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Best Ho Chi Minh City Luxury Hotels. The Park Hyatt Saigon, Vietnam. Used with permission of Park Hyatt Saigon.

Best Ho Chi Minh City Luxury Hotels in the Heart of Saigon’s Central District One

The best Ho Chi Minh City luxury hotels include everything from big 5-star brands, such as the Sofitel, InterContinental and Park Hyatt, which has spacious colonial style suites, hotels with history, such as the Continental, and The Reverie Saigon, perhaps the city’s most sumptuous lodgings.

You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to the best Ho Chi Minh City luxury hotels in Vietnam‘s fast paced southern metropolis, which the locals still fondly call Saigon. When it comes to luxury accommodation in Ho Chi Minh City, there is a good mix of the big 5-star hotel brands and independent lodgings, and most are located slap-bang in the centre in District 1, home to most of Saigon’s sights, museums and galleries, as well as great eating, drinking and shopping.

At the luxury level in Saigon, you can expect to check into everything from heritage hotels that still ooze a little history despite modern refurbishments to comfortable contemporary properties with rooftop swimming pools, and you can also expect to find a good range of prices, especially during the low season.

The best Ho Chi Minh City luxury hotels are as popular with holidaymakers as business travellers, so it’s best to book ahead during busy periods, such as the ‘winter’ high season (December-February) and the mid-year summer holidays, as sometimes the only rooms left are those in the top price bracket. If they’re over your budget, do see our guide to the best Saigon boutique hotels.

Here’s our guide to the best Ho Chi Minh City luxury hotels.

Best Ho Chi Minh City Luxury Hotels in the Heart of Saigon’s District One

Park Hyatt Saigon

The Park Hyatt Saigon is easily the best of the best Ho Chi Minh City luxury hotels. Firstly, this elegant hotel is on prime real estate, slap bang in the centre of District 1, overlooking the majestic Saigon Opera House, and in walking distance of all the major Ho Chi Minh City attractions, most less than a kilometre away. Secondly, this Park Hyatt does what the group does well, integrating their lodgings into the style of the architecture in the locale. There are 245 comfortable rooms and suites decorated in a colonial style, the best picks of which are the deluxe suites, which French doors that open onto shady terraces, are there are always plenty of attentive staff around. The pool area is a welcome relief after a sweaty day of sightseeing and there’s a great spa as well. If you’re so tired from sightseeing you can’t be bothered heading out, dine at the hotel’s Square One on Vietnamese and French cuisine.
Book the Park Hyatt Saigon with our booking partner Booking.com

Hôtel des Arts Saigon M Gallery Collection

The Hôtel des Arts Saigon M Gallery Collection is arguably one of the best Ho Chi Minh City luxury hotels and we have to admit that we’re not the biggest fans of the Sofitel brands, although the M Gallery Collection hotels tend to be more chic. This is one of their finest properties, full of 1930s Indochine charm. The rooms are all the same size until you get to the suites (they’re twice the size of the other categories); it’s only the appointments that are upgraded as you opt for the more expensive rooms. The location is great, just a few blocks from the main attractions and museums, and while you have further to walk that you do from the Park Hyatt, there is a stunning rooftop infinity pool and bar where you can cool down with a dip and a drink.
Book the Hôtel des Arts Saigon with our booking partner Booking.com

The Reverie Saigon

The Reverie Saigon quickly rose to become one of the best Ho Chi Minh City luxury hotels after it opened in 2015 and it’s easy to see why. There’s a lot to like about these flamboyant lodgings, from the central District 1 location on Nguyen Hue, Saigon’s lively walking street, which really comes alive in the early evenings to the sweeping city views (rooms and suites start from the 27th floor) and opulent Italian marble appointments. As the rooms come in many styles, designed by myriad Italian design firms, there’s everything from baroque to modernist styles to choose from. The service is always attentive, the pool and gym are excellent, and there are plenty of dining options if you can’t bring yourself to leave after a busy day out and about in bustling Saigon. Some room styles are quite romantic, so it’s a good choice for couples.
Book The Reverie Saigon with our booking partner Booking.com

InterContinental Hotel Saigon

Just one block from Saigon Central Post Office and the Notre-Dame Basilica Saigon, two of Ho Chi Minh City’s star attractions, and a few blocks from the Park Hyatt and Saigon Opera House, the location of the InterContinental Hotel Saigon is hard to beat. Easily another of the best Ho Chi Minh City luxury hotels, this is a modern-style InterCont, with spacious, stylish rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and the kind of service you’d expect from a great five-star hotel group. We stayed here on our first trip to the city and the concierge not only gave us some brilliant (and not expensive) restaurant tips, he wrote down what dishes to order! Fantastic breakfasts that we found hard to skip and head off to a pho stall. View are terrific, too, so book a high-floor room.
Book the InterContinental Hotel Saigon with our booking partner Booking.com

