Review: Hilton Saigon, an excellent new hotel in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1

This is our review of the new Hilton Saigon hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.

Somewhat surprisingly, Hilton Saigon is the only Hilton hotel in Vietnam’s most populous city. I don’t just mean Hilton-branded hotel: I mean any of Hilton’s many brands.

Given the massive amount of development happening in Vietnam, it will undoubtedly be joined by others. For a start, the former Hilton Hanoi Opera hotel is currently undergoing refurbishment into the future Waldorf Astoria Hanoi.

Opened in early 2024, Hilton Saigon is brand new with 228 guest rooms spread across the tower’s 40 floors. (Unlike many recent hotel developments in skyscrapers, rooms are available on high floors too.)

Hilton provided my stay for review purposes whilst I paid for all other expenses. The hotel website is here.

Where is Hilton Saigon?

Hilton Saigon is located on the banks of the river Saigon, one of several new buildings to stand around the half-moon shaped Me Linh Square and Tran Hung Dao Statue. It is approximately 30 minutes away from Tan Son Nhat Airport by car and just a few blocks away from the historic French colonial core of the city, with the Opera House, Post Office and other attractions.

The Ho Chi Minh City Metro has yet to open, but with taxis and ride hailing apps such as Grab available for just a few pounds and sometimes less, getting around is easy. Whilst the traffic in Ho Chi Minh City can be chaotic, it was never as bad as I expected: I’ve experienced worse gridlock in Bangkok and Los Angeles.

Inside the Hilton Saigon hotel

The lower eight floors of the building are dedicated to meeting and events space, with a big, pillar-free Grand Ballroom and various other spaces. For check-in, head to the ninth floor which is where you’ll find the reception and lobby lounge:

An architectural staircase connects the public floors of the hotel, which includes the tenth floor with the main restaurant and the eleventh with the pool, spa and gym.

On arriving, I was offered a welcome drink of cold tea during my check-in.

Rooms and suites at Hilton Saigon

Guest rooms are available on floors 12 through 38.

With key card in hand, I made my way up to my suite which I had been upgraded to on check in. I also managed to take a look at a standard guest room, which I’ll start with first.

Even the smallest rooms are generously proportioned and start at a comfortable 39 square metres, with options for a king or twin bed. This includes a spacious bathroom with separate shower and bath tub:

The window features a funky electrochemical coating that turns opaque when a switch is flicked. Although this tech has been around for some time, this is one of the first times I’ve seen it in a hotel, and the effect is instant.

The toilet is in a separate cubicle with a frosted glass door.

The room itself is equally spacious, in this case with twin beds and a shared bedside table:

Opposite is the TV and mini bar (a coffee machine is not provided, except in suites.)

That’s a standard room. Fancy a bit more space? The hotel also offers four categories of suites, of which the King Deluxe Corner Suite River View (mouthful!) is the lowest.

It’s decked out in the same style as the guest rooms but you obviously get far more space – almost double, at 70 square metres. A generous hallway and living room comes with a guest toilet:

and

In this case, the mini bar features a Nespresso machine, one of the perks of staying in a suite (although, given that many budget hotels have coffee machines these days, every room should really have one):

It’s the bedroom which has the real wow factor. I think over half the square footage is occupied by the bedroom and bathroom, with huge sweeping views across the Saigon River and the Tu Thiem 2 bridge:

Plenty of sockets and charging ports are on both sides of the bed, as you’d expect for a new build hotel:

Here is the full view of the river:

On the other corner, you have more floor to ceiling windows as well as an open wardrobe and massive marble bench that doubles up as a luggage rack. As someone who never unpacks, I was a big fan of this feature as there was ample space for multiple suitcases and more.

The bathroom is bigger and features the same electrochemical window for privacy. Strangely, for a suite of this size, there is only one wash basin:

Toiletries are the standard Crabtree & Evelyn you’ll find in every other Hilton.

The room came with the usual amenities including bath robes, safe and ironing board, although the latter was so well integrated I actually had to call someone up to the room to show me where it was!

One oddity I did experience is that the AC seemed to reset to 23C every time we left. I’m not sure if this was a technical fault or hotel policy to reduce electricity consumption but it meant powering it up to cool it down to 21C or so every time we got back. I did mention this to the hotel on checking out.

Pool and gym at Hilton Saigon

The outdoor pool on the 11th floor provides a welcome refreshment from the heat and humidity of Ho Chi Minh City, especially after a day of exploring. It’s not huge but is surrounded by about six or eight big day beds.

