There’s a story of mine in the Sydney Morning Herald’s online travel pages (you can read it HERE if you have a subscription) about how I tried three different levels of hotels in Saigon earlier this year.
The gist of it is that all of them had their charms but in the process I discovered my new favourite hotel in Vietnam.
The Silverland Ben Thanh is right next to the famous market of that name and is part of a chain of quirky hotels that includes the Myst Dong Khoi (which would be my favourite hotel if I could afford it).
Why is it my favourite? OK, comfort and location are big plusses. It sits at the end of the new boulevard that runs all the way to the Opera House and right on the doorstep of the new Metro rail system (which still hasn’t opened, despite endless safety test-runs have proved that it is… well… safe).
The bed is big and comfy, the wi-fi is rock solid and fast and there’s a desk. The bathroom, with spa bath and option of spray or rainwater showers is more than adequate.
I am not a big fan of hotel breakfasts but this one is amazing. Apart from the ubiquitous buffet, there is an egg and banh mi station where I got the young fellow on it to combine two of his skills and make me a vegetarian omelette banh mi.
On top of that, for the same price, there’s an a la carte menu with all sorts of interesting twists on the usual breakfast provender.
The interior of the hotel is very much influenced by Gaudi architecture with barely a straight line to be found, and the exterior is festooned with greenery sprouting from every other windowsill.
The Market is a great place for cheap clothes and street food and you are pretty much in the heart of everything with the famous “walking street” a 15-minute stroll in one direction and the city centre just as close in the other.
Prices vary greatly, from windowless rooms to my preference, the Sense City double, which runs to just over A220 a night in January, and are dependent on the season.
So that’s my tip for anyone visiting Saigon. And no, I don’t get any freebies. You can check out the whole range of Silverland hotels HERE.
