Saigon hotel and guesthouses guide
Plush Saigon hotels overlook the water
Though there are a few accommodations scattered in other regions of the city, nine out of ten visitors to Saigon stay in one of two areas – the downtown area around Dong Khoi and the budget district centred around De Tham just a kilometre further west.
So your choice is fairly simple – if it’s luxury and impeccable service you’re after, head downtown, and if you need to make your holiday money stretch a long way, go for the budget district. If it’s mid-range accommodation you’re after, it’s maybe worth checking out either area as there are some appealing options in both or see the best bargains with Agoda.
Top-end hotels in Saigon
The downtown area has long been home to some of the city’s most famous hotels – the Caravelle, the Continental and the Rex – but in recent years these have been joined by new luxury properties erected by international chains such as the Sheraton, Hyatt and Sofitel.
As you might expect in such places, guests are pampered with the best of everything – spa treatments, fine dining, beauty parlours and exclusive boutiques. Staff at the front desk will help arrange your sightseeing itinerary and even provide a limo to whisk you around in like a real Hollywood celebrity.
When you can tear yourself away from the hotel, you’ll find some fascinating shops along Dong Khoi and nearby streets, as well as bars and restaurants that tempt you in with their intoxicating aromas and welcoming décor.
Budget hotels in Ho Chi Minh City
Things are a bit more basic in the De Tham district, which until recently was the exclusive domain of backpackers. Many hotels are now going up-market, eager to attract travellers with money to spend, but this hasn’t changed the tone of the cheap restaurants, bars and tour operators that sit shoulder to shoulder, with staff out front trying to rustle up trade.
De Tham is the home of most Saigon guesthouses
Few places call themselves guesthouses, but there are plenty of hotels charging US$10-20 a night for clean rooms with all basic facilities. At the cheapest end, some places like Vinh Guest House on De Tham have dormitory beds at US$4 a night, while a few fancy places like the Elios on Pham Ngu Lao charge US$60 and up for their rooms.
The big advantage to basing yourself in the budget district is that you are among lots of restaurants and bars that charge very competitive prices for food and drink, and there’s a great variety of cuisine such as Italian, Indian and Thai.
In this way when you make an outing to Dong Khoi to go shopping or check out a special restaurant, it seems like a special occasion that you can enjoy safe in the knowledge that you’ll be returning to the best-value part of town.
Cheap guesthouses in Saigon
Of course some people hate to stay where there are lots of foreigners, and if you’re looking for a more Vietnamese context, check out the Co Giang area, around a 10-minute walk south of the budget district.
Here the houses are separated by narrow alleys and everybody seems to know each other. You’ll find a few guesthouses with basic facilities and cheap rates around this neighbourhood, offering arguably the best value in the city for backpackers arriving in town on a budget.
More recommended Saigon guesthouse listings.
