Hotels & Hostels Ho Chi Minh City Caravelle Hotel

Caravelle Hotel (Hotel)

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  • Address:
    19 Lam Son Square, Dong Khoi Area 
    Ho Chi Minh City   South-East Asia
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  • Neighbourhood: Dong Khoi Area
  • Atmosphere: International and Busy
  • Price Range: Top end

Lonely Planet Review

Once the preserve of war-chasing journalists, the Caravelle's rebirth in 1998 transformed this classic 1960s icon into a truly luxury hotel - with all the good and ill that entails.

The renovators were wise enough to leave the elegant curved facade of the original 10-storey hotel in place. And while most of the '60s style is gone, the 10th-floor rooftop bar, made famous by a generation of war correspondents in the '60s and '70s, remains. These days the hotel is 24 floors tall and rooms have been made over. The gold-and-white decor works well enough but if you chose to close the curtain on the fabulous view of the Opera House and Notre Dame Cathedral it would be easy to forget you were in Asia. The rooms are all large and include extras like broadband Internet connections and a stereo and CDs, but with Richard Clayderman in every room you may choose to bring your own. Prices can be pretty high for what you get though the service and facilities are very good.

Review by author Andrew Burke

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Author Tip

The Saigon Saigon Bar is one of the best places in Southeast Asia for a sunset drink, which is probably why the hacks spent so much time there in the '60s. The exorbitant prices are worth it. If you fancy making a pub crawl out of the cultural landmarks of the war era, head first to the Continental's Patio Bar, then up to the Rex's rooftop bar, before finishing on the roof of the Majestic.

Curious Fact

When the Caravelle opened in 1959 (complete with bullet-proof glass windows), it was part-owned by Air France. The airline had just begun operating Caravelle jets, which might explain the name.