Is a four-star hotel really better than a two-star? I put it to the test
You’re planning a holiday, your finger is hovering over the “book now” button for a four-star hotel, then you spot a bargain price for a two-star joint in the same area.
What difference can two stars possibly make? Recently, I put this to the test over a two-week working holiday in Ho Chi Minh City.
All I needed was a room with a desk, reliable Wi-Fi, a comfortable bed and a choice of places to eat and drink. Spending more time than most in my room, the star ratings would be truly tested.
Unique boutique
An absolute bargain… so long as you book a street-facing room.Credit:
- Star rating: two
- Room rate: from $50 a night
Given I had to spread my budget over 14 days, but didn’t want to end up stuck in the boondocks, I thought I’d try the La Paix “boutique” hotel in Hai Ba Trung, just half a block from the rear of the Opera House.
This skinny eight-floor hotel has an odd configuration. Rooms at the front span the width of the building, with views of the busy street below and the river beyond. Rooms in the middle only have windows out to the corridor, while those at the back come face-to-face with buildings. It’s odd, but it is in the heart of the old city, and you’re spoiled for choice with bars and restaurants all around, offering a range of local and international cuisines.
The cleaners are all hearing impaired, which is a nice, charitable touch. And the hotel is an absolute bargain … if you book a front room.
Plusses At $50 a night in this location you can hardly go wrong.
Minuses The trade-off for the view on the quieter higher floors is that the Wi-Fi gets weaker.
Serviced studio
My bed was enormous, and Wi-Fi was fast and stable. Credit:
- Star rating: three
- Room rate: from $70 a night
The level of accommodation kicked up a little in the three-star May Soho Apartment in Co Giang, about five minutes from lively Bui Vien “walking street” and 15 minutes from the Ben Thanh Market hub.
The Soho – basically an Airbnb hotel with numerous “hosts” – is a 30-storey apartment block with steady streams of budget travellers through its security lobby.
The views on my side of the building were mostly obscured by the shell of an unfinished but otherwise identical huge block. But the room was large, it had a full-sized fridge and kitchen area for basic cooking, and the TV was actually a ceiling-mounted projector that accepted my Netflix login. Woohoo!
The bed was huge, the desk and chair were comfortable and the Wi-Fi was fast and stable.
Down in the street, things got very real, stepping over sleeping dogs and dancing around putrid wash from a fish shop, as I searched for a vegetarian banh mi for breakfast. I found a stall one street away, outside a cafe called Filthy Vegan. The banh mi was sensational, and the iced milky coffee from across the road would prove addictive.
The 24-hour variety store around the corner, opposite a university, offered basic groceries, snacks, alcohol and even hot food. The local gym wasn’t air-conditioned, a challenge in 34-degree heat, but then it was only $2.50 for a day pass.
Plusses The May Soho was more than adequate for $70 a night in a colourful area.
Minuses The sinks had only cold water, but showers were hot.
Silver lining
Echoes of Gaudi in the interiors of Smith’s Kitchen and Bar.Credit:
- Star rating: four
- Room rate: from $145 a night
Silverland Ben Thanh turned out to be exactly the reward I had promised myself for the 10 days in “reduced” circumstances.
This recent refurb by the Silverland Group earns every one of its four stars with its Gaudi-inspired interiors and exemplary customer service.
The room was large, as was the bed, and the desk was a window seat overlooking the tourist groups being bussed to and from Ben Thanh Market. The bathroom had a spa bath and shower.
Views from Silverland Ben Thanh’s rooftop pool.Credit:
The free afternoon tea (with fresh waffles) was delightful. I normally bypass hotel breakfasts, but vegetarian pho on the extensive a la carte menu got me over the line.
Sitting right above the new Metro station, Silverland Ben Thanh is now my favourite hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.
Plusses Location, facilities, service and good value, even at $145 a night.
Minuses Kitchen service tended to be on the slow side, but if you can start the day with a veggie pho, who’s complaining?
The details
Fly
Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet fly non-stop daily from Sydney and Melbourne, with direct Jetstar flights on alternate days. See vietnamairlines.com; vietjetair.com; jetstar.com
Stay
The less expensive hotels in Vietnam tend not to have their own websites in English, so it’s easier to go through a booking website for images and details.
La Paix Boutique Hotel (two stars), from $50 a night. 59 Hai Ba Trung, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. See lapaixsaigon.com (Vietnamese); booking.com (English)
May Soho Serviced apartments (three stars), from $70 a night. 100 Co Giang 34, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. See booking.com
Silverland Ben Thanh*, (four stars), from $145 a night. 14-16 Le Lai, Ben Thanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. Phone: +84 28 3827 2740. See silverlandhotels.com
*Note, there are several Silverland Hotels in Saigon – don’t book the wrong one.
More
The writer travelled to Saigon at his own expense.
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