Where do I begin? Seven years ago, I was right here at Sofitel Saigon Plaza Hotel lobby, just checking out this luxurious hotel in the middle of Ho Chi Minh City. I told myself: “One day, I’ll be back to this city again and explore this hotel for myself. Seven years later, I’ve made good on that promise. The place still looked just as new and classy as before. The lobby area was grand, with pots of fresh orchid flowers surrounding two prominent wooden tiered-structures. It almost felt like I was going back in time, except now, I’d be staying at Sofitel Saigon Plaza Hotel for two nights!
I can’t wait to share you guys my detailed review of the Sofitel experience, and should you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below! Also, I’ve created a video showcasing Sofitel Saigon Plaza Hotel and some highlights of my trip to Ho Chi Minh City. Do check it out at the end of this post!
Hotel Lobby
Bonjour!
The grand entrance to any hotel is important because first impressions count. It could either make you feel relaxed, calm or unwelcome in an instant. Fortunately, Sofitel Saigon’s lobby is spacious and the natural lighting together with the calming scent filled the lobby, putting me at ease after a 2-hour morning flight. The best part? My package allows me to have access to the Club Sofitel Lounge! The check-in procedure was actually done there, which actually helps as we could have some tea or snacks while waiting for them to process our details.
Superior Room
After sipping some refreshing lotus tea, the ever-so-polite staff gave us our room card and briefed us about Club Sofitel, as well as the hotel’s array of facilities. With our room being located on the 12th floor, it was a pleasant sight to see our luggage placed neatly on the luggage stand when we reached there. That was smooth, Sofitel!
I was told these rooms have been newly refurbished, so the rooms look new and chic. The purple floor carpet, decorated with beautiful orchid designs, added a touch of elegance. I love how they have paired it with blacks to give the room a very posh feel. I would soon come to realise it’s more than just a room for you to spend the night in.
I found a little welcome treat on the tea table beside the armchair. Celebrate your safe flight to Ho Chi Minh with a glass of sparkling water.
The room is fully equipped with coffee/tea-making facilities, flat-screen TV, DVD player, Lavin Bath amenities, mini bar and complimentary high-speed internet.
Power sockets are available for two or three-pin plugs, and there were ample sockets installed throughout the room.
Now comes the exciting part, one that truly differentiates Sofitel from other hotels.
Sofitel Bath Ritual
I came to know about Sofitel Bath Ritual through the reviews on TripAdvisor. True enough, they do provide complimentary bath rituals upon request. The bath amenities would be set up right beside the bathtub.
The soothing bath set comes with a candle, bath salts, Lavin Shower Gel and Lavin Body Lotion. The bubble bath set comes with a sweet-smelling jasmine fizzy bath gallet. The bath gallet fizzles and dissolves into the water. Since the bath gallet itself is blue, it actually turns the whole tub of water into this aquamarine colour. It almost feels like you’re swimming in the deep blue sea!
Sofitel My Bed and Pillow Menu
Sofitel really know how to spoil their guests. In addition to their comfy beds and silky bedsheets, they actually have a Bed and Pillow Menu, where you get to choose the type of pillow you want. Soft or hard – take your pick. Hard not to get a good night’s rest with such services.
And as part of AccorHotels Planet 21 green initiative, they have offered their guests the choice of reusing their towels and bedsheets. These help reduceof water wastage, and in turn is used to fund their reforestation programme. Did you know the water used to clean 5 unused towels can be used to plant a tree!
To my other eco-conscious friends, this is one green hotel among the family of AccorHotels to check out. I hate to say this but with all these hotel amenities available, it’s quite hard for me to leave the hotel when everything here is so inviting for me to try and experience.
Breakfast @ Mezz Restaurant
You might have already read or heard about it that Sofitel Saigon serves one of the best buffet breakfast in town. I’ve read so many positive reviews on their breakfast at Mezz restaurant, and I wasn’t disappointed with what I found. The breakfast spread was indeed huge and they’ve got a great selection of cheese, pastries, fruits and other breakfast staples. There’s even a section on Asian food which includes Chinese Dim sum and Japanese specialities. Given a choice, I would prefer to have my breakfast at the Club Sofitel Lounge because the spread there was even better. It made me wonder who is the Chef that heads the kitchen the Lounge.
Breakfast here at Mezz restaurant starts at 6 am and ends at 10 am. Lunch is served from 11.30 am to 2.30pm and dinner is served from 6.30 pm to 10.30 pm.
There are a few dining options over here at Sofitel Saigon Plaza Hotel. There’s L’Olivier, a French fine dining restaurant that serves authentic French cuisine as well as the Boudoir Lounge where you can enjoy some drinks. There’s also a rooftop pool bar where you can enjoy some refreshments by the pool, against the backdrop of a scenic view of Saigon.
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| L’Olivier Restaurant |
Executive Club Sofitel Lounge
The club benefits here are pretty good. Opening daily from 6 am to 10 pm, you can come here for some drinks and snacks. They serve breakfast (6 am to 10 am) and afternoon tea (3 pm to 5 pm). Cocktail hour starts at 6 pm and ends at 8 pm.
Over here, you can also enjoy a beautiful city view of Saigon.
Afternoon Tea @ Club Sofitel Lounge
When it comes to afternoon tea, it’s quite a spread. They serve the sweet and savoury in small bite sizes. Some of these sweet delicacies were very delicious.
Breakfast@ Club Sofitel Lounge
There’s a mini buffet breakfast spread accompanied with an a la carte menu. It’s a pity we didn’t get to try their a la carte breakfast as we were in a rush to head over to for an early morning tour of Cu Chi Tunnels.
Remember to try out the Vietnamese coffee served at the lounge. It’s authentic coffee presented in the most exquisite manner.
Cocktail Evening @ Club Sofitel Lounge
When the sun sets comes and the city skyline starts to glimmer in the dark, it’s time to unwind and enjoy cocktail hour at the club. The candles are lit, and even staff will strike up conversations with the guests. I love the evening vibe here and the pleasant staff made our evening even better. They would also throw in a couple of surprises and asked us if we would like to try some pho or other Vietnamese delicacies. It’s hard to say no because the Pho was so good! It is comparable to the traditional Pho you find in a typical Vietnamese stall.
That bowl of Pho was pretty memorable for me.
And with that ‘Eiffel tower-like’ structure planted right in the middle of this city, it’s quite apt to say that Saigon is the Paris of Asia.
Swimming Pool and Poolside Bar
Because of our packed schedule, we didn’t have the chance to take a dip into their rooftop swimming pool. It would have been lovely to take a dip in the evening because the night view is quite breath-taking.
There’s also a gym and a spa in the hotel. The gym actually offers complimentary fitness classes like yoga, so if you burn all the calories you’ve accumulated from all that eating! The Natural Rendez-Vous Spa, at Sofitel Saigon Plaza offers massage, aromatherapy and skin rituals using only 100% pure and active botanical ingredients.
Shuttle Bus Service
Sofitel Saigon Plaza Hotel is located in District 1, which makes it easy for any traveller to explore the city on foot since most of the attractions are located in within that area. What’s even more convenient is the shuttle service provided by Sofitel to Ben Thanh Market. All you need to do is make a reservation with the reception. From Ben Thanh Market, you can walk over to other places of interests within Ho Chi Minh City.
We had a memorable experience here at Sofitel Saigon Plaza and we are most looking forward to try out the other Sofitel hotels situated at other parts of the world!
Special thanks to Sofitel Saigon Plaza for the accommodation and the wonderful hospitality.
17 Le Duan
District 1
Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam
70000 HO CHI MINH
VIET NAM