New World Saigon Hotel

While the New World Saigon Hotel might not boast the level of luxury of the hotels above, it still remains one of the best Ho Chi Minh City luxury hotels for its spacious, comfortable rooms and suites, fantastic Club extras, and its outdoor swimming pool. Bonuses: very friendly staff and a very generous buffet breakfast. The location may not be as central as the other lodgings, but it’s handily located to Ben Thanh Market, the Independence Palace (Reunification Palace) and Maison Marou, a must for chocolate lovers. While the hotel has three dining options, there are plenty of good restaurants nearby, such as chef Peter Cuong Franklin’s award-winning Anan Saigon. The hotel has received a freshening up since the last time we stayed, making it one of the best value hotels in the luxury category for the District 1 location.
Book the New World Saigon Hotel with our booking partner Booking.com

Hotel Continental Saigon

Centrally beside the Opera House and just behind the Park Hyatt, the four-star Hotel Continental Saigon is the city’s oldest hotel, dating to 1880, and has a real sense of history despite a 1980s refurbishment. This is the hotel where Graeme Greene, a long-term guest who stayed in room 214, conceived and wrote part of The Quiet American. During the Vietnam War, Time and Newsweek had offices on the second floor. The rooms here are spacious, with high ceilings and large windows – which you should take advantage of by booking a balcony room overlooking the Opera House. If you don’t, you’ll be booking a room overlooking Dong Khoi Street or the leafy inner courtyard, which is filled with frangipani trees. It’s the heritage-style Opera Wing Suites that make this one of the best Ho Chi Minh City luxury hotels. Tuck into the generous buffet breakfast before hitting the sights, which are just minutes away on foot – or the shops. Dong Khoi Street is home to some of Saigon’s best shopping. Note that this hotel does not have a swimming pool.
Book the Hotel Continental Saigon with our booking partner Booking.com

The Rex Hotel

Originally opened as a garage and car dealership in the 1920s, The Rex Hotel has been spruced up considerably, its ground floor now hosting a Chanel store and its lobby decked out in Italian marble and crystal chandeliers. The hotel still has a sense of history (after its 1960s transformation to a hotel, its first guests were US soldiers who had their Thanksgiving dinner at what’s now the rooftop bar) and has retained some of its old-fashioned charm, particularly in the ornate dining room. A four-star, rather than five-star hotel, The Rex is nevertheless very comfortable and remains one of the best value hotels in the city with a brilliant location. None of the main attractions are more than a 5-10 minute walk away. The layout is interesting, with an internal garden, and a rooftop swimming pool and bar with a long cocktail list. The rooms are spacious styled with Vietnamese touches. Due to its location and great value, it’s one to book early as the standard rooms sell out fast but the executive options are worth the upgrade.
Book the Rex Hotel with our booking partner Booking.com

Caravelle Saigon

Opened in 1959, the Caravelle Saigon was a landmark with its mix of French and Vietnamese architecture. Just block out the 24-storey tower they built behind it in 1998. Located opposite the Continental Hotel and Opera House it’s a fantastic base for a first trip to Saigon, particularly for those planning on a shopping expedition. Rooms are spacious and comfortable, if a little old-fashioned (the suites are the best), but are currently being refurbished. The dining and drinking options could do with an upgrade, too, although it’s hard to beat the views from the rooftop bar. Still, it’s a great option if you can’t get into the others and the price is right.
Book the Caravelle Saigon with our booking partner Booking.com

Le Meridien Saigon

Located on the banks of Saigon River in District 1, this is a hotel not to judge by its dated green glass exterior. While it’s not as central as the accommodations above, the sweeping views, particularly from the part-indoors pool, make up for the walk. The contemporary and chic rooms either face the city centre or the river. The ‘Premier Classic’ rooms are the standard rooms and are huge for standard rooms at 38 square metres. The ‘Grand Deluxe’ rooms are even bigger at 55 square metres. We’d opt for the ‘Club Classic’ with either city centre or the river views which gives you access to the Concierge lounge and other perks. There’s a fine spa and fitness centre, too.
Book Le Meridien Saigon with our booking partner Booking.com

Have you stayed in any of these properties? What are your picks of the best Ho Chi Minh City luxury hotels?