The gym is next door with windows overlooking the pool, which is perhaps a bit strange!

Breakfast and dining at Hilton Saigon

Hilton Saigon has a number of restaurants, lounges and bars, including two on the top floors.

Breakfast is served in the Strand Restaurant on the 10th floor and is buffet style. It is an extensive offering covering all bases, including a large selection of hot Western, Chinese and Vietnamese dishes. A variety of dietary requirements are catered with, for example, both pork and chicken sausages on offer:

Or vegetable and meat-based spring rolls, hash browns and even honey-glazed ham:

There is, of course, a proper noodle bar serving pho but you can also get slices of banh mi (Vietnamese baguette sandwiches).

A full assortment of fruits, pastries, yoghurts, cold cuts and more are all available. It is an impressive selection overall, and of good quality.

Whilst Strand is open for lunch and dinner as well, you can also choose to dine in the flagship Residence Eleven restaurant on the 39th floor specialising in Cantonese cuisine. The designers have done a great job with the interiors:

The menu includes classics such as Peking Duck as well as fusion dishes and some Vietnamese dishes, as well.

We had to try the Peking duck, of course:

Having opened just over a month ago, the restaurant hasn’t quite made its mark on the city yet. With good food and an excellent location and ambience I’m sure it will establish itself soon.

One floor above Residence Eleven you’ll find Song Bar. Compared to the restaurant downstairs, this is a relatively compact space with just a handful of private seating areas as well as a long bar. A modern, art-deco inspired chandelier hangs between the two floors with a wrap-around staircase:

In addition to evening cocktails, Song Bar also offers a popular Afternoon Tea package.

The Executive Lounge at Hilton Saigon

The 34th floor is home to the hotel’s Executive Lounge, with complimentary access for anyone who books an Executive Room or with Hilton Honors Diamond status.

and

I enjoyed happy hour drinks before dinner both nights here and the food offering is very good. There are a few hot dishes which rotate on a nightly basis, but for me the highlights were the cooked prawns and various other cold little snacks:

On one evening slow cooked beef brisket was on offer:

There’s even a range of cakes and desserts:

The Executive Lounge was never overcrowded and the staff were friendly so it made a pleasant spot to relax.

Conclusion

My stay at the Hilton Saigon hotel could not be more different from the Park Hyatt Saigon which I reviewed here. Whereas the latter has a very traditional faux French colonial style the brand new Hilton Saigon embraces the ‘now’ with floor-to-ceiling windows and modern decor.

In terms of pricing, whilst the Park Hyatt starts at £200 per night, you’ll find the Hilton available from £140.

Whilst both are in District 1, the centre of Ho Chi Minh City, one is a mid rise surrounded by other colonial buildings whilst the Hilton Saigon has soaring views of the river from its 40-storey tower.

Service at the Hilton was just as good based on my limited interactions with staff and everything went smoothly.

In theory, the Park Hyatt brand is a step above the Hilton. In practice, they were pretty evenly matched and whilst the Hilton Saigon is not as luxurious as the Park Hyatt (nor would I ever expect it to be) I almost preferred it. Do you prefer a traditional luxury hotel or a modern, glass tower hotel? The choice is yours.

Rates at the Hilton Saigon start from £140 or 50,000 Hilton Honors points per night. You can find out more, and book, on the hotel website here.

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How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (April 2025)

There are various ways of earning Hilton Honors points from UK credit and debit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

There are two dedicated Hilton Honors debit cards. These are especially attractive when spending abroad due to the 0% or 0.5% FX fee, depending on card.

You also receive FREE Hilton Honors status for as long as you hold the debit cards – Gold status with the Plus card and Silver status with the basic card. This is a great reason to apply even if you rarely use it.

We reviewed the Hilton Honors Plus Debit Card here and the Hilton Honors Debit Card here.

You can apply for either card here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 30th April 2025, the annual fee on the basic Hilton Honors debit card is halved from £60 to £30. The sign-up bonus is also easier to earn – you need to spend £1,000 either in the UK or abroad within three months. The usual bonus rule requires you to spend the full £1,000 outside the UK.

There is another way of getting Hilton Honors status, and earning Hilton Honors points, from a payment card.

Holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as they hold the card.  It also comes with Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.

We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

You can also earn Hilton Honors points indirectly with:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (50,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Hilton Honors points is 1:2.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Hilton Honors points.