Quote: Dong Khoi is the central hub of Ho Chi Minh home to boutiques, the Notre Dame Cathedral, at famous Rex Hotel. Built in the 50's by the French it became the home base for the US military during the war and many journalists. Walking into the Rex is like stepping into another era. Elegance and luxury are combined with what I can only begin to describe as safari via the 1930's (thing large tusks). My experience at the Rex was in three areas: massages, the roof top bar, and the cafe. Anyone is welcome into the hotel regardless if they are staying there or not.
The cafe on the bottom level is a great place to cool off. The room is large with ceiling fans slowly turning. I had a hard time not being swept up in the feel of being a war time journalist, as my friends and I sat around and talked about what we did in Vietnam, laughed over stories of our adventures only days earlier in China, and planned for our next few days in Thailand, all of the time watching a flat screen TV that was showing pictures of a uprising in Beijing just the day before. The ice cream here was a great treat and enough of a reason to bring us back three or four times.
The Roof Top Bar can not be missed. The music is a bit hokey, their was a mariachi band playing. But at night the lights that are strung around the roof give a romantic feel to the bar, and the cool breeze is a wonderful break from the hot days. The food wasn't memorable, but the spring rolls were to die for (I found this true anywhere I went in Saigon
What first drew me to the Rex was the massages. On the top floor of the hotel, all the way in the back is a small "salon". Just ask downstairs and anyone at the desk will point the way. My one suggestion is to have a girl ask for directions, after all the "salon" is known for it's Happy Ending, if you catch my drift. Once upstairs you must wait outside until a chair is ready, but the views are worth the wait. Large parts of the city can be seen from here. Once inside I got a massage, pedicure, and manicure for under $10 plus tip (this is what the girls live off of). I sat next to my friend Shawn who was enjoying the massage and pedicure more then he would admit when my friend Mike came out of one of the back rooms. He was looking whiter then usual and very jittery. When he saw me he immediately ran over and stood next to me looking around for his friend Christina. A few minutes later Christina came out of another room, he grabbed her an ran. Later that night I caught up with Mike to ask him what happened. He explained that he was taken into a back room (I didn't even know that they existed until he told me) for a massage that turned out to be full body. When the massage came to an end the girl asked if he would like a "happy ending." Mike said no, but she didn't take that as an answer and proceeded on. That's when he jumped up and ran out of the room and found me outside. After hearing his story I had a hard time going back to the Rex for a massage.
From journals Vietnam...It's a Country Not a War