Park Hyatt Saigon

We were originally assigned the Lam Son Suite, a regular suite overlooking Lam Son Square. On arrival we were upgraded to the Park Executive Suite, which I was very excited about. I'd seen pictures already and was expecting a classical feel, with a layout inspired by early-to-mid 1900s upper-class accommodation. The room itself was huge and nicely decorated, but part of me — and unfortunately my wife as well — didn't feel it was the greatest use of the space. There were swaths of empty space that weren't filled with art or anything noteworthy to look at. The furniture, beautiful in its own right, did invoke the feeling of being in an antique or vintage shop, which may be something some people really enjoy.

I won't give the decoration the "dated" label, because I really don't think it is. My main gripe is that the room felt large but barren, which left a slightly uneasy feeling. To be honest this may have just come down to the specific room we were in. When we were leaving, the front desk graciously allowed us to stay past our late checkout in one of their standard rooms — and this surprised me, because I actually preferred the standard room to the executive suite despite it being less than half the size. There was far less empty space to look at and more of a feeling of intentional design. I still appreciated the generous upgrade, but I think the executive suite could use a refresh.

The bathrooms are beautiful in their own right. I'm used to more modern amenities like a modernized toilet with an integrated bidet; here the bidet was off to the side, something you don't typically see these days and something I didn't even want to use, since it felt messy to move from the toilet onto the bidet. Otherwise, robes and slippers were provided, as is the norm at a Park Hyatt. Lighting was decent throughout. There wasn't mood lighting and it didn't feel like a spa — just an upscale older-century bathroom. No problems at all with water temperature or pressure.

Almost everything here was good. The mattress was comfortable, the linens were high quality, and there were decent pillow options. With the curtains and blinds closed there's almost no light leakage. I will say that noise leakage from the hallway is a problem at times — we could hear children running down the hallway, which wasn't an issue at night but does ruin the feeling of exclusivity a little.

My biggest gripe with sleep quality, and something I had to fix myself, is the humidity and temperature control. The minute you walk into the room the humidity is noticeable. I was very uncomfortable for the first hour or two, so much so that I called the front desk and requested a dehumidifier. When your hotel is somewhere like Ho Chi Minh City, well known for being humid and tropical, you'd want built-in humidity control. They provided one dehumidifier for two large rooms, and I had to place it in the middle myself so it would cover both the living room and where we slept — arguably the more important of the two. I give them props for having a dehumidifier, but these things need to be built into the hotel or provided ahead of time. The thermostat was clearly quite old; you needed a fingernail to properly adjust the temperature on the touchscreen, which was probably several years, if not over a decade, old.

Really decent tech implementation. Wi-Fi was pretty good and there were outlets in every location you'd want. There were some light and smart controls, but the lighting and curtains were all manual — not a problem, since housekeeping came by every evening to close the blinds. Entertainment systems were modern and the TVs were huge. There was a USB charger but no USB-C outlets.

The pool was central, beautiful, and hidden behind a garden in the courtyard. We tried to get some close-up photos but were stopped by staff requesting we not take professional photos of the pool. I thought that was fine — it preserves a sense of exclusivity for patrons who just want to swim. The gym was large and had most of what you need, a little old-style with some tired equipment, but generally pretty good. The spa looked beautiful from the outside, though I didn't get a chance to use it; there are endless massage parlors throughout the streets of Ho Chi Minh City charging a fraction of the on-site price, but if you want that high-end feeling you're better off with the hotel spa.

One activity we did do was the art tour, at a modest $20 per person. This might have been the highlight of the stay. The guide was knowledgeable, patient, and very personable, and having her explain the art gave us context on what this hotel is about, its history, and even the history of Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam. My wife and I both came to appreciate the hotel a lot more after the tour, and I highly recommend it even if you don't particularly enjoy art.

The lobby and public spaces are the highlights of this hotel. The lobby is beautiful, with fresh flowers, and the artwork is grand and makes an instant statement the minute you walk in. Everything felt really high-end and intentional, with beautiful finishes throughout, on the walls and even the ceilings. The lounge just off the lobby is open to the public, serves afternoon tea, and is beautifully designed with three large chandeliers overhead — we took the afternoon tea service one day just to sit and appreciate the room.

