Ho Chi Minh City hasn’t quite captured the boutique hotel scene like the rest of Vietnam, especially Hanoi where there are some beautiful hotels right in the heart of the city. But finally a property has arrived, and although not located right in the city centre, it’s a 15 minute speed boat ride up the Mekong river to the stunning An Lam Saigon River ‘private residences’.
View from one of the balconies
I have to admit, I’ve seen a lot of hotels on my travels and some are memorable and others just don’t really work, but I was most intrigued about seeing An Lam Saigon River because it’s such a fantastic concept and really could fill a gaping hole in the market for those who don’t want to travel for long distances to see river life, i.e. in the Mekong Delta.
Typical guest room
The property itself has kept its private residence name and is a collection of 7 buildings which will eventually house 15 luxury and intimate guest rooms, all individually designed in a contemporary feel with elegant Vietnamese touches. All of the rooms have stunning views of the Saigon River and most have huge private pools (you definitely don’t need to use the word ‘plunge’ here!). You’ll also find all your mod cons, rain showers, huge bathtubs and so on that you would expect to find in a luxury hotel.
Outside bathroom
The property has literally only just opened and they were still adding the finishing touches as we looked around. It’s got a very relaxing feel, especially because of the river setting, but with the setting in tropical gardens and the small pleasant houses containing the rooms the property seems to suit its surroundings quite naturally already!
Epikurean are the management company looking after this hotel, and having already done a superb job of opening and running An Lam Ninh Van Bay, in Nha Trang close to the Six Senses Hideaway, it’s clear that this hotel will run to the same standard and you’ll find every member of staff going out of their way to make your stay most memorable.
This property is going to work fantastically when combined with a stay in Saigon city centre, so you may have already travelled for a couple of weeks and want some chill time before you hit the busy centre, or equally if you need somewhere to unwind straight away at the beginning of your holiday this place really is ideal. On the other hand, if you don’t like big Asian cities, District 1 of the city is only 15 minutes by speedboat, so you can use this property as a base and easily explore without actually staying there. Plus the Cu Chi tunnels are accessible from the river, and it only takes 45 minutes by boat as opposed to the 1.5 hr journey by car, so it really doesn’t feel isolated if you don’t want it to be. I have to admit as well – the speed boat ride is very cool!
Honestly I can say that there aren’t many properties like this Vietnam and I don’t think there is anything else like it in the south of the country. If you’ve been to Sri Lanka with us, you’ll find it very similar to the boutique hotels we use there. Check out our website for similar hotels or tours of Vietnam.
One of the pools
Phuket can now seriously claim to host some of the most luxurious properties in Asia. However, I personally find many of the so-called ‘top’ properties fall way short of the mark and do not offer relative value for money or anything particularly spectacular beyond flash brochures & websites and prices to match! Having a private swimming pool or lavish facilities is not enough to give a room character or romance. A property needs a blend of factors and thought to truly be elevated into the list of those actually worth spending top-dollar prices for. Luckily though, a number of properties have found the perfect mix and carved out a real niche for themselves in the sea of seemingly luxurious hotels.