Luxurious Riverside Urban Resort: Villa Sông Saigon

Villa Sông Saigon in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Located along Saigon River in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 2, a newer section of the city, is this luxurious riverside urban resort by the name of Villa Sông Saigon. Sông means “river” in Vietnamese and Sài Gòn is the former name of the city.

Offering peace and serenity away from the chaotic traffic conditions of the most populous city of Vietnam (officially Socialist Republic of Vietnam), tucked within an upscale expatriate neighbourhood much like Kuala Lumpur’s Bangsar, Villa Sông Saigon is a sanctuary for its guests.

The 4-year-old Villa Sông Saigon, with its French colonial architecture and exquisite beauty, transports guests to the setting of classic romance novels or the rich tin mining era of Kinta Valley in Malaysia.

By the time I checked into Villa Sông Saigon, I had travelled from Nha Trang and Mũi Né. Throughout the journey, if there was any landmark that exuded a “timeless charm”, it would be Villa Sông Saigon itself.

If you didn’t know yet, 2019 is Visit Vietnam Year with the tagline “Vietnam Timeless Charm”. Therefore, if you have yet to visit Vietnam, this would be the year to discover its charms and gems. I am glad that I made it in the nick of time before 2020 comes knocking.

As mentioned, Villa Sông Saigon is a boutique accommodation. Low density with only 23 rooms plus suites, each features a different layout that maximises its space, although all are similarly, stylishly appointed in pristine colour schemes of primarily white, black and gold.

Every unit is decorated with a unique art piece or more. In fact, the entire hotel strategically displays contemporary paintings which are the property of private art collectors. Some of them are for sale, so do enquire, if interested.

Despite the low number of rooms/suites, there are actually EIGHT categories: Writer’s Room, Villa Room, Sanctuary Room, Sanctuary River Room, Art Suite, Villa Suite, Sanctuary Suite and Imperial Suite.

Oh, which to choose? It really depends on your requirement. Just let the staff know if you would like a room with garden view, river view, pool view, connecting room, room for those with limited mobility, or a room that inspires in your book-writing venture. That would be the Writer’s Room, a homey single-occupancy room.

Guests are welcomed with a fruit platter upon check in. Moreover, each room/suite is equipped with a complimentary well-stocked mini bar, which is replenished daily, except on the day of check out.

A stay in Villa Sông Saigon means total relaxation and rejuvenation from the moment you set foot past its doors, greeted by cordial staff. And I must mention, having spent many nights at different hotels throughout my travelling life, Villa Sông Saigon provides one of the most comfortable pillows. They look bulky but once you lay your head down, you instantly fall asleep, which puts you at risk of oversleeping!

PRO TIP: When at Villa Sông Saigon, it’s better not to fix any appointment or meeting because there are times when you just want to spend more time in bed! Lie-ins are the order of the mornings when you are here! I kid you not!

While I personally prefer a complete rest and recreation at Villa Sông Saigon, and just laze around the whole day in my suite or by the pool doing “nothing”, nonetheless, there are plenty of suitable activities to occupy your time. Just make a reservation at the front desk for Thanh Da Island Tour (45 minutes duration) or Phu Chau Floating Temple Tour (90 minutes duration).

For your information, the swimming pool here, measuring 20 x 8 metres, is the only salt water swimming pool in the city. Taking wellness to heart, this is one pool that’s great for guests who relish some salt water therapy for heath and beauty intents, if not for sport and recreation. Even I, with water phobia, went in for a dip. Ala, it’s not that deep pun, only up to 1.5 metres. Hehehe!

By the way, Villa Sông Saigon has its own in-house spa, the cosy Villa Spa. Guests can pamper themselves with various beauty and wellness treatments, from facials to pedicure and massages. The best thing is the availability of monthly special offers, so don’t miss out.

Villa Sông Saigon may appear quite a distance from the action. However, its advantage is that it operates a private speedboat shuttle service from the resort to Bach Dang Waterbus Station, straight to the heart of the city in approximately 10 minutes, avoiding the horrendous traffic congestion of Ho Chi Minh City. Woohoo! Convenient, luxurious and complimentary, wouldn’t we love to have our very own private boat transport every day? Like a Boss!

Speedboat Shuttle Schedule is as follows:

Departure from Villa Sông Saigon:
9am, 10am, 11am, 1.30pm, 5.30pm & 6.30pm

Departure from Bach Dang Waterbus Station (City Centre): 9.30am, 10.30am, 11.30am, 2pm, 6pm & 7pm

Oh, by the way, Villa Sông Saigon is the only befitting hotel in District 2, as well as the only hotel with boat transfer.

Despite easy access to the Ho Chi Minh City Centre, truth be told, I just wanted to spend maximum time at Villa Sông Saigon! Besides catching up on much needed rejuvenation during my holiday, I already have all my needs well taken care of at this urban resort.

Meals are served at its riverside restaurant, Bistro Sông Vie: breakfast is eat-all-you-can from its à la carte menu, lunch is bistro-style, while dinner is upscale from an extensive mix of local and international menu.

Live music is available on weekends. There’s Jazz on Saturday evenings during dinnertime, and Rock on Sundays from 4pm ’til 7pm. Indeed, there is never a dull moment at Villa Sông Saigon.

Bistro Sông Vie is transformed into a magically-lit garden at night, but even during the day, it is a dream venue for events, functions and social gatherings, not forgetting, a garden wedding! It can accommodate 200 pax for table setting meal, or up to 250 pax for buffet-style.

Pan-seared Cod Fish with Cream Dill Sauce

Bistro Sông Vie is also open to visitors (non-guests) who enjoy whiling some time away over a drink or meal as they watch the world pass by, or ships that sail along Saigon River. One thing that struck me as I did the same was how the larger the vessel, the quieter it is, so much so that one wouldn’t even notice without looking at it directly.