Saigon is a city that’s HAWT in the winter and even hotter in summer, so if you’re planning a trip here at any time, it pays to stay somewhere you can quite literally chill out for a bit. This is where Sofitel’s Saigon Plaza hotel comes in, as high above the hectic streets on the 18th floor is a rooftop pool where you can escape the humid heat and go for a refreshing dip whilst taking in picture-perfect views of the surrounding city – winner!
Of course, if you’re in as vibrant a city as Saigon, it’s no good to be sitting round that pool ALL day – you need to get out exploring and the Sofitel is in a great downtown location close to many markets, sights and shops. For food, you can’t beat walking the nearby streets and picking up local delicacies from street vendors along the way and the hotel is only one street over from a small restaurant called Quan Nem which has some of the best crab spring rolls and Bun Ca (minced pork) in the city.
Although the Sofitel isn’t the best looking building from the outside, the stylish and luxurious interiors tell a different story. Standard rooms are cosy but well equipped with big comfy beds, marble-topped en suite bathrooms and a touch screen control panel that controls everything from lights to air con. Ask for a room on the higher floors and you’ll get a fantastic view of Saigon too.
For breakfast, Sofitel puts on an impressive buffet of Asian to Western dishes. There’s everything from dim sum, pho and noodles to omelettes, pancakes and waffles! With all bases covered there’s definitely something for everyone – the only problem we had in fact was deciding what NOT to eat.
With great rooms, a perfect location and that rooftop pool, the Sofitel Saigon Plaza gets a big thumbs up from us
17 Lê Du?n, B?n Nghé, Qu?n 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
www.sofitel.com