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Brangelina stayed here!

SAVOIR FAIRE - SAVOIR FAIRE By Mayenne Carmona -
Aside from having been voted the "Best Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City" (formerly known as Saigon) by DestinAsian magazine in its second Annual Reader’s Choice awards, there are several other reasons why Park Hyatt Saigon is very popular among tourists and locals alike:

1. Location wise, it is situated on Lamson Square, in the heart of the city. It is walking distance to the Opera House, the shopping areas and restaurants on Dong Khoi Street and Nguyen Hue St., a taxi hop away from historical sites including the Reunification Palace, HCMC’s People Committee, Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon and the popular Benh Tanh Market. It is also within easy reach of the international airport, major convention centers and business district.

2. The way to a person’s heart is through his taste buds, and Park Hyatt Saigon boasts two good restaurants, Square One and the Opera. Square One itself has five different attractions:

a) The Grill, which serves the finest meats on an island charcoal grill

b) Vietnamese Grill, Steam and Wok, which serves simple, authentic seafood prepared Vietnamese style

c) The Appetizer and Seafood counter, which serves local and imported seafood on ice (sushi, sashimi, etc.)

d) Dessert Kitchen: Homemade ice cream and delicious sweets from the oven

e) Juice and Tea station: freshly blended fruit juices, sweet beverages and Vietnamese tea

In addition, Square One also has a bar which is the favorite hangout of many locals.

Opera is a casual and modern Italian restaurant featuring a large open kitchen and terrace with al fresco dining overlooking the Opera House. The all-day-dining restaurant serves breakfast, homemade pasta and pizza from a wood-burning oven, among others.

3. The hotel is elegant in every sense of the word. Designed by Damansara Architects and EDC Design from Malaysia, Park Hyatt Saigon combines the nostalgic feel of the city’s French Colonial history with 21st-century technology and comfort. The bright ivory building features a French colonial façade. The lobby exudes an elegant residential atmosphere, enhanced by an original antique glass ceiling panel, tastefully selected Indochine furniture, teak wooden floors and oriental rugs.

4. They have a great spa and fitness center. More and more travelers nowadays look for hotels with a good spa and fitness center, where they can continue their exercise routine and beauty treatments away from home. And Park Hyatt Saigon has both. It’s not surprising to note that aside from the hotel guests, a lot of locals have signed up for membership in their Xuan Spa (which means "spring" in Vietnamese). It has a complete fitness center and seven beauty treatment rooms, three of which are overlooking the pool area, which has a tropical garden ambience. The swimming pool is 20 meters long and has water jets — very soothing for those overworked, tired muscles.

5. The friendly, polite and service-oriented staff is one of the better features of this hotel. Every single employee, from the entrance personnel to the waiters and waitresses, receptionists, etc., has a smile for everyone and is ready to give their best service to a hotel guest.

6. Lastly (but most important for celebrity-struck fans like myself) one can get lucky and catch a glimpse of super celebs like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who have made Park Hyatt Saigon their preferred hotel in Saigon.

Rumors have it that during their first visit to Saigon last November, this famous couple made a request to the hotel management that they should not be given any special treatment and that they wanted to remain as low-profile as possible. Hotel management gave them as much privacy as they needed, which the couple appreciated. They were able to enjoy the pool area, the hotel’s two restaurants, and the excellent service.

I am not of megastar status myself, but every time I come to the Park Hyatt Saigon, I feel like a megastar with the top-rate service and hospitality of the hotel staff.

vuukle comment

ANNUAL READER

APPETIZER AND SEAFOOD

BENH TANH MARKET

HOTEL

OPERA HOUSE

PARK HYATT SAIGON

SAIGON

SQUARE ONE

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