Grand Hotel****
Our brief comments:
The 12-storey Grand Hotel is conveniently located in the heart of the city centre near the Saigon River, about a quarter of the way up Dong Khoi, Ho Chi Minh City's premier shopping and dining street.
Built in 1930 in an exuberant style topped with a large Moorish dome and named the Palace Hotel, it has a long heritage. During the 50's, when the road was called 'Rue Catinat' and the hotel had fallen into disrepair, the dilapidated building provided the inspiration for Fowler's flat in 'The Quiet American'. With the arrival of the Americans in the sixties, the hotel slipped further as Rue Catinat became an area of seedy bars and brothels.
Finally, when tourism was beginning to take off in Vietnam, the Palace was completely renovated in in 1997 and emerged, phoenix-like, with a new name and its original architectural glory. Finally, in 2003, it was elevated to become the four-star Grand Hotel of the present day.
The lounge and reception area are somewhat oddly arranged. The restaurant and lobby area is a popular place for wedding parties, so you might bump into noisy crowds - fortunately, Vietnamese weddings usually happen in the daytime and don't last long!
Standard and Superior rooms are on the small side, but comfortable enough.
The Chez-Nous restaurant on the ground floor serves traditional Asian, Vietnamese and Western food. The Belle Vue restaurant on the 12th floor serves full meals and provides a panoramic view of the city. The Coffee Lounge offers a good variety of beverages and cakes.
(Inspected May 2006)
Room facilities (?= awaiting updated information from the hotel):
Room Categories |
Standard |
Superior |
Deluxe |
Suite |
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| Number of rooms |
14 |
20 |
30 |
10 |
6 |
Air-conditioner |
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Satellite television |
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Shower only |
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Bath with shower |
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| Bath + separate shower |
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 new wing |
new wing |
 old wing |
old wing |
Personal safety box |
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Coffee and tea facilities |
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| Laptop connection |
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| Free broadband access |
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Extra bed available? |
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Child's cot available? |
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Room size (m2) |
22 |
25 |
36 |
45 |
100 |
View |
City |
City |
Pool |
River |
River |
Additional room facilities:
Hotel facilities:
Outdoor pool |
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Non-smoking floor(s) |
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Pool bar |
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Non-smoking rooms only |
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Fitness/health centre |
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Vietnamese/Asian restaurant |
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Sauna |
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International restaurant |
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Massage |
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Patisserie/coffee shop/cafe |
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Jacuzzi |
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Business centre |
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Additional hotel facilities:
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