Where to Stay in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: The PARKROYAL Saigon

I didn’t want to say goodbye to Vietnam. In my two weeks there, the country had exceeded already very high expectations. I don’t know if it was the country itself, the people I met there, or the fact that I seemed to be hitting my travel stride two and a half months into my round-the-world trip, but I had found total comfort and happiness in Vietnam and wasn’t ready to leave it behind, no matter how exciting my subsequent plans.

PARKROYAL Hotel Saigon, Vietnam

The PARKROYAL Saigon making a grand impression

I had started in the north of the country and made my way south, with my last stop being Vietnam’s largest city, Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon. While hostels had treated me phenomenally during my Vietnamese adventure (especially Vietnam Backpacker Hostels), my last two days included the special treat of staying at the beautiful PARKROYAL Saigon.

You may remember that I had a fantastic stay at the PARKROYAL in Sydney a few months ago (following the ultimate Sydney day out), so I knew I’d be similarly pleased with their Saigon location. And I was right.

The friendly and helpful reception staff showed me to my room, a Premier King Room, which was extremely spacious, tactfully designed, and offered everything I needed: a massive, plush bed, a fully stocked minibar, a separate shower and bathtub, a huge plasma TV with no shortage of channels, a bathrobe and slippers, and all the other musts of a great hotel room.

Ho Chi Minh hotel room, Vietnam

My room at the PARKROYAL Saigon

The big advantage of the PARKROYAL Saigon is that it is located just minutes from Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat International airport. While Saigon is a relatively compact city for its size, the traffic can still prove frustrating, so convenience to the airport is a huge plus, especially when you’re catching an early morning flight like I did.

Though this means the hotel isn’t right in the heart of the city, it’s only about a 20 minute drive to the center of the hustle and bustle. One of the best features of the hotel is its complimentary city shuttle, which runs about five times a day. There are also separate shuttles that can take guests to the city’s corporate hubs if you happen to be in Ho Chi Minh City on a business trip. I took the air-conditioned, wifi-equipped shuttle into the city on my second day at PARKROYAL Saigon for a bit of exploration. Or if your schedule doesn’t sync up with one of the shuttle’s many trips, you can always catch an Uber car to the center for about $3-4 U.S. or an Uber motorcycle for about $1-$1.50 U.S. Too easy!

Notre Dame Cathedral, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City’s Notre Dame Cathedral, the drop-off and pick-up point for PARKROYAL’s free shuttle

You could also spend a few days completely content at the hotel. After entering its elegant lobby, you’ll find a hotel bar and a restaurant that offers spectacular buffets (more on that in a minute!). There are conference rooms, a business center, and a gym, and, best of all, the PARKROYAL Saigon has a gorgeous pool area with comfortable lounge chairs, palm trees, and twinkling lights by night.

PARKROYAL Hotel Saigon, Vietnam

The pool

But hold on a minute — you didn’t think I could finish this review without raving about the buffet, did you? I had the chance to try PARKROYAL Saigon’s breakfast buffet twice and the lunch buffet once, and, oh my goodness, give me a second to drool. I had no shortage of good food in Vietnam; of the six countries I’ve been to so far on this trip, it hands-down wins the award for best food.

However, PARKROYAL Saigon’s breakfast buffet still had me raving, as it offered pretty much just about any breakfast food you could imagine. Meats, cheeses, cereals, waffles, pancakes, potatoes, noodles, soups, breads, salad… you name it. The highlight for me, though, was the table of fresh tropical fruit (hang on, just let me eat about six thousand passionfruits and lychees, thanks) and the 6+ fruit juices they offered. Excuse me, I’m getting a little worked up about this. And the lunch buffet was just as delicious and just as diverse, with a rich selection of Western and Asian main courses and desserts and even more of those fresh fruits I went so crazy over.

PARKROYAL Saigon, Vietnam

PARKROYAL Saigon’s beautiful breakfast buffet

PARKROYAL Saigon is the closest high-end hotel to the airport, so if you’re looking convenience and comfort, it’s a great choice for your stay in Ho Chi Minh City. Most of all, be sure to take advantage of the free city shuttle, the pool, and the breakfast buffet! Tạm biệt, Vietnam, it’s been beyond grand, and I can’t think of many better ways to have wrapped up my time there than with a stay at the PARKROYAL Saigon.

Disclaimer: I was a guest of PARKROYAL Saigon, but all opinions are entirely my own, as always.


27 Responses

  1. Rebecca Collins (aka Nana) says:

    Wonderful article, love. I am sending your Vietnam posts on to a friend who flew helicopters in Vietnam oh, so long ago. He has been toying with the idea of returning, but, like most Vietnam vets, is of two minds on that score. Your articles and photos might win him over, though! Love you. Can”t wait to hear more about your travels. I think I have now lost track of where you are! XOXO

    • I can’t imagine what it would be like to return having been there during the war, but it’s really a beautiful place now! I know you left this comment almost two months ago, but I thought I’d finally get back to you! I’m now in Latvia 🙂

  2. Aisha says:

    I actually never considered visiting Vietnam. I already love their food so I might give it s a go.

  3. Carol Colborn says:

    I have been to Saigon for a business trip about 12 years ago but we are planning to go back to Asia in the next few years since my daughter is migrating to Australia. This looks like a good hotel for a stopover!

    • It’s a great one! I imagine the city has changed a lot in 12 years, so it should be an interesting return. I just finished two and a half years of living in Australia if your daughter has any questions!

  4. Vicki Louise says:

    I loved Vietnam, but stayed in Guesthouses throughout my trip! If I went back with more cash the Park Royal would be my first stop – it looks incredible!

  5. Lisa says:

    Never really put Vietnam on my radar. I try never to never on places to visit, this looks great!

  6. Lieurene says:

    You won me at breakfast buffet, wow the food looks so delicious! Its nice to see a nice hotel in Vietnam especially with great service and complimentary shuttle service. I am hoping to visit Vietnam soon so I will keep this in mind 🙂

  7. Nancy Pitman says:

    I have wanted to visit Vietnam for years. Not knowing much about what the accommodations are like there I was a little apprehensive. Seeing this hotel that you stayed at shows there truly are very nice properties that are worth checking out there!

  8. Looks like a beautiful place! The pool, the buffet… will definitely keep it in mind when I get to Vietnam! Thanks for sharing 😀

  9. Christine says:

    Looks and sounds like a great hotel to stay at. I love Vietnam, Saigon is a wonderful city!

  10. Criz says:

    Vietnam is on my bucket list! I have a Vietnamese friend who used to invite me to their city. Your pictures, especially in PARKROYAL Saigon, made wanna visit Vietnam the soonest.

  11. Oh I like the ParkRoyal. Very large rooms are a plus! The pool looks very inviting as well. Thanks for the lovely review.

  12. looks like you found a killer spot to stay at, the pool and buffet look absolutely divine. vietnam is pretty cool to travel, i was there when i was young but enjoyed fresh coconut juice, broken rice w/ chicken and all that fresh seafood.

  13. Lara Dunning says:

    It sounds like you had an excellent stay and that buffet!!! I would love that as you get to sample so many different things, which is so good with food you are unfamiliar with.

  1. March 28, 2018

    […] a marvelous staycation at Sydney’s PARKROYAL Darling Harbour and a fantastic visit to the PARKROYAL Saigon in Vietnam, I was eager to explore the hotel’s other locations, including Yangon’s. I […]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *