Hotel Continental Saigon Review: Historic District 1 Charm

Ho Chi Minh Travel

Best Value Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Hotel Continental Saigon

Hi everyone, Lisa here!

I recently took a trip to Ho Chi Minh City

with both sides of our family (our parents!).

Since this was my second time visiting Ho Chi Minh City,

I wanted to book a place near the super vibrant Ho Chi Minh Square,

and that's exactly where we stayed!

Located right in District 1, the location was absolutely perfect,

and it was so impressive staying in a place with such rich history.

The breakfast also had such a wonderful vibe,

making every morning feel like a beautiful start to our day.

Let me share my honest review with you!

"Hotel Continental Saigon" in a nutshell!

✔️ Located right by Ho Chi Minh Square, this hotel is situated in the ultimate central spot where you can easily walk to all the major sightseeing attractions.

✔️ Garden-view breakfast! You can enjoy your morning meal in a beautifully atmospheric outdoor courtyard garden.

✔️ Built in 1880 during the French colonial period, it is the oldest and most historic hotel in Vietnam.

The staff are incredibly friendly, and they serve complimentary fresh fruit every morning.

Lisa

Hotel Continental Saigon

Book at the Best Price📌

⏰Check-in Time: 14:00

⏰Check-out Time: 12:00

☑️Average Nightly Rate: Around ~$64

☑️Lisa's Booking Source: Booked on Agoda for around ~$77 per night.

☑️Distance to Airport: About 20-30 minutes by taxi

📍Address: 134 Đ. Đồng Khởi, Bến Nghé, Quận 1, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh 700000 Vietnam

🚶🏻‍♀️Nearby Attractions: Opera House is right out front.

A 3-minute walk to Ho Chi Minh Square, City Hall, and the statue.

A 5-minute walk to The Cafe Apartments.

A 10-minute walk to the Central Post Office and Notre Dame Cathedral.

A 13-minute walk to Ben Thanh Market, Independence Palace, and War Remnants Museum.

It's incredibly close to all major popular attractions, making the location absolutely top-notch.

Hotel Exterior & Lobby

We landed in Ho Chi Minh City around 11:30 PM and took a Grab to our hotel!

It took about 20 minutes by car to get from the airport to the hotel.

Since there was no traffic, we arrived super quickly. If it's congested, it might take an extra 10 to 20 minutes.

The exterior of the Hotel Continental Saigon has a uniquely vintage, elegant charm compared to other nearby hotels.

As it turns out, it was built way back in 1880...!

It's known as the oldest hotel in Vietnam.

Because of that, you can definitely feel a bit of its antique age and history.

Here's the lobby, taken during the day.

Since it's a historic spot, it doesn't feel grand or modern,

but it has a cozy, pleasant charm that I didn't mind at all.

It was a beautifully warm, wood-toned space.

To think that it was built during the French colonial era and has stood here for over 100 years... wow. Haha.

Just knowing that added so much historical meaning to our stay.

Naturally, because of its history, the amenities and facilities are on the simpler side.

It is officially a 4-star hotel.

Another huge advantage of this place is its unbeatable location.

This is the outdoor terrace area.

And right across from here is the Opera House.

It gets even more lively and crowded at night!

The Opera House is right in front,

Ho Chi Minh Square is a 3-minute walk.

City Hall is a 3-minute walk.

The Cafe Apartments is 5 minutes away.

The Japanese Quarter (Le Thanh Ton Street) is a 10-minute walk.

The Central Post Office and Notre-Dame Cathedral are a 10-minute walk.

Ben Thanh Market is 13 minutes away.

Independence Palace is 13 minutes away.

War Remnants Museum is 13 minutes away... and more!

Located right in the heart of the city where all the main sights are clustered, getting around is an absolute breeze.

Plus, with so many spots staying open late for midnight snacks and drinks, I'd highly recommend this location as the ultimate base for fellow night owls and drink lovers like us!

It turned out there was a big football match on the day we arrived,

and they were broadcasting the game right in the courtyard garden!

