I travel to learn, eat everything in sight, and throw myself headfirst into new places — chaos and all. But as an introvert, having a calm, comfortable place to come home to at the end of the day is non-negotiable. A good night’s sleep and a long shower are what let me fully enjoy the madness outside.
I’ve done my time in hostels and budget stays, and these days, a great hotel matters. So when I stumble across a hidden gem that’s both luxurious and affordable, it’s a big win. Enter the Hilton Saigon.
After a splurge stay at the Banyan Tree, I was looking for a solid balance of comfort and cost in Ho Chi Minh City — expecting decent, not dazzling. It’s rare a hotel room genuinely surprises me, but this one absolutely did.
The Hilton Saigon is hands-down the best Hilton I’ve ever stayed in: full-on luxury at a surprisingly reasonable price. If you’re looking for a standout stay in the city, keep reading because this one’s worth it.
You can read my full post on Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) HERE.
Location of The Hilton Saigon
The hotel is situated in HCMC’s District 1, right alongside the Saigon river. That means it’s perfectly located to explore all of the main tourist spots on foot within a 30 minute walk including Independence Palace, the War Remnants Museum and Saigon Old Town.
It’s also located along the river, making it a great location from which to base yourself if you want to explore by water. It’s a quick 2 minute walk to the pier for river cruises, or boat trips down the to the famous Cu Chi War Tunnels to learn about Vietnam’s complex war history.
Accommodation at The Hilton Saigon
The accommodation is stunning, and well above the normal standard I would expect of Hilton. We had booked a basic King room, but were upgraded to a King Premium Corner River View room. The first thing that struck us when we arrived at night was the incredible views looking out over the Saigon River – wow!
The bed was huge and incredibly comfortable, with two large bedside tables. There was also a nice seating area with a decent sized couch and a chair, perfect for relaxing on. A mini bar also offered a good selection, including free water and snacks. There was also the absolute bonus of a huge walk in closet area for our suitcases and to hang our clothes!
The bathroom was dreamy, with a huge white marble tub and sink area, all with wonderful views out to the Saigon River, too! There was a large, powerful rain shower, and separate toilet! It was true luxury to come back to at the end of the day.
Cleaning service was impeccable each day, though there was no evening turn down service (not that I would expect one from a Hilton). We were also left some lovely arrival chocolates, and a nice handwritten note to welcome us.
Food & Drink at The Hilton Saigon
The hotel offers numerous options for dining and this was another huge selling point for me because they were all AMAZING.
Firstly, Song Bar on the 40th floor is a complete vibe. With huge ceilings, beautiful décor and so many delicious cocktails, we wiled away quite a few hours here just chatting and drinking. Whenever it rained and we couldn’t go out – Song Bar it was!
Residence 11 is a gorgeous restaurant serving Cantonese food. It has a huge menu with lots of amazing choice. We had the best meal of our entire month long trip here; a whole crispy duck carved at the table – YUM!
Finally, the main restaurant where breakfast is served is The Strand. The breakfast spread was absolutely incredible, serving Vietnamese, Chinese and Western style breakfasts. The coffee and tea was also really good and the staff were so lovely.
We did also order room service on our first night as we arrived at 10pm and couldn’t face trying to find somewhere open. Again it served a mix of Vietnamese and Western food, and was really good quality.
Amenities & Experiences at The Hilton Saigon
The main attraction beyond the restaurants of the hotel is the lovely rooftop pool, which also offers a pool bar for a lovely time relaxing amongst the chaos of the city. As the weather was so bad on our visit, we didn’t get to enjoy this – but we did go up for a couple of hours and had it to ourselves!
Also on site is a Gym, which looked to be well supplied with equipment. There is also an Eforea Spa, offering a range of treatments. We didn’t have any as we were prioritising doing things on our visit rather than relaxing, but the menu looked really extensive.
Finally, there is also an Executive Lounge, and a Business Center for those who want it.
It’s also important I mention that the attentiveness of the staff added a huge value to our stay. They were kind, helpful and funny. We had great service at every meal and in every interaction – from check in, to breakfast, to dinner and beyond. It really made our stay extra special.
Ho Chi Minh is a crazy city, and this hotel helped us navigate it by enabling us to sleep well, eat well and completely relax. I really would recommend it to anyone visiting Saigon who wants to find a city centre sanctuary. What do you think of the hotel? Let me know in the comments below.
This post also wraps up my time in Vietnam – I didn’t get to see as much as I had wanted given the typhoon, but still had an absolutely wonderful time in this magical country. After just under 2 weeks here, it was time to cross the border for the final 2 weeks of our trip – It was time to head to Cambodia!
Stay safe and happy travelling!
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