Caravelle Hotel

The Caravelle was opened to the public on Christmas Eve 1959 originally as a ten storey hotel.
During the 1960’s the embassies of Australia and New Zealand took up residence here and American broadcasters NBC, ABC and CBS had bureaus in the hotel.
During the Vietnam/American war journalists would boast they could cover the War from the rooftop bar.
On August 24th 1964 a bomb went off in room 514 on the fifth floor which is where the foreign journalists roomed. Luckily no one was killed and only a few people injured.
At the end of the war the Hotel was renamed the Doc Lap (independence) hotel and was operated by the government. The name was restored in 1998.

We didn't stay here but we did have a drink at the bar.

Unique Quality: A PLACE IN HISTORY

good hotel in a perfect location, in the center of saigon. easy access to every main entertainment and cultural place.
the hotel is quite old, and needs a lifting. the rooms are big enough, but not worth a 5 stars category, expecially the bathroom; the hot water was not always available...
It is a good idea to purchase an upgrade to the executive category, in order to get access to the lounge (from 17.30 to 19.30 the buffet is rich and of a very good quality).
the staff is very polite and professional.

Directions: saigon (district nr. 1)

Perfect hotel. All their staff are friendly and helpful. They ensure your safety when they called the cab in to fetch you (at no extra cost!). Gave lots of tips on travelling/ food/ transportation and assisted to make reservations at various restaurants away from the hotel. Service straight from the heart!

Unique Quality: Beautiful architecture, nice views from the hotel room (sunrise and sunset), good location & within walking distance to the Opera House, Dong Khoi Street and other places of interest.

Rooms are comfortable. Free WiFi and other facilities.

We were booked into the Caravelle following a week in Nha Trang. Due to a cyclone, we never got to Nha Ttrang and were left abandoned by Vietnam Air. (Not my problem..your problem)
We caught a Vinasun taxi straight to the Caravelle and explained our "problem". No problem. The Duty Manager was fantastic. Booked us straight in.....Club Room.
The hotel was equal to any in the world. Great service, friendly staff. Overlooking the Opera House...Saigon Saigon Bar on the rooftop, very atmospheric. We loved everything about the hotel. Outside, cafes, bars, shops were all within 100 metres. Very user friendly. We had a look at other hotels for our next trip, Majestic, terrific, The Rex, terrific, but after staying at the Caravelle it's going to be hard to change....and I don't think we will. Loved our week there and looking forward to going back this year.

Unique Quality: Great views. Staff....fabulous!

Directions: Middle of town, great location....and with a German brewery next door! How good is that!

Beautiful people, beautiful country and it is much better enjoyed by using the Caravelle as a base. I was there on business and the amenities are first class.

Unique Quality: Saigon Bar!

Directions: City center, lots of history and "Vietnamese Life" close by.

Strengths: Best location (located right in the heart of HCMC, next to Opera House). Age-old hotel. Most famous & deluxe bar (Saigon Saigon bar). Good service. Nice guest rooms.
Weaknesses: pitiful lobby

Directly opposite the Continental, on the other side of Lam Son Square, the Caravelle was another war-correspondent hang-out and setting for The Quiet American. But unlike the Continental little of that old character remains - the renovated and enlarged Caravelle is now pure five star luxury and one of the best hotels in the city. 24 storeys high, it dwarfs the Continental and towers over the Saigon Opera House next door. Unsurprisingly it offers probably the best views in the city.

Unless someone else is paying I don't tend to stay in many 5 star hotels when I'm on holiday so I can't tell you what the rooms are like. But I did have a nose around and it all looks super smart and has everything you expect a 5 star hotel to have.

Unique Quality: Fortunately you don't have to be a guest to go all the way to the top floor. The Saigon, Saigon bar is a very glitzy bar/restaurant/nightclub and the outside terrace has an unbeatable 360 degree panoramic view of downtown Saigon and across to the Saigon River. Definitely worth a look, both day and night - just dress smart!

This is a five-star, cushy hotel, smack right in the major shopping district of HCMC. So it's not surprising to find that it's a tad pricey compared to other hotels. Apart from the price however, expect top-notch service from this swanky place , warm smiles from staff, great views from the room and an excellent watering hole (Saigon Saigon) on the 9th floor. Of course, you'll wonder why the hell did ol' bpacker choose to stay there right? Well I wouldn't be here if not for hubby..

Unique Quality: This hotel has a lovely lobby that overlooks the Grand Opera House. Guess you can say they have a grand entrance. Also, they have genuine bath salt in the bathroom for your soaking needs. Hmm lovely, I did just that after an exhausting day of crawling around the cu chi tunnel.

To see picture of Cu Chi click on b'packer's hcmc page

Directions: It's just beside the Opera House and next to Sheraton.