Room Tour & Features

As soon as we entered the room, a lovely plate of welcome fruit was waiting to greet us!

It was fresh dragon fruit and guava.

I thought it was just a day-one perk,

but they actually bring fresh fruit every single morning.

The fruit selection changes daily—we got apples, bananas, and more.

But dragon fruit was a daily staple!

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You can definitely feel those rich, antique vibes, right? haha

Since it's a historic property, it doesn't have that ultra-modern, sleek feel,

but since we aren't super picky about hotel interiors, we found it perfectly cozy.

See that photo hanging right above the bed?

If you look closely, it's a photo from back when the hotel stood completely alone in the middle of an empty field... lol

Talk about a place packed with history!

Standing alongside Notre-Dame Cathedral.

In fact, this hotel was built even before the cathedral!

Inside, there's basic coffee, tea, and an electric kettle,

along with power strips, a safe, and a hairdryer.

Just a heads up: the bottled water and drinks inside the fridge are not free, but they weren't expensive, so we happily drank them.

The complimentary water is the room-temperature bottle placed next to the fruit.

A pretty standard bathroom.

It seems like room assignments can be a bit of a lottery.

We traveled with both sets of our parents and booked three rooms in total, and one of the rooms happened to be exceptionally spacious and breezy.

Right here!

But across all rooms, the hot water worked great and the water pressure was solid.

And look at this... lol

It's the light switch.

It is incredibly, wonderfully antique.

The biggest highlight of this place?

Definitely the breakfast.

Our room came with a garden view.

Here is the view of the breakfast area in the morning! haha

Isn't the atmosphere just stunning?

And this is what it looks like at night.

Hotel Continental Saigon Breakfast

Breakfast was served from 6:30 AM to 9:30 AM.

Breakfast where the view is definitely the main event... haha

Since I traveled during the beautiful dry season, I was blessed with gorgeous weather and zero rain the entire trip.

I'm not quite sure how they handle the setup when it rains, though.

I barely saw any Korean tourists at this hotel,

maybe that's why there weren't any Korean-style dishes.

The breakfast spread wasn't massive,

it was just a nice, standard breakfast selection.

I don't usually eat a huge breakfast anyway, so it was perfect for me.

They had noodle soup too, and the type of noodles and broth changed every day.

My personal favorite: the egg station.

Scrambled eggs,

fried eggs,

or omelets—they make them fresh to order right in front of you.

A unique highlight here:

they also have banh mi.

They are mini banh mi, so they're perfect for a quick, light bite.

To be honest, what you see is pretty much what you get lol.

The selection was quite small.

It definitely felt like a place that wins you over with its atmosphere alone.

However, they did have a pretty great variety of fresh fruits.

Pineapple, dragon fruit, guava, watermelon, tangerines, longan, papaya, and more.

There were also pastries and cereal.

They even had sushi, but I ended up skipping it.

Since the weather was so warm, sushi didn't really tempt me.

Enjoying breakfast every single morning with a view like this...

Pretty amazing, right? Haha

If you're looking for a cozy breakfast and a romantic garden view, this hotel is a perfect match.

I'll leave a link below so you can find the lowest rates,

so make sure to use it and secure the best deal!

Discover other Ho Chi Minh hotels in detail​

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Wrapping Up

My Ho Chi Minh travel series has officially begun!

Over the next few posts, I'll be sharing the best local eats, handy travel hacks, and complete itineraries.

But first, I wanted to introduce this hotel.

While the facilities weren't incredibly modern or sleek,

it's a deeply historical space with a gorgeous, charming antique vibe.

Plus, the romantic garden-view breakfast, complimentary fresh fruit every morning,

and an unbeatable location within walking distance of almost any tourist spot.

It was a stay that ticked all three of these boxes beautifully.

Since you can enjoy a 4-star hotel at a relatively affordable price of around ~$64,

if you're looking for accommodation near Ho Chi Minh Square, I highly recommend the Hotel Continental Saigon.

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