Entree Kibbles: Vien Dong Hotel - Near Bui Vien Walking Street @ Ho Chi Minh City [Vietnam]

Friday, December 23, 2022

Vien Dong Hotel - Near Bui Vien Walking Street @ Ho Chi Minh City [Vietnam]

Which part of planning for an overseas trip is the most frustrating for you? For me, it has to be finding a suitable accommodation; one that is convenient, not too expensive, with good review etc etc.

I spent a while looking for a hotel before my trip to Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) and cancel no less than two different hotels before deciding on Vien Dong Hotel in District 1, which the Great Kon had stayed before, and also within walking distance to Bui Vien Walking Street.

Spacious hotel lobby and there's even a branch of Wayne's Coffee (operating hours from 7.00am till 9.00pm), which originated from Sweden but managed to gain some headway in Vietnam's highly competitive coffee cafe business!

Service was top-notch and coffee was good; Alex actually kick-started his day a few times at Wayne's Coffee. Stingy me didn't want to spend the money since complimentary buffet breakfast was provided, although I did steal a sip of Alex's iced coffee once and it was unforgettably delicious.

Key thing that I die die must know upon check-in; Wi-Fi password as I am an incredible data guzzler and unlike connectivity in the past, Wi-Fi provided in hotels nowadays appeared pretty fast.

Collected our keycards! Vien Dong Hotel actually started operations in 1997 (last renovation was in 2015) and had 100 rooms spread across ten floors, with the top floor housing the conference hall and meeting rooms for events.

Our assigned floor; 7th. And of course, non-smoking. As the retired fire safety coordinator at my workplace, I have always emphasized the need to know our fire escape route, especially important when it comes to overseas accommodation.

Iconic view for Vien Dong Hotel; the strings of red lanterns hanging from the ceiling skylight. The first word that would likely come out from the mouth of the unsuspecting guests would be "wow"!

The "artwork" stretched all the way down to what appeared to be a garden courtyard.

I guess most rooms have a window; just a matter of whether it is inner view or city view. Kind of weird to have this inner view though since I can literally see the insides! In the example above, you can definitely see the feet.

For those curious about the garden courtyard; here it is. Located on level three, this also happened to be the location for the hotel's administrative office and the gymnasium.

Room

Finally stepping in to our allocated deluxe room; 713. At 28 square meters, it's pretty comfortable and didn't seem claustrophobic. Only issue by Alex was that he always prefers carpeted floor whereas I am not that particular; even tiled flooring is fine for me.

Admittedly, this corner was tiny and to be frank, I didn't even sit on the chairs throughout my stay as the angle was quite awkward and lying on the bed was more comfortable. I did get close to them though; to take the bottles of mineral water, sachets of coffee powder, and to move them so that I can look out of the window.

City view outside the window.

For more photos, click here.

Closet with the in-room safe. Given the current shortage of manpower at my workplace, I need to bring my laptop whenever I travel, and it's of utmost importance that the room I am staying in has a safe.

Ask you a question; would you assume the drinks inside are chargeable or complimentary? I assume the bottles of mineral water would be free whereas the soft drinks are chargeable. Turned out it's chargeable but I can't remember how much as I was in a desperate rush to settle the bill during the checking out.

A painting of Vietnamese ladies in Nón Lá (the pointed hats) and Áo Dài (traditional attire) was hung over the bed. With a bicycle next to each of them, it appeared as if they were gazing at the rising of sky lanterns?

Tote bag for your shopping; it's not free and cost 80,000 Vietnamese dong, which is about S$4.50. Thankfully, I came prepared even though some guests would likely buy it as a hotel memento.

By the way, the air-conditioning in the room was strong!

Washroom; equipped with a bathtub and came with hair dryer too. I missed having a bidet; even a handheld bidet spray would be a good-to-have.

List of toilet amenities. Two things I would use; the toothpaste and also the shower cap (not for its intended purpose). I don't use the toothbrush as I am picky with the bristles; I only for soft.

Gymnasium

I always feel that a gymnasium would take up a much bigger space whereas a much smaller one should be named gym room instead. No matter what, I researched beforehand and thought this would satisfied my basic needs.

Weights station would be a must and it's nice to see a chest press machine and an abdominal bench. I would like a multifunctional trainer system but have to constantly remind myself that I only paid S$43 a night.

As I was disallowed from jogging outdoors, given the traffic, I had to make use of the treadmill for my jogging. Absolutely hate it as it was boring (no changing scenery) and time passed very slowly.

Balcony outside the gym.

The hotel did face a park (specifically September 23rd Park) but it wouldn't fulfil my daily jog of five kilometers and my friends were worried I would land myself in either an accident (knowing how clumsy I am) or get robbed.

Breakfast Buffet

Honestly, I don't take breakfast at home and wouldn't usually opt for non-breakfast option for cheaper hotel pricing. At Vien Dong Hotel, breakfast was chargeable at S$17.00 for two persons; however, it was included as part of the room deal. Click here to check out the pictures of the breakfast buffet at Nha Hang Restaurant, on 1st floor of the hotel!

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Overall, a comfy stay at Vien Dong Hotel. I did feel that the staff manning the reception counter can be friendlier; even the housekeepers performed better. Location wise, no complaint even though I would likely opt to be nearer to Ben Thanh market in my next visit.

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