Rex Hotel*****
Our brief comments:
The Rex has one of the best locations in Ho Chi Minh City, next door to the French Colonial City Hall (now the People's Committee offices), and in easy walking distance from the famous Ben Thanh Market, and the historical Opera House and Notre Dame cathedral.
The hotel has a chequered history - it began life as a large French garage, was expanded by the Vietnamese, and then used by the United States Information Agency (and some say the CIA) from 1962 to 1970. A regular hangout for U.S. officials and journalists during the American War, the Rex was the setting for the U.S. military attaché's daily press briefing. After reunification, the building was transformed into an atmospheric state-run historic hotel.
In 1990, it underwent a massive renovation. A later, major expansion made it into a five-star hotel, and the most recent update was completed in spring 2012.
Despite its historic past and period architecture, the Rex is still very much a Vietnamese hotel. Room decor reflects an effort to balance Vietnamese traditional themes with modern comfort; there is little here referencing the French colonial genre. The 157 rooms and suites are good sized, and some have balconies with lovely views.
The 5th floor Hoa Mai restaurant serves Vietnamese, Asian and Western dishes and puts on the buffet breakfast, as well as Vietnamese folk music and dance shows. An international menu selection and drinks are served at the Rose Garden in the pleasantly lush inner courtyard. Paradise Coffee Lounge is a street-side retreat with live piano music.
The showpiece Rooftop Garden Bar has famous views, a collection of rare bonsai, ornamental fish and singing birds. This place is an attraction in its own right. A range of high quality drinks, snacks and full meals are served to live music.
There are two outdoor pools and a tennis court on the rooftop, as well as a fully-equipped fitness centre.
The Rex is an idiosyncratic hotel. Some of our clients rate it highly and praise the service and ambiance, while a few find it gloomy and depressing, particularly the older wing. If you're more used to conventional international establishments, you may fall into the latter category, but if you're prepared to put preconceptions to the side, the Rex might be an ideal choice.
(Last inspected in November, 2002)
Room facilities
Room Categories |
Deluxe |
Junior Suite |
Premium |
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Governor Suite |
Executive Suite |
Imperial Suite |
Presidential Suite |
Number of rooms |
35 |
14 |
59 |
33 |
10 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
Room position (wing) |
East |
East |
New |
East |
New |
New |
East |
New |
Room size (m2) |
32 |
34 |
38 |
43 |
57 |
75 |
98 |
200 |
Bed arrangement |
29 dbl/6 twin |
6 dbl/7 twin/1 trpl |
32 dbl/27 twin |
9 dbl/7 twin/17 trpl |
Double |
Double |
Double |
Double |
Window |
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Balcony |
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View (S=street, G=garden |
S (*some rooms) |
S (*some rooms) |
S, G |
S |
S |
S |
S |
S |
Extra bed |
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(*some rooms) |
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Baby cot |
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Air conditioner |
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Satellite television |
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Personal safety box |
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Wifi (free) |
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Cable Internet hub (on request) |
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Laptop/Internet TV |
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Bathtub/shower |
Bathtub |
Bathtub |
Bath + shower |
Bath + shower |
Bath + shower |
Bath + shower |
Bath, shower, jacuzzi |
Bath, shower, jacuzzi |
Floor |
Wood |
Wood |
Wood |
Wood |
Wood |
Wood |
Wood |
Wood |
Additional room facilities: pillow menu, daily newspaper, welcome fruit, breakfast, 02 connecting rooms (Premium)
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 |
n/a |
Children’s pool |
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Vietnamese/Asian restaurant |
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Fitness/health centre |
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International restaurant |
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Sauna |
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Patisserie/coffee shop/cafe |
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Massage |
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Business centre |
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Jacuzzi (suite only) |
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Accessible for the disabled |
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Additional hotel facilities: shoe shine, tennis court, tour desk, airport transfers, VIP services, MICE facilities.
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