Ngoc Tung Riverside

Location friendly and helpful

Nothing

view from suite is amazing. river by day, HCM skyline lit up at night. Small alley 100 yrds to the right when leaving leads to a gem of a temple, then on to a warren of shops and markets.

Love it not being a tourist area, but that also means VERY little English spoken. The people are VERY nice though, and do what they can to help. Might be trying for some though.

The value for money. The hotel absolutely exceeds expectations on a pure price basis. It's not a 4 star hotel,, but you aren't paying a 4 star hotel price. I'm still at the location because when I found it difficult to find rent a condo for the month, I decided to upgrade my stay to the top of their rate suite. The pictures are dead accurate- floor to ceiling, wall to wall picture window with a spectacular view of the river right in front, to the skyline above. The view of the "le Mast" building is enchanting. It's lit up in the evening and has provided me with some awesome photo's. There's also a pretty good view of the now iconic Bitexco Financial Tower, with it's jutting helipad (the lower 30 or so floors being obscured, but the stunning sloped upper floors and helipad are in full view of the room. See my pics. All the "street view pictures I posted are within a 3 minute walk of the hotel Exiting the property, turn right, and there is a TINY "alley entrance, roughly 4 to 5 feet wide. Go up that alley, and you'll come across the temple I photoed (much more there than I posted), keep going and you're in a rabbit's warren of the "real Vietnam", where the locals chop, eat and live. Much more "authentic" than the tourist zones, or even the big main drag stemming from where the produce boats dock and the gas station is. Very safe (other than scooter traffic, LOL), and thelocals will warm uo to you in a matter of a day or two (VERY kittle English spoken though, so be on your "A game" at charades, LOL.

The only issue is entirely out if the properties control. The street in fron suffers from a fllood during each new moon and full moon. It's only an inconvenience, but the hotel becomes an "island" for two to three hours, twice a day. If you don't mind wading through foot deep water, you can actually still come and go by foot, and entrance and egress is still possible by cab without any getting wet, and food deliveries are actually still available. Staff is VERY forth coming if you ask them about it, and can clue you in as to when the flood will come If you have a "spirit of adventure", it's actually kinda cool The hotel is on a built up slope with wall on either side, open to the street. This "high ground" become something of a "scooter refugee island for locals who stalled their bikes in the couple of feet deep street (at the peak of the tide on the peak days) It developes a touch of a "party atmosphere", and I was amused seeing a "flood being catered with good Vietnamese street foods LOL.

The beds are always comfy and clean.

I changed rooms once because of mold. It is an older hotel and I understand that it's hard to keep things dry in the rainy season, but it was uncomfortable. Luckily they moved me to a better room at no additional charge. I was also a bit disappointed to see the cafe had closed. This was my third stay in this hotel in about 2.5 years and that cafe was one of my fondest memories.