Note: This hotel guide contains affiliate links. If you book with our affiliate partner, you won’t pay any more than if you’d booked directly, however, we earn a small commission which supports this site.

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About Terence Carter

Terence Carter is an editorial food and travel photographer and infrequent travel writer with a love of photographing people, places and plates of food. After living in the Middle East for a dozen years, he settled in South-East Asia a dozen years ago with his wife, travel and food writer and sometime magazine editor Lara Dunston.

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About Grantourismo

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Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check o Still looking for Christmas cooking inspo? Check out our seafood recipe collection, especially if you celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve with a fish focused meal in the Southern Italian tradition, transformed by Italian-Americans into the Feast of the Seven Fishes, or like Australians, who celebrate Christmas in the sweltering summer, feast on seafood for Christmas Day lunch, we’ve got lots of easy seafood recipes for you.

Our recipes include a classic prawn cocktail, blini with smoked salmon, a ceviche-style appetiser, and devilled eggs with caviar. We’ve also got recipes for fish soup, seafood pies and pastas, salmon tray bake, and crispy salmon with creamy mashed potatoes.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/seafood-recipes-for-christmas-eve-and-christmas-day-menus/
(Link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas if you’re celebrating!! 

#christmas #christmasfood #seafood #fish #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #grantourismo #grantourismotravels #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you’re still looking for food inspo for Chris If you’re still looking for food inspo for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meals, my smoked salmon ‘carpaccio’ recipe is one of dozens of recipes in this compilation of our best Christmas recipes (link below). 

The Christmas recipe compilation includes collections of our best Christmas breakfast recipes, best Christmas brunch recipes, best Christmas starter recipes, best Christmas cocktails, best Christmas dessert recipes, and homemade edible Christmas gifts and more.

My smoked salmon carpaccio recipe makes an easy elegant appetiser that’s made in minutes. If you’re having guests over, you can make the dish ahead by assembling the salmon, capers and pickled onions, and refrigerate it, then pour on the dressing just before serving. 

Provide toasted baguette slices and bowls of additional capers, pickles and dressing, so guests can customise their carpaccio. And open the bubbly!

You’ll find that recipe and many more Christmas recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/best-christmas-recipes/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Merry Christmas!! X

#christmas #christmasfood #recipes #christmasrecipes #foodstagram #salmon #smokedsalmon #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood #picoftheday #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels 
#xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas
If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I sh If you haven’t visited our site in a while, I shared a collection of recipes for homemade edible Christmas gifts — for condiments, hot sauces, chilli oils, a whole array of pickles, spice blends, chilli salt, furakake seasoning, and spicy snacks, such as our Cambodian and Vietnamese roasted peanuts. 

I love giving homemade edibles as gifts as much as I love receiving them. Who wouldn’t appreciate jars filled with their favourite chilli oils, hot sauces, piquant pickles, and spicy peanuts that loved-ones have taken the time to make? 

Aside from the gesture and affordability of gifting homemade edibles, you’re minimising waste. You can use recycled jars or if buying new mason jars or clip-top Kilner jars, you know they’ll get repurposed.

No need for wrapping, just attach some Christmas baubles or tinsel to the lid. I used squares of Cambodian kramas (cotton scarves), which can be repurposed as napkins or drink coasters, and tied a ribbon or two around the lids, and attached last year’s Christmas tree decorations to some.

You’ll find the recipes here: https://grantourismotravels.com/homemade-edible-christmas-gifts/ (link in bio if you’re seeing this on IG)

Yes, that’s Pepper... every time there’s a camera around... 

#christmasgiftideas #ediblegifts ##christmasfoodgifts #foodgifts #giftideas #homemadegifts #christmasfood #ediblegiftideas #hotsauce #chillisauce #sriracha #pickles #homemadepickles #recipes #foodstagram #foodblogger #food #foodlover #igfood 
#blackcat #blackcatsofinstagram #picoftheday 
#christmas #christmastree #xmas #merrychristmas #happychristmas #cambodia #siemreap
This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’ This crab omelette is a decadent eggs dish that’s perfect if you’re just back from the fish markets armed with luxurious fresh crab meat. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy, and very, very moreish.

Our crab omelette recipe was one of our 22 most popular egg recipes of 2022 on our website Grantourismo and it’s no surprise. It’s appeared more times than any other egg recipes on our annual round-ups of most popular recipes since Terence launched Weekend Eggs when we launched Grantourismo in 2010.

