Park Hyatt Ho Chi Minh City, Southern Vietnam

rooms

There are 245 rooms and suites in four categories – Standard, View, Deluxe and Suite. All are French-colonial in style, with crisp white linen, cream and pale bamboo colour schemes, elegant fabrics and classic wood furnishings. Bathrooms are of mirror, chrome and marble, and have walk-in rain showers and good-sized tubs. The overall result is elegance and traditional comfort blended with the latest technology, such as in-room mini iPads, Nespresso machines and sensor lighting systems.

The best choice for families is a Park Deluxe Suite, which has a door connecting to a Park Deluxe Room. The suite measures 872 square feet and has a plush king-size bed, antique furniture and exclusive bathroom amenities from Vietnamese fragrance brand Cochine. For extra luxury, make use of the round-the-clock private butler service

facilities & activities

You won’t be short of cultural things to do thanks the the hotel’s stellar location in the hub of the city. It’s easy to explore nearby temples, museums, markets and shops either on your own or with a guide from the hotel (half day and full day trips can be arranged, including to both the Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta).

Cooking classes are also offered to hotel guests interested to learn the secrets of delicious Vietnamese fare. You’ll do everything from select the ingredients in the market right through to cooking and sampling a selection of local dishes.

For some pampering, slip into a robe and slippers and head inside the elegant Xuan Spa on the third floor. Indulge in a facial or massage in one of the four chic treatment rooms – treatments use wild-grown ginger, basil, cajeput or orange oil specifically found in Southern Vietnam. Other facilities include an indoor whirlpool, 20-metre outdoor pool and a light and airy fitness centre kitted out with Life Fitness cardio equipment and weight machines.

dining

The Park Hyatt’s two restaurants serve some of the best food in Saigon. Opera, off the lobby, offers top notch Italian fare, sumptuous breakfasts and brilliant service in a relaxed, trattoria-style setting overlooking the square. Breakfast options include both continental croissants and fragrant ‘pho’ soup. Square One is a dark and stylish restaurant offering both Vietnamese and Western food. It has five different open kitchens and a floor-to-ceiling wine case with more than 1,200 bottles of international wine. A la carte dishes range from charcoal chicken to salt and Phu Quoc pepper prawns.

For drinks and nibbles, head to 2 Lam Son, a modern martini bar with a Vietnamese twist and a cosy lounge on a mezzanine floor. Anyone partial to afternoon tea should pull up a chair beneath the chandeliers at Park Lounge, which serves warm scones with clotted cream, decadent desserts and fruit tartlets with tea, coffee or herbal infusions. Featuring colonial-style high ceilings and vast, bright windows, it also serves savoury snacks like spring rolls, as well as Saigon beer, smoothies and cocktails, plus child-friendly mocktails. If you’re pushed for time but have a sweet tooth, pick up some pastries at The Pastry Boutique, the hotel’s own patisserie, located at the entrance to Opera restaurant.

family

There are no specific facilities for children, but they will love playing in the pool, which is located on the third floor and has a pool bar for snacks and drinks. Pool attendants are on hand with fresh towels, though there is no lifeguard, so children of all ages must be accompanied by an adult. Interconnecting rooms are available for families who would like to stay together. One of the Park Deluxe Suites connects to a Park Deluxe Room, making it an ideal choice for two adults and two children. It also gives you your own private terrace with direct access to the pool, and extra space in the room, which is fitted with a large-screen LED TV and Bose Bluetooth speaker for keeping little ones happy in the evenings. A babysitting service is also available on request.

location

You’ll struggle to beat a location like this. Set in Lam Son Square, right in the cultural heart of the city, it’s within walking distance of all the main sights, and has fantastic views of the nearby, French-built Opera House and passing Saigon life. Other attractions, such as the Saigon Notre-Dame Basilica, Reunification Palace and the bustling Ben Thanh Market, are also a short walk away. It’s also an ideal base from which to explore the underground labyrinth of the Cu Chi Tunnels and the vast and tranquil Mekong Delta.

Tan Son Nhat International Airport is around a 40-minute drive away, making the Park Hyatt a brilliant hopping off point from the UK, as well as ideal for flying to other destinations inside the country, such as Nha Trang on Vietnam's Gold Coast, a 40-minute flight away.