|
 Any day trip spent exploring Ho Chi Minh City has to include a stroll along Dong Khoi street and I looked forward to hours of poking around lacquerware and silk stores and stopping for a drink at a boutique cafe.
Dotted throughout the nearby streets are embassies, airline and tour operator offices, making it an ideal place to buy tickets, book a tour and get some shopping done! Unlike most "touristy" places Saigon retains a strong sense of the local culture as coconut sellers offer their wares and women with heavy baskets balanced precariously on their shoulders stroll casually past. Soaring above the street is a large, attractive pink building which houses Executive Residences managed by Starwood Hotels and Resorts. The adjoining tower will be the 382-room Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers which is scheduled to open in May this year, and I decided to have a look at what the property has to offer. Overlooking the entire district and within walking distance to the Opera House and the Saigon River, the hotel will bring a new standard of luxury to the city. This is something both the regional and local markets have been waiting for - an internationally-branded five-star property right in the heart of the city. While Ho Chi Minh City has hosted a number of conferences and meetings in the past, the facilities at this property will allow the city to bid for events never dreamed of before. The heart of the hotel, at least for planners, is the 759 sqm pillarless Grand Ballroom, the largest in the city. With the latest in audio-visual equipment and sound and lighting system, it can cater to IT and medical conferences which require the most advanced equipment. For breaktime, it can hold up to 1,500 for cocktails and 800 for a banquet. A further 11 meeting rooms allow for extensive breakout sessions and smaller functions to be catered for. Altogether, the 1,80O sqm meeting space takes up two levels with three escalators connecting them.  Active guests will surely be heading to Level 5 of the hotel where they will find a swimming pool and tennis and squash courts. Afterwards, they may indulge in spa cuisine at the "Lifestyle Bar" where I noticed the impressive undercover pool side area with enough space for 120 people for cocktails.
But the main attraction on the fifth level has to be the 800 sqm International Day Spa. Literally as large as a ballroom, it comprises a communal area, herbal baths, aquatherapy area, massages and facials. Individual treatment rooms cater to 25 people at once, allowing a large group to be staggered over a day. Food and beverage facilities will include "The Lounge" and "The Deli" and I am looking forward to indulging in the speciality coffees and pastries while listening to the resident pianist. The "Saigon Spice" restaurant overlooks the famous Dong Khoi street and the "Mekong Palace" Chinese restaurant is complete with a dim sum kitchen and private dining rooms. Guests will literally be elevated to a new high with the opening of Level 23. This extravagant entertainment floor can accommodate holding 400 people "cocktail-style" and provides beautiful panoramic views of the city. "Level 23" also features a specialty restaurant serving fusion cuisine with indoor and outdoor dining, a wine bar with a balcony overlooking the city and a two-storey nightspot rotunda area with live entertainment. But the selling point is the view - with breathtaking 360 degree views of Saigon, floor to ceiling windows as well as outdoor space, Level 23 is sure to become the new hotspot of the city. Back on the ground, the 750 sqm shopping arcade will bring the names Versace, Gucci and Bulgari to the city. An added touch for smaller groups will be the private viewings at Milano Boutique complete with cocktails and canapes. As for accommodation, after a long day of meetings, it will be a pleasure to relax in one of the Premier Studios, which features the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper bed. I was treated to a glimpse of the oversized 55 sqm room which was tastefully decorated with Vietnamese artefacts.  The Sheraton Sweet Sleeper bed will guarantee the most peaceful night's rest and the room comes complete with business desk, separate Internet line and electronic bedside control panel for drapes, lighting and air-conditioning.
The most stunning revelation was the floor to ceiling marble bathrooms with separate bath and Visy style massage shower, the multi-level body and overhead jets are unique in the city as they are featured in every single room. Imagine the invigorating massage jets loosening tight muscles at the end of the day or, waking you up at the beginning of one! All in all, I'm looking forward to May when the Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers brings a whole new lifestyle to Ho Chi Minh City. Read more...
 |
Show/Hide comments
Show/Hide comment form
