Not all Hotels are the same – Intercontinental Asiana, Saigon – the second time around

Detail of the brocade on one of the cushions in the lounge area

Not all hotels are the same.

This South East Asian outpost of the Intercontinental Hotel Group is a little gem, and that’s mainly due to the wonderful staff.

We stayed here one night on our outbound journey to London from Sydney on Vietnam Airlines. Now we were looking forward to a short 5-day urban retreat on our way back from our Northern Hemisphere Christmas trip in Europe.

Payment and Points

For this stay, we had booked a Club Deluxe room at VND5,323,500++ (approx US$240 or AU$315) per night plus taxes of 10% government tax and 5% service tax – so no tipping required.

Our choice of room was deliberate – this was an urban flop-and-drop, so access to the club was important and knowing that we would be upgraded to the next room grade – a suite – clinched the deal.

The stay earned 14,406 pts plus 1,440 elite status points, totaling 15,846 points. We almost doubled our points due to a combined promotion which gave us an additional 14,000 points bonus for staying in January.

The inclusions for this rate were (from the booking confirmation):

• Private registration for check-in and check-out
• Daily breakfast from 6:00 am to 10:30 am at Club InterContinental Lounge or Market 39
• Afternoon tea from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm at Club InterContinental Lounge
• Evening drinks from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm with a great selection of canapés, beverages and our special wine of the month at Club InterContinental Lounge
• All day refreshments – Free use of internet in your room and at Club InterContinental Lounge –
• Free use of the iPad whenever you are at Club InterContinental Lounge
• Complimentary pressing of two pieces during your stay
• 25% discount on all laundry services
• Two hours usage of the Club InterContinental boardroom for up to 8 people during your stay (subject to availability)

• Guaranteed room upgrade
• Fresh fruit upon arrival
• In-room water
• In-room gift
• Single-room rate for double occupancy
• Extended checkout—up to 4 pm
• Dedicated Ambassador check-in area
• Complimentary pay-TV film per stay**
• Complimentary newspaper delivered daily
• Instant checkout

Limousine transfers were VND1,407,000 (Approx US$63 or AU$85) each way.

Arrival

Our hotel experience started with our pick-up at the airport in the hotel car. Wifi, bottled water, cool towels, all very well done, just like in our last visit.

Our flight arrived about 90 minutes early, so we got to the hotel about 7:30 am – way before check-in time.

The staff commented on our early arrival and apologised for our suite not being ready. They enquired about our plans for the morning, and hearing our tired response, immediately arranged for us to access a room through until check-in time when our upgrade to a suite would be ready.

I can’t tell you how much such courtesy is appreciated. We had a nap and freshened up. A wonderful option.

Our Suite

We went down to The Library off the main foyer to grab some lunch sometime after midday. While there, a staff member told us that our room was ready, and checked that we were OK to have all our luggage moved.

Our new home for the next 5 days Rm 2014

The hotel staff did their magic, our new keycards were delivered to us over lunch, and when we went up to our new suite, all was in place, down to clothes in the wardrobe (closet), and a couple of items we hadn’t packed away left in a similar position in the suite. I must add that to my list of cute things hotels do to make you feel loved.

Our new Suite on the 20th floor.

The entrance foyer – to the right was a bathroom with toilet and basin – and to the left – you can just see it, a door into an additional bedroom – if you needed to make this into a two bedroom suite.

The lounge area was great – at least three places to recline and relax, fresh orchids on the coffee table, a fine view across the city and the other tower holding their serviced apartments.

The TV came with Bose sound system.

Close-up of the desk – where my on-board toiletries had been placed – just where I had left them in the other room. That square plate with the ribbon was our welcome gift as an IHG Ambassador member.

From the lounge, you turned right into the bedroom, faced first by a dressing table.

Bose sound system under the TV to the left, and the bedroom vanity straight ahead.

Both rooms were spacious, both with wood floors and area rugs.

I’m not a big fan of the bed runner down the length of the bed, but I do like the padded bench at the end of the bed.

The bane of the insomniac – TV at the end of the bed.

I liked the plum, light brown and sand tones of the room. The bed was extremely comfortable, and those feather pillows – wonderful. The dressing area and dressing table are a great idea, especially when you are sharing the suite.

View from bedroom into dressing and wardrobe area. I’m not a fan of windows from the bathroom into the bedroom, but at least these were frosted with a distracting pattern.

