HO CHI MINH CITY: EMPRESS HOTEL

facade of the Empress Hotel
For the nth time, I found myself again here in this equally charming and fascinating city of Ho Chi Minh at Vietnam.

Being a random trip, the search for a value-for-money accommodations was the challenge.  Through my personal account at http://www.hotels.com/ I was able to locate one of the cheapest hotels available during our travel dates, which accessibility to the central business district and the tourist attractions of the city is manageable, in fact, a walking distance at that, not to mention that wandering in Ho Chi Minh City indeed entails a lot of walking.  This hotel is the Empress Hotel.

Since it would be the first time for my friend, Ms. W, to be in Vietnam, it would be an honor for me to introduce her to this wonderful city (which I consider my second home), which means the accommodations takes a large role for impression purposes.

Overall, this colonial-style hotel was indeed a great value for money with classic decor equipped with well-maintained rooms, facilities and amenities. 

Location: 136 Bui Thi Xuan Street District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 


the windows on the right side of the bed gives an expansive view of the city
Rooms

We were booked on a junior suite which to me appears to be the same as their superior suite.  The rooms were cozy and well-decorated, with three beds of deluxe heated mattress pads which keeps us warm.  The air-conditioned rooms include a TV, a safe, a kitchen with a refrigerator and tea/coffee making facilities, a DVD player and a private bathroom. 





The bathroom is clean, spacious and well-maintained with the toilet and shower separated by a glass door. Complimentary toiletries are also included. 

All rooms come with a free and strong wireless internet connection as well, which is a good consideration when choosing a hotel (at least for me).


the reception area

Facilities and Amenities

Cebu Pacific flights from Manila to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam are usually with travel times of early morning as arrival, thus, the reserved hotel should be available to entertain and check-in guests during such hours.  

In our case, we arrived at almost 1AM, however, upon arrival at the hotel, it was business as usual.  Other hotels I have checked-in before were closed during the said hours and they just opened the reception area when we arrived, which is something unusual for me.  But for Empress Hotel, reception staff are lively and ready on hand to assist even at such hour of the day.  The hotels' facilities include a 24 hour reception, business center and concierge.  The hotel made reservations for our Mekong River tour upon our request.


Breakfast was free during our stay and the hotel has an in-house restaurant with a mini-bar, who wish to drink and unwind in a relaxing interiors.  Oriental food was served.  

The reception area of the hotel further displays the plaques of recognition which the hotel have received from the years 2007 to 2009, being the Best Boutique Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam.  I can vouch for the quality of rooms and service that the hotel offers, which makes it worthy of such recognitions.

Cost

To reiterate, this is a good for value money accommodation.  In our case, we spent around 35USD or approximately PhP1415.00 for a night and that is good for three.  Thus, accommodations may go as low as 500 pesos for each one of us.  The cost may vary depending on how many will share in the expenses and of course, the maximum number of occupants allowed by the hotel.


Travel Period:  September 26-28, 2012

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4 comments

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  2. thank you very much for your recommendation, i would like to recommend this hotel
    sanouva budget hotel in district 1 ho chi minh city

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  3. I’m happy that you enjoyed your journey in Ho Chi Minh City. We hope to have a chance to welcome you back soon at our hotels in Ho Chi Minh City, District 1. Please check out our cool hotel deals and enjoy Vietamese cuisine at The Garlik Restaurant (one of the top 3 restaurants in HCMC on Tripadvisor).

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