If you’re an eggs lover, do check out the recipe collection. It includes egg recipes from right around the world, from recipes for classic kopitiam eggs from Singapore and Malaysia and egg curries from India and Myanmar to all kinds of egg recipes from Thailand, Japan, Korea, China, Mexico, USA, Australia, UK, and Ireland.

And do browse our Weekend Eggs archives for further eggspiration (sorry). We have hundreds of egg recipes from the 13 year-old series of recipes for quintessential egg dishes from around the world, which we started on our 2010 year-long global grand tour focused on slow, local and experiential travel. 

We’re hoping 2023 will be the year we can finally publish the Weekend Eggs cookbook we’ve talked about for years based on that series. After we can find a publisher for the Cambodia cookbook of course... :( 

Recipe collection here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio):
https://grantourismotravels.com/22-most-popular-egg-recipes-of-2022-from-weekend-eggs/

If you cook the recipe and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either in the comments at the end of the recipe or share a pic with us here.

#recipe #recipes #eggs #eggslover #breakfasteggs #WeekendEggs #egg #breakfast #brunch #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #lookingforapublisher #writingacookbook  #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angko I’m late to share this, but a few days ago Angkor Archaeological Park, home to stupendous Angkor Wat, pictured, celebrated 30 years of its UNESCO World Heritage listing. 

That’s as good an excuse as any to put this magnificent, sprawling archaeological site on your travel list this year.

While riverside Siem Reap, your base for exploring Angkor is bustling once more, there are still nowhere near the visitors of the last busy high season months of December-January 2018-2019 when there were 290,000 visitors. 

Last month there were just 55,000 visitors and December feels a little quieter. A tour guide friend said there were about 150 people at Angkor Wat for sunrise a few days ago.

If you’re looking for tips to visiting Angkor, Siem Reap and Cambodia, just ask us a question in the comments below or check Grantourismo as we’ve got loads of info on our site. Click through to the link in the bio and explore our Cambodia guide or search for ‘Angkor’. 

And please do let us know if you’re coming to Siem Reap. We’d love to see you here x

#siemreap #cambodia #asia #travel #instatravel #traveldeeper #slowtravel #localtravel #experientialtravel #exploremore #neverstopexploring #goexplore #igtravel #angkorwat #angkor #temple #temples #angkorwithoutcrowds #unesco #unescoworldheritagesite #unescoworldheritage #archaeology #archaeologicalsite #traveladdict #beautifuldestinations #beautifulplaces #travelgram #wanderlust #picoftheday📷 #grantourismotravels.
Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky Our soy ginger chicken recipe will make you sticky, flavourful and succulent chicken thighs that are fantastic with steamed rice, Chinese greens or a salad, such as a Southeast Asian slaw. 

The chicken can be marinated for up to 24 hours before cooking, which ensures it’s packed with flavour, then it can be cooked on a barbecue or in a pan.

Terence’s soy ginger chicken recipe is one of our favourite recipes for a quick and easy meal. I love the sound of the sizzling thighs in the pan, and the warming aromas wafting through the apartment. 

It’s amazing how such flavourful juicy chicken thighs come from such a quick and easy recipe.

Recipe here (and proper link to Grantourismo in our bio): https://grantourismotravels.com/soy-ginger-chicken-recipe/

If you cook it and enjoy it please let us know — we love to hear from you — either here or in the comments at the end of the recipe on the site or share a pic with us x 

#recipe #recipes #chicken #soygingerchicken #asianfood #southeastasianfood #igfood #igfoodie #cooking #cookingtime #recipe #recipes #comfortfood #foodblog #food #foodstagram #healthyfood #instafood #healthy #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #recipedeveloper #writingacookbook #grantourismo #grantourismotravels
Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re mak Who can guess the ingredients and what we’re making with my market haul from Psar Samaki in Siem Reap — all for a whopping 10,000 riel (US$2.50)?! 

Birds-eye chillies thrown in for free! They were on my list but the seller I spent most at (5,000 riel!) scooped up a handful and slipped them into my bag. She was my last stop and knew what I was making.

My Khmer is poor, even after all our years in Cambodia, as I don’t learn languages with the ease I did in my 20s, plus I’m mentally exhausted after researching and writing all day. I have a better vocabulary of Old and Middle Khmer than modern Khmer from studying the ancient inscriptions for the Cambodian culinary history component of our cookbook I’m writing.

So when one seller totalled my purchases I thought she said 5,000 riel but she handed back 4,500 riel! The sum total of two huge bunches of herbs and kaffir lime leaves was 500 riel.

