Finding the Continental booked up during my initial stay last month in Saigon was a surprise. The day may have now passed when you could walk in and always find a room there. While staying in HCMC, I did visit Vietnam Tourism and got a great rate for a night at the Continental for when I returned there from my trip to Hanoi. Often you will find high end prices on other hotel Internet sites.

The Continental Hotel was the first place I stayed at in Saigon three years ago, and I have always wanted to return and stay again. I can think of no better place to really bring about the feeling of being in Saigon than looking out the window at night at the continious flow of motor-scooter traffic crossing the Opera House Square past the Continental.
The Continental Hotel offers the feel of the past, and probably the one place that just seems to keep bringing the word Indochineese to your mind! You really are paying for an experience when you stay at the Continental -and a very good experience at that. The rooms are huge and have high ceilings with comfortable beds and a/c units that really can keep the place cool.

The front desk upgraded me to an Orient Suite, and I found myself with a hotel room the size of the living room of my house and a balcony looking directly down onto the Opera House Square and the lively pageant of traffic passing at night. It was incredible!

The center hotel terrace was under construction, so I was not able to take breakfast out there as I had done in the past. That to me was truly a cool experience on my first stay, one that feels like you are in a different age. They do have a good breakfast spread, and excellent coffee!

The staff at the Continental are very friendly and extremely helpful. I was especially happy that I was allowed a late check-out because of a late afternoon flight to Singapore. The Business Center has several computers - nothing fast about them, but you can check your emails there for a price. (If it is taking to long to log in - do ask to switch computers!)

There may be many new hotels springing up in Saigon, but I look forward to my next stay in the Continental!

As you walk in, you can almost feel the history envelop you and beckon you to stay. It didn’t take much convincing actually, as we had established a silent dialogue between us that said we’ve got to experience this.

The hotel itself is situated in the heart of District One in Saigon, where anything worth its weight is located. In fact, most of the hotels I mentioned are within walking distance of each other. The Caravelle sits right across the street, only separated by the majestic Opera House. One of the entrances is on posh Dong Khoi Street, facing an amazing bookstore called Fahasa, which deserves its own journal. On one of the other corners, construction is going up fast and furious, and we learn a new mall is coming. Shame, since Dong Khoi has a string of fantastic boutiques of silk and mother of pearl crafts, lacquered items that are positively bewitching, embroideries, art and more.

We were shown a room prior to our booking during our first phase of the trip in Saigon , and we were awestruck. The room we finally did get was no less regal. I have included a photo, but you just had to be there. We were able to share the balcony with large potted palms in the evening, as the air was less humid. As we arrived in the room, the living area, which is larger than my own living room at home, was so very welcoming with an assortment of those gorgeous fruits, from the Mekong Delta undoubtedly. The hot-water container was there, with the magical white coffee that became our addiction. The ceilings were so high and adorned with exquisite woodwork that continued from the entrance hall and turned into wall-length closets with plush, white robes and straw slippers for the bath. A king-size bed anchored the room, separated by a built-in wooden room divider with some lovely, typical Vietnamese sculptures.

Behind that were carved benches and sofa for "entertaining," and one could conceivably have a party here for six or more people quite comfortably. Room rates range from $100 to $170, exclusive of VAT and a 5% service charge. A fabulous breakfast is included in the room rate

Facilities include a banquet, conference room, bar, and fitness center. On the ground floor, you will find the executive business center and a concierge (they call it public relations). The hotel has its own website , and I encourage you to check it out. The folks at the reception area are very polite and accommodating. There are historical pictures on the walls of the hotel from as far back as the 1880s.

Try to get a room at the back of the hotel if you are a light sleeper as traffic noise can be as much a problem here as anywhere else in Saigon. That said I spent a week in one of the first floor front rooms and found that I adjusted to the noise without any difficulty.

Breakfasts are a buffet affair and certainly sufficient to meet everyone’s needs. Although you can sit in the air-conditioned restaurant, it is much better to grab your meal and take it out into the central courtyard.