamese iced coffee).
Food rating: 9/10
Book your stay at the Intercontinental Saigon here
Service
Upon arrival, we were greeted very warmly by the reception, and the check-in process went very smoothly. The staff that works at the InterContinental is truly outstanding, we must say. They are always friendly and smiling, and always go out of their way to help you and make you feel comfortable.The staff in the club lounge was exceptionally friendly and helpful, never have I seen such genuinely friendly service. They are always happy to chat with you for a bit and always ask if you want something to drink or to eat. Definitely, it's the best service we ever experienced in a hotel!
Service rating: 10/10
Location
The hotel is located in the business district but close to the major sights of Ho Chi Minh. The city is a busy and congested city, so the hotel provided us with a serene and relaxed stay. It's around a 30-40 minute drive from the airport. There are plenty of high-end restaurants around as well as street food.All in all, we had a fantastic stay at the InterContinental Hotel (They even commented on one of our instagram pictures!), so we couldn't really find any cons. Thanks for an amazing stay!
Location rating: 8/10
THE PROS
Outstanding and world class service
Amazing rooms and beds are super comfortable
Excellent breakfast and food quality is very good
Fantastic Club Lounge with really good food and amazing service
THE CONS
Perhaps that it's a business hotel. But that's not really a con, just a fact ;)
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