Tip: if visiting Siem Reap, use Khmer riel for local shopping. We’ve mainly used riel since the pandemic started— rarely use US$ now as market sellers quote prices in riels, as do local shops and bakeries, and I tip tuk tuk drivers in riels. I find prices quoted in riels are lower.

Psar Samaki is cheaper than Psar Leu, which is cheaper than Psar Chas, as it’s a wholesale market, which means the produce is fresher. I see veggies arriving, piled high in the back of vehicles, with dirt still on them — as I did on this trip. 

The scent of a mountain of incredibly aromatic pineapples offloaded from the back of a dusty ute was so heady they smelt like they’d just been cut. More exotic European style veggies arrive by big trucks in boxes labelled in Vietnamese (from Dalat) and Mandarin (from China), such as beautiful snow-white cauliflower I spotted.

Note: the freshest produce is sold on the dirt road at the back of the market.

#cambodia #siemreap #foodwriter #foodblogger #foodphotography #igfood #foodstagram #instafood #instafoodie #foodie #instadaily #picoftheday #market #siemreapmarket #psarsamaki #marketfresh #vegetables #healthyfood #marketshopping #traveltips #foodtravel #culinarytravel #localtravel #cooking #cookingtime #curry #homemade #currypaste #grantourismotravels
My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recip My Vietnamese-ish meatballs and rice noodles recipe makes tender meatballs doused in a delightfully tangy-sweet sauce, sprinkled with crispy fried shallots, with carrot-daikon, crunchy cucumber and fragrant herbs. 

The dish is inspired by bún chả, a Hanoi specialty, but it’s not bún chả. No matter what Google or food bloggers tell you. Names are important, especially when cooking and writing about cuisines not our own.

This is an authentic bún chả recipe:  https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-bun-cha-recipe/ You’ll need to get the outdoor BBQ/grill going to do proper smoky bún chả meat patties (not meatballs).

My meatball noodle bowl is perhaps more closely related to dishes such as a Central Vietnam cousin bún thịt nướng (pork skewers on rice noodles in a bowl) and a Southern relation bún bò Nam Bộ (beef atop rice noodles, sprinkled with fried shallots (Nam Bộ=Southern Vietnam) though neither include meatballs. 

Xíu mại= meatballs although they’re different in flavour to mine, which taste more like bún chả patties. Xíu mại remind me of Southern Italian meatballs in tomato sauce.

In Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, home to millions of Khmer, there’s bánh tằm xíu mại. Bánh tằm=silk worm noodles. They’re topped with meatballs, cucumber, daikon, carrot, fresh herbs, crispy fried onions. Difference: cold noodles doused in a sauce of coconut cream and fish sauce. 

Remove the meatballs, add chopped fried spring rolls and it’s Cambodia’s banh sung, which is a rice noodle salad similar to Vietnam’s bún chả giò :) 

Recipe here: (link in bio) https://grantourismotravels.com/vietnamese-meatballs-and-rice-noodles-recipe/

For more on these culinary connections you’ll have to wait for our Cambodian cookbook and culinary history. In a hurry to know? Come support the project on Patreon. (link in bio)

#recipe #recipes #vietnamesefood #cambodianfood #asianfood #southeastasianfood #ricenoodles #rice #noodlebowl #meatballs #igfood #igfoodie #foodblog #food #foodstagram #instafood  #instafoodie #foodie #foodies #foodlover #foodpics #foodporn #foodphotography #foodwriter #foodblogger #writingacookbook #writingacambodiancookbook #patreon #patreoncreator #grantourismo
It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour It is pure coincidence that Pepper’s eye colour matches the furnishings of our rented apartment. So, no, I did not colour-coordinate the interiors to match our cat’s eyes. 

I keep getting DMs from pet clothing brands wanting to “partner” with Pepper and send her free cat clothes and cat accessories. Although she did wear a kerchief for a few years in her more adventurous fashion-forward teenage years, I cannot see this cat in clothes now, can you? 

#pepper #blackcat #blackcats #blackcatsofinstagram #blackcatsrule #blackcatsmatter #cat #cats #catsofinstagram #catstagram #catlover #catlovers #catlove #catoftheday #catphoto #catpic #catpics #cambodiancat #cambodiancatsofinstagram #catlife #catloversclub #catoftheday #catgram #catstagram #cats_of_instagram #catphotography #catsofig #catsoftheworld #catsofinsta #cats🐱 #siemreap #cambodia

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