Looking for a place to stay eats up a lot of time in every trip planning. As for me, location, price, and cleanliness are big factors. TripAdvisor has always been a go-to place whenever I search for accommodations. Hence, the testimonies influence me whether I would like to stay in a place or not.
In my recent trip to Saigon, Vietnam, I chose to stay at Seventy Hotel and Saigon Mini Hotel 5. Both are in Bui Vien Street. Their names have the word “hotel” but they’re not the “usual” big hotels that we have in the Philippines. Space is limited in Saigon. The lots are narrow and long. There’s more height than width.
Seventy Hotel and Saigon Mini Hotel caught my attention because of their nice-looking rooms at their websites and their locations. There were good reviews too. But budget-wise, there are cheaper inns and guesthouses than the two. Cheap means a price range of $10-25. But these inns can be found in alleys in Pham Ngu Lao (the Backpackers’ area).
I was traveling with my folks (who are kind of sensitive) so I chose the two. Both hostels have lifts, another factor that I took into consideration since Mama and Papa are not getting any younger anymore.
Communication via email was a breeze with both Seventy and Saigon Mini. They replied fast to every question that I had. Finally, after series of email, we closed the deals. Saigon Mini asked for credit card details while Seventy just asked for our complete names and arrival date.
The plane landed at Tan Son Nhat International Airport at 12:30 am (1:30 am Manila time). The taxi coupon kiosk has already closed but I was not worried since I pre-arranged the airport transfer with Seventy Hotel.
I don’t want to be scammed by taxis. Taxi scam is notorious in Vietnam. As we walked pass the exit gate, I saw my name on a cardboard held by the thin Vietnamese driver. I immediately took out my camera and clicked. So that explains the blurred picture. haha.
He then knew that it was us that he’s waiting for. He assisted us with our bags and off we go to Bui Vien Street, where Seventy Hotel is.
The price of the airport-pick up ride: $13 including the toll fee (Php 546.00). Saigon Mini Hotel also offered an airport pick-up but they quoted as $37. So I just chose Seventy Hotel for our first two nights in Saigon.
Address: 70 Bui Vien St., Dist.1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Location: It’s in the main road of Bui Vien Street. It’s near Crazy Buffalo and other bars. It’s also a few meters away from De Tham Street where the Sinh Tourist is. Ben Thanh Market is 15 minutes away.
PASSPORT: Though I was a first-timer, I wasn’t surprised when Nam (the guy receptionist at night) asked for our passports. I’ve read it in a lot of forums. Papa was a bit apprehensive. But I told him that it’s a rule in Vietnam. Hotels have to collect the passports of their guests, which will then be returned when the guests check out. That’s the case even if you paid already. So we didn’t pay until we checked out.
Room: We chose a triple deluxe room. We were given room 301, which has a window and near the street. I did ask for a room with a window but I forgot to request that the room shouldn’t be near the street. I had a hard time sleeping because of the noise in the nearby bars. I have to put the pillow on my face to minimize the noise.
Other Room Amenities:
- A small LCD TV
- Cabinet & Laundry bin
- Hair Dryer
- Slippers (but they weren’t sealed and looked dirty. Didn’t take a photo though)
toiletries
Toilet: It has a hot & cold shower with the amenities of a real hotel: cotton buds, shampoo, toothbrush, shower cap, soap. Towels were also provided.
Cleanliness: Out of 5, I’ll rate them 4. Yes, the room and comfort room were clean. The linens were neatly pressed.
WIFI: It’s FREE. You can even access the internet from your room. Just ask for the password when you check in. If you don’t have a laptop with you, you can access the internet from the computers at the lobby.
BREAKFAST (included in the room price): You have the choice of bread & cheese, bread &eggs, bread & jam, pho or fried noodles.
For drinks: brewed coffee, iced coffee, tea, orange juice
Their coffee was fantastic! That’s my first taste of Vietnam coffee. And my mistake not to ask the brand they used. Nonetheless, their food was great! The Fried Noodles is a must-try.
STAFF:
LAM- The night receptionist Lam welcomed us with a smile when we arrived. When we were about to check out, we saw him sleeping in a folding bed in the reception area while the kitchen staff was also sleeping on the chairs-turned-make-shift bed near the computer.
