Sofitel Saigon Plaza

My impression of the hotel was already bad before I stayed with them. I contacted the hotel regarding my stay and finally reached out to the Reservation and Revenue Manager, Linh. Throughout our conversation, she was condescending and kept throwing terms and conditions at us. She even had the audacity to accuse us of lying, not once but three times, after we shared some of our experiences with other ACCOR hotels in Europe and Asia. With such a person at the management level, whose attitude is more profit-centric rather than customer-centric, I doubt our stay will be pleasant with them. She even challenged me to get in touch with the hotel GM if I can.

I would like to recommend this place, beautiful stay as always concerning the beds. The team was really nice and listen to our needs. Quality of the services was perfect, nothing to say. The location is really close to the center so you can do easily everything by walking. Special mention to the Operator Team (Khuê, Hòa, Vân, Ngọc and Hoàn) who give the perfect moment for the birthday of my sister thanks to their organisation. Honestly, you are never disappointed with Sofitel around the world.

I had great service from Ms. Hoàn Nguyễn of Room Service as she catered to my very picky demand(s). I called her back after receiving my food to thank her and she said to me as long as I’m happy she’s happy. She made my day!

Having stayed in several Accor Hotels, you come to appreciate differences among them. This Sofitel in Saigon stands out as being very popular, fully booked and, on the flip side, very much crowded and cluttered at times. The best part of this Sofitel was the Swimming Pool area. So open, spacious and de-cluttered. The Swimming Pool was worth staying here. As well as a few outstanding staff: Mr. Marcus, Ms. Huong, Ms. Astrid, Mr. Brian and Mr. Dang. Excellent service by Mr. Van That at Breakfast. Interestingly, when arriving to check-in, we were not able to enter due to a hundred or so persons crowding the Lobby, with no one available to guide us where to check-in. This was due to a special event occurring on this night, with people crowding inside the Lobby and outside at the Front Entrance. After checking-in, I observed that my room was not with a balcony or city view, although I booked Sofitel exclusively for a balcony and city view. As the hotel was fully booked, was not able to change rooms and downgrading was not encouraged. Thankfully, Mr. Marcus went the extra mile to see what he could do. Excellent hospitality on his end.

Location-wise, the hotel is within walking distance from places of interest in District 1 (Cathedral of Notre Dame, Post Office, Ho Chi Minh statue) and the offices of foreign banks and insurers. I came to stay for a team offsite event as well as visiting my company's Vietnam office nearby, and my wife joined me for an extended stay in HCMC. The fact that my wife has no complaint about the room (and she has high expectations) speaks volumes. Our room, bed, duvet and pillows were clean and comfortable. There is no need to bring along power socket converters as the built-in plugs can cater for the British type G plug and others as well. Other memorable things we liked about our room and the hotel were: 1) the large mirrors (one for the dressing table and two mirrors in the bathroom) which ladies will find very useful. There are also 2 large mirrors near the elevators to check your appearance before going out. 2) the tastiness and the variety of food in the breakfast and lunch buffet, with local delicacies (banh mi, pho, Vietnamese coffee), French boulangerie breads and healthy choices in addition to the customary selections. 3) the hotel gym has sufficient machines and tools for a good workout 4) the outdoor swimming pool which I swam one of the mornings. There is a children's wading pool and one can have a good view of District 1 surroundings from level 18. 5) the staff at the lobby, business centre, restaurants and housekeeping were courteous, attuned to guests' needs and very helpful. 6) The fragrance, ambience and the general atmosphere in the room, business centre, gym, restaurants and the swimming pool commensurate with a 5-star hotel. 7) the transport from the airport to hotel - comfortable cars, with a bottle of water and a driver who can drive safely and calmly amidst the hectic HCMC traffic. The thing that might be of a concern but not the fault of the hotel, is noise from the street outside. The road is a major road and could be noisy during weekdays. The prices of Sofitel Saigon are only slightly lower than 4-star hotels in Singapore, but in my view it is worth the value. Kudos to GM Mr Alistair Minty, Manager Mr Eban, Miss Zoey at the front desk, Mr Tiger and the young driver at the airport, housekeeper My Chau and all the other staff who have made our holiday a pleasant one.