The post about the Caravelle and Majestic got me to thinking. We are going to stay at the Hanoi Elegance Diamond (formerly the Elegance 5) in Hanoi. Does Saigon have a chain of hotels (or a single hotel) similar to the Hanoi Elegance chain? (We've decided to stay less expensively in Saigon and Hanoi, and spend more in the places where hotel relaxation is more important to us - Siem Reap, where the afternoons are best spent at the pool, and Hoi An.)

take a look at the liberty central ... we will be staying there in november

Take a look at the Somerset properties, which are apart/hotels. I spent two weeks at the Somerset Chancellor on my first visit to the city and thought it was a terrific place--great location, large units with full kitchens, nice pool and gym, etc...


http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...y-173538-2.cfm

eks, the Somerset Chancellor looks very nice. Right now its showing $150/nt. for March -- does that make it a good value in your opinion? By way of comparison, the Liberty Central is $110/nt. for the same nights, the Majestic is $168, and the Caravelle is $171 (I assume all are plus tax).

eks, also, where did you stay in Hong Kong on your recent trip?

I stayed at the Four Seasons on my last visit to Hong Kong.

I think Somerset Chancellor is decent value for $150, although perhaps you can do better on one of the third-party sites like Agoda or AsiaReservations.net.

I have not stayed at Liberty Central but from the looks of that hotel, I think that the $40 price difference is a fair supplement for the substantial upgrade that the Somerset would represent over the LibertyCentral. Remember, the Somerset rooms are huge and they have full kitchens; the one I stayed in had laundry facilities and a terrace as well.

I have also stayed at the Sheraton and the Park Hyatt in Saigon. I did not like the first at all, and it certainly was not good value. The Park Hyatt is a fabulous hotel (one of the best I've stayed at in Asia) but very pricey.

Yes, the Park Hyatt is coming in at $300 a night. Given the availability of other choices, I'd like to stay in the $150 range!

Check out the prices on vietnamstay.com. They have received good reviews on Fodors. We are using them to book hotels for our trip in February and the prices are very good, and include breakfast and taxes. We're thinking of the Asiana Intercontental in Saigon, which has good reviews on Trip Advisor & is less expensive than the Park Hyatt. Also thinking about the Majestic for the atmosphere. In Hanoi, we are considering the HE5, but we have points for the Hilton and it's hard to pass up free...

We stayed at the Liberty Central and loved it. It is only a block away from the main market and walking distance to most of the recommended sites. The buffet breakfast was the best we had during our stay in VN. The service is great and the room clean and comfortable. There is free internet in the lobby and a pool on the roof top, although there is not much cover from the sun for one wanting to lounge by the pool. We live in Florida and prefer to stay out of the sun anyway. While it is nice having a pool available, when we were hot and tired we preferred retiring to the air conditioned room for a nap. Sorry, but I don't know how this compares to the Sommerset Apartments.

in bkk somersets are very nice, so i suspect they would be the same in vn/.///

I really like the Somerset Chancellor. I have stayed there 4 times. It is a great property in an excellent locations. But $150 is not cheap in HCMC. There are many lower cost options, but with far fewer amenities and quality of establishment.

sf7307, check this as well:

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...y-173538-2.cfm

krgystn, I can do with "far fewer amenities" (by which I assume you mean bar/restaurant/fitness center/pool/spa/business center), but not necessarily with far less "quality of establishment". I'm not a person for whom it's gotta be the Four Seasons or I'd rather stay home, but I do like pleasant surroundings (not to mention clean, with a comfortable bed, good shower and great A/C). My only objection to the Liberty Central is that the pictures on their website and the pictures on TripAdvisor don't see to "match up", and the ones on Trip Advisor do make the rooms look sort of Motel 6-ish. Please, if that's an incorrect impression, I'd be more than happy to be corrected!!

Last visit to SGN I stayed at the Hong Vy, which was a decent 2 star (by US standards) for only 50 USD. It is a good deal for that price. Check it on trip advisor. It had good AC and was clean, but the furniture was old, etc. It is fine if you are only there for a couple nights. (I repeat, it is 2 stars!) ;^)

sf, that Liberty Central looks pretty nice, and it is in District 1. Not sure where it is, but I may have to check that out on my next trip.

Ok, so the room is not fabulously decorated. It is however, new, clean and roomy with a flat screen tv, blow dryer, toiletries, refrigerator, water, great service from by the staff, a good breakfast and a great location for a great price. This is not a Motel 6 by any means.

Liberty Central is in a pretty good location, just down the street from Cho Ben Thanh and the Reunification Palace. And only about a 10 minute walk to the Opera House and Dong Khoi street.

Here's a few more useful websites for Vietnam.

http://restaurantsvietnam.com/

http://www.asialifehcmc.com/LowRes_p..._ExpatLife.pdf

<<<Ok, so the room is not fabulously decorated. It is however, new, clean and roomy with a flat screen tv, blow dryer, toiletries, refrigerator, water, great service from by the staff, a good breakfast and a great location for a great price. This is not a Motel 6 by any means.>>>


dgunbug, I definitely was only referring to the furniture design! We'll probably go for the Liberty Central after all. I'll keep you posted.

Bisbee, eks, et al, thank you so much for the link to asialife. I really had no idea how big and how modern a city Saigon is until I scrolled through it (I'm printing it now). How many days would you suggest a first-timer stay in Saigon, on the assumption that we really just like to wander around, eat, shop, just see the city and feel the vibe. Sightseeing particular sights is fine, but not absolutely necessary (of course, we'll see the few specific things people insist must be seen in Saigon!). For what it's worth, we love cities like New York and London, and can just wander for hours on end in either.