It was around 5:30 am. We greeted them, “Good Morning!” And they suddenly stood up without any look of frown for people who have been woken up early. He fixed his hair and I requested for breakfast since we need to be at the Sinh Tourist office at 7:15 am. They serve breakfast at 7:00 am but they still attended to our request. As much as I want to eat fried noodles, what they can serve fast were bread and eggs.
Ms. Hang- On our first day, we saw Ms. Hang at the reception. I didn’t know that my iPhone clock was already synchronized with Vietnam’s time. I thought we were still early. We asked for breakfast and told Ms. Hang that we’re in a hurry since we’ll be joining a tour group to CuChi Tunnel. It took around 10 minutes to prepare. When I followed it up, she then said in a somehow irritated voice, “You should be early so your breakfast is early.” Hmmm… That’s not the way to say it to a customer but then when we were about to leave, she said, “Have a nice trip!”
PRICE: $35/night (Php 1,470) for a triple deluxe room. $11.67/night (Php 490) per person. Price includes daily breakfast.
We checked in on Sept. 29 & checked out Sept. 30 But we were still charged for Sept. 28 even if we arrived Sept. 29. When I asked for a discount, they didn’t give any. So we were still charged for two nights.
CALLS: They charge 3,000 VND per minute if you call outside of the hotel.
Address: 196 Bui Vien Street, District 1, HoChiMinh City
Location: It’s farther away from the noisy bars but it’s still in the main road of Bui Vien Street.
PASSPORT: When we arrived, the receptionist Tranny took our passports and hid them in a box.
Room: I was not disappointed when we opened Room 901. Good decision to still book Saigon Mini Hotel 5 despite the price. We got a deluxe room good for 4 pax. The room was spacious enough to accommodate two queen-sized beds. The look of the bed made me want to jump on it and sleep. The ambiance would really make you feel sleepy.
Amenities:
- Complimentary tea and coffee
- TV
- Slippers (they were sealed and looked new. Mama who used to stay at high-end hotels thought that the slippers were free. But then when we were about to check out, the slippers were added in the bill. So we just returned the slippers.)
- Cabinet
Toilet: They have a bath tub and hot & cold shower. Toiletries were provided.
Cleanliness: Out of 5, I’ll give them 5 points. Both room and toilet were spotlessly clean.
Wifi: Wifi can be accessed in the rooms. They also have a computer station at the lobby in case you forgot your laptop at home.
Staff: It was Ms. Jerry, the general manager, whom I communicated with via email but I didn’t meet her. She answered every question that I had before booking. She was courteous. I only have high praises for their friendly staff. We met Tranny, the receptionist, who helped us in every way from the directions to hailing a Vinasun cab on our way back to Tan Son Nhat International Airport. We were supposed to check out by 12pm but since our flight is at 1:00 am, we extended until 6pm. We were charged for only half the price of the half-day extension. They charged fair and square unlike Seventy Hotel which didn’t give us a discount even if we didn’t stay on Sept. 28.
Breakfast: At first, I thought that their breakfast was buffet. Wrong research. It was a factor why I booked their hotel but it was only ala carte. Breakfast is served at their rooftop pantry which has a good view of the city.
Choices for breakfast: Pho, noodles, bread & scrambled eggs.
Drinks: You can select two drinks: brewed coffee, iced coffee, tea, juice. I chose both brewed and iced coffee (the coffeeholic).
Price: $ 41/night for deluxe triple room (Php 1,722). Per person rate: $13.67 (Php 574.00). The price is right for the good service and the comfort that we had.
If I were to return to Saigon, I’d definitely book Saigon Mini Hotel again (with eyes blindfolded with the price). The extra dollars were worth the service and the comfort of their rooms. But for the breakfast, Seventy Hotel has the better food and coffee!
Before leaving the Philippines, we wore a mask as a precautionary measure though it was not that strict at the NAIA Terminal 3. After 3 hours, we arrived at the Suvarnabhumi Airport and I was impressed with their international airport. They have a Thermo Scanner. How I wish our airports in the Philippines had it too.
I assured Mama that I’ve read good reviews about Evergreen, even reviews from Filipinos. Those reviews given by fellow Pinoys and the 
The amenities in the comfort room were basic: Shower cap, toothpaste, toothbrush, shaving cream