There is a clear design philosophy running through the whole hotel and into the artwork. The hotel really draws on the roots of Vietnam's history and is a celebration of the city and country. The lighting is clean, with tons of natural light flooding in from every angle. Music in the lobby is a nice touch, though I wasn't able to discern a signature scent.

The hotel is very well maintained and clean. It opened in 2005, making it over 21 years old, with updates in 2014, 2015, and 2019 that keep it fresh and lively while maintaining its classical French colonial style. This property is probably much older than any I have reviewed in the past, yet it manages to use that longevity to add to its charm. On the walls, and specifically in the art collection, you can see that the owner has curated many spectacular pieces over the years, with a clear evolution in stylistic preferences.

The hotel sits on Lam Son Square in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City — the heart of the city, with the iconic Opera House just steps away and tourist destinations like Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica and the Central Post Office a short walk away. While the hotel is in the center of a chaotic city, it truly shines in that its immediate vicinity is calm and walkable, as if it were the calm eye of a chaotic storm.

Fantastic check-in that checks all the boxes. We were helped with our luggage on arrival and ushered to the desk, where we were offered a delicious arrival beverage. The check-in agent was extremely friendly and helpful, offering recommendations for nearby sights and places to eat. After we received our room key, another attendant led us to our room and explained the turndown service and the automated lights.

Service was quite fantastic and consistent, with the only hiccup at breakfast — and I think that came down to the fact that the hotel was packed. I wouldn't have been surprised if they were near full capacity. Even at the earliest breakfast times the dining area was nearly full, and most of the breakfast staff appeared stressed. There were pretty long lags between being seated and being served, which surprised me given how many good things I'd heard about breakfast service here. Otherwise, most of the staff were extremely friendly and willing to help, and all were highly proficient in English.

Many of the staff were willing to go above and beyond to ensure a great experience, with two moments as the highlights. The first was the art tour, where our guide was simply fantastic. The second was at checkout: when we mentioned our flight was close to midnight, they went out of their way to move us into another room after the 4pm late checkout, letting us stay from roughly 4pm to 9pm until we called our Uber. Seriously, I don't know any other hotel that would do something so gracious.

Operations were generally well done. We didn't notice many hiccups during our few days here — the only one being that the checkout staff didn't know the check-in agent had offered us a room past checkout. Not a big deal, since they cleared it up, but a lapse in continuity of communication. Otherwise the elevators worked well and we never had a long wait. Pools and restaurants operated efficiently despite the high occupancy, though I wish the servers had been less stressed. We requested a dehumidifier for our room and it arrived within 15 to 30 minutes, which was great.

Housekeeping here is excellent, as expected of a Park Hyatt. The initial service is comprehensive, covering the room, bed and bathroom while also tidying cables and shoes. Turndown service is offered as well, including closing the shades and refilling the ice bucket. A great touch all around — I couldn't ask for much else.

The breakfast is so good, so fresh, and so high quality. They offer a wide assortment of pastries and breads, espresso actually made from an espresso machine, fresh fruit, and an à la carte menu that's a dream, including items like banh mi and homemade pho. However, I was surprised — if not shocked — that I did not find the croissants very good. For a French colonial-themed hotel of this level, that is unacceptable.

Back to the à la carte items: I found them all very tasty, but compared to the same dishes I could find out in the city, I didn't want to waste precious stomach space on the hotel version. If this breakfast were anywhere other than Ho Chi Minh City, I might have rated it higher.

This hotel is packed — well, the lobby is packed, so the whole hotel felt packed. When I'm returning from a day out in hot, humid Vietnam, I just want to get to my room as soon as humanly possible, take a shower and decompress. I do not want to wade through a sea of people on my way in. A lot of Vietnam's upper class like to spend their afternoons in the lounge here, which makes it feel much busier than it is.

Excellent departure. Our bags were handled by the bellman, and we were given late checkout even beyond the standard Globalist late checkout. Billing was accurate, and the staff showing us out were warm yet professional.