Detail of the dressing table and Mickaeli’s hat. He takes sun protection seriously.

Dressing room, with two double wardrobes, luggage rack, and adequate room for our suitcases

Remember we were not doing minimum luggage. We had to pack 5 layers of thermals for our trip to Norway to see the Northern Lights, so that was two cases each for our checked in luggage, and two carry-ons – six suitcases in all. We had tried to pack wisely, with all our thermals in two cases, and just what we would need for Vietnam in the other case and carry on. Well – we were largely successful. Two cases remained closed the whole time in Vietnam. The space looks a bit tight in this shot, but once two of the cases were out of the way and we had unpacked the other – there was plenty of room.

Bathroom left – glass enclosed shower, toilet, and sink.

Bathroom, right – sink, freestanding bath, windows to the bedroom, wall TV, and red lacquerware accessories.

The bathroom had everything, including shaving mirror, and scales, although not double sinks, which I really like when staying with my partner. The bath was of a reasonable depth, and they had bath salts (that little globe shaped red lacquerware container). I’m not a fan of the looked-into bathroom, and those sliding doors were not moved.

The bathroom TV – I was looking forward to. Unfortunately, reception and colour reproduction were shot – so it wasn’t worth the effort. The bath area had nowhere to place anything – like a glass of wine or reading material that we bath aficionados like.

Desk – roomy, great chair, light, and altogether a pleasure to work at.

The desk area and lounge were spacious and well set up, making work and lounging about a pleasure.

Lounges were comfortable and plentiful. The only complaint would be that low back on the central lounge, but hey – there were two others to choose from.

There was a dinky leather box housing the remote controls, including the Bose sound system. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite working as we wanted (we couldn’t get our Apple devices to work with it, and the TV didn’t seem to be taking advantage of the Bose superior sound reproduction). We didn’t realise this for a day or two. Too many things to do other than watching TV. When we did discover the problem, an engineer was dispatched and soon had it working perfectly.

Bose remote control, and TV remote. Look at all those channels – and still nothing to watch!

The suite had everything we needed, and a few little treats that added to the comfort of our stay. Things like fresh flowers, and fresh fruit and mineral water each day.

A vase crammed full of yellow orchids on our lounge coffee table.

Bowl of fruit, and daily sparkling water

Hotel Facilities

We sampled most of the hotel’s facilities, including having a breakfast in Market 59 Restaurant, but we loved the Club and had breakfast, afternoon tea and drinks there nearly every day.

The hotel had a great gym, which I somehow managed not to photograph, and a good sized pool and pool lounge area. I seem to only have photos of drinks by the pool, which gives away my focus.

Cold towels, iced water as soon as you made your home by the pool, followed by some cleansing ales.

You entered the pool via the gym. Always greeted and assisted.

The hotel tower is on the right. The serviced apartment tower on the left.

The pool view from my sun lounge at one end. Entrance to the gym is at the far end. The balcony to the left was roped off during our stay.

Staff at the club lounge greeted us like old friends, and I acquired a morning addiction to fresh coconut water.

After ordering this once for breakfast, staff offered it to me every morning, and I developed a situational addiction to fresh coconut water.

A view of the club, from our favourite side room.

Another day, another afternoon tea. Mini burgers, cold soup, sandwiches, fruit tarts, scones, opera cakes, chocolates and other fancies.

2PAX Wisdom

This was a paid stay at the Intercontinental Asiana, Saigon. We took advantage of all the inclusions provided by Ambassador membership and elite status, from early check-in and late checkout to room upgrade and club access. Our stay was one of the most pleasant in a city hotel that I have experienced.

Throughout our stay, staff’s attitude was ‘how can we make your stay more comfortable’. When we came across a cleaner outside our room, the question was – did we need anything? More towels; more bathroom products; anything? Staff in the club introduced themselves and greeted us warmly on each return. The manager or assistant manager made themselves known to us during each stay. All staff made us feel totally at home.

We have stayed at hotels around the world, from 5 star to safari camps. This hotel, unexpectedly, gave us one of the warmest and most memorable stays of our lives. Thanks to all, and especially General Manager James Young, who introduced himself in the Club, and who also knows how to lead an extraordinary team of skilled hotel professionals.

Intercontinental Asiana staff,
Thankyou.