The best guest friendly hotels in Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, is a bustling metropolis in Vietnam with a variety of nightlife options. Occasional crackdowns from police on adult entertainment establishments and an antiquated law that makes it officially illegal for a Vietnamese national to stay in a hotel room with a foreigner haven’t done much to put a damper on things, but it can be a real pain finding a place that will let a foreigner retire to their temporary quarters with a friend (or two) in tow.
Unofficially, the usual advice given to visitors is that one and two star hotels will allow guests in the rooms while better facilities will not. That is not a hard and fast rule however. There are exceptions and sometimes a little monetary lubricant can ease things up. No matter what the star rating of the hotel, guests can usually visit without problem before 10 or 11 PM.
All of this may sound a little confusing. That’s understandable. So, after receiving numerous requests, I’ve assembled this list of the top three guest friendly hotels that I’ve actually checked out myself. Things can always change, but these facilities were able to meet all of my needs when I’ve visited HCMC.
Of course I don’t advocate that anyone break the law in Vietnam or anywhere else in the world. I’m just providing some information based on first hand observations.
1. Thien Tung Hotel (District 1)
The Thien Tung Hotel is a solid three star hotel in the middle of the city. It’s within walking distance of a number of entertainment spots (including the bars of Hai Ba Trung) and more restaurants than you could try in a year.
The rooms at Thien Tung are very nice and the indoor swimming pool is quite good and good looking.
Considering the star rating of the hotel, you may think that it would be tough or even impossible to bring guests back here. It’s not. Assuming a customer books a room for two people and whoever they bring back to their room has an identification card they shouldn’t have any issues. Travelers can book their stay at the Thien Tung online for the best rate.
2. Boss Hotel Saigon (District 3)
The Boss Hotel Saigon is another three star hotel that is quite accommodating. Located in District 3, which is clearly more local-oriented yet very near to the tourist heavy area of District 1, the Boss offers all the amenities you would expect at a price that is probably lower than you imagine.
It’s near a lot of local action and only a quick jaunt to the places you may be more familiar with. There are even karaoke and 24 hour massage facilities on premises.
Best of all: As long as a person has proper identification, it should be no problem for them to visit a customer’s room at the Boss for a short or long period of time. Visitors can book a room at the Boss Hotel Saigon online to get the best deal.
3. Empress Hotel (District 1)
The Empress Hotel is a very well run hotel in the middle of Ho Chi Minh City. It’s very easy to find and check in. It has a great central location that allows guests to get where they need to go without hassles, yet it’s just far enough (about a 10 minute walk) from the most tourist oriented locations to keep guests away from some of the more annoying touts and scammers.
The Empress is officially a two star hotel, but I think it probably deserves a higher rating than that considering what some other “two star hotels” in Saigon look like. The rooms aren’t huge but they are well maintained and the building construction is solid, ensuring that customers don’t get bombarded with outside noise (or disturb theirr neighbors with noise if they are in the room having fun).
Bringing in guests at the Empress has never been a problem whatsoever that I know of. Visitors can book rooms at the Empress Hotel online to save time and money.
4. A25 Hotel Hai Ba Trung (District 3)
The A25 Hotel chain is pretty well known in the city. These non-nonsense hotels are far from luxurious but they are satisfactory. They provide decent rooms to customers with little to no hassle at a low rate. That’s why they continue to flourish.
The Hai Ba Trung A25 Hotel is actually one of the nicest hotels in the chain. The location is good too. While the hotel is officially located in District 3 it is actually on the edge of District 1 and a short walk to many places of interest for foreigners and locals alike. The area is surrounded by restaurants and cafes and it is also an incredibly easy place to grab a taxi or call an Uber or Grab car.
The A25 is guest friendly and doesn’t require much of its guests at all. As long as visitors have an identification card and are visiting customers who booked double occupancy they are more or less good to go.
Rooms at the A25 are relatively inexpensive but the place does have a tendency to fill up from time to time. That’s why it is best to book a stay at the A25 Hai Ba Trung in advance of any visit.
5. Caravelle Saigon Hotel (District 1)
The Caravelle Saigon Hotel is a beautiful and historic five star right in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City. This luxurious hotel is located just a short walk away from a number of hot spots including the new walking street and plenty of bars and massage shops.
The Caravelle comes complete with a cavernous marbled lobby staffed by beautiful women in traditional Vietnamese dresses, a large and illuminated pool, a full fledged gym, restaurants, scenic views and more. The rooms are as nice as you might expect and the entire facility is kept immaculately clean.
Unlike most five star hotels in Ho Chi Minh City the Caravelle is absolutely guest friendly. There are rumors that the five star New World Hotel* is also girl friendly but those may emanate from customers who gotten away with things rather than a set policy from management.
Obviously a stay at the Caravelle Saigon Hotel is not cheap. Luxury always comes at a cost. Still reasonable prices can be found by booking a room at the Caravelle Saigon Hotel online before arrival.
6. Victory Sai Gon Hotel (District 3)
The Victory Sai Gon Hotel is one of the most conveniently-located establishments on this list. It is just a short walk from both the Independence Palace and the War Museum. There are lots of restaurants around too. And it’s very easy to find a taxi at any hour of the night.
The Victory Hotel is convenient in other ways too. Not only is this hotel guest friendly. It even has its own massage parlor on the seventh floor complete with VIP rooms.
The three-star Victory Sai Gon Hotel has standard rooms that nice enough. Prices at the Victory Hotel are very reasonable when rooms are booked online. The in-person rate is usually much higher.
This concludes my list of the best guest friendly hotels in Saigon. This list is not conclusive by any means. There are more girl friendly hotels in the city than I could cover here. This is a focused list of the best.
Hi rockit the thien tung hotel ho chi minh..you have stayed yes.regards money is their safety deposit boxes .safe in the room and is it safe there would you think.thanks
Although there are some reports of people getting ripped off I’ve never once had a problem in any hotel I’ve stayed at in HCMC. That is dozens of hotels ranging from five star to no star over a period of years. Thien Tung is a good hotel and I don’t imagine theft is common there at all though I can’t say anything for certain. After all, even banks get robbed sometimes. Cheers.
Hi Rockit,
I have a buddy with me 2 people already. What happens with a guest comes along, would there be extra charge for 3rd person (Thien, Boss, or Empress). Much appreciated!!
Thanks,
Tim
I don’t know for sure but I would imagine that most would charge extra if they permitted it at all assuming the room was booked for two people. Cheers.
Is Boss hotel in District 10 or District 1? I tried to find its website and it indicated that Boss 3 hotels are all located at District 1. Please advise. Thanks.
It’s located in District 3. Click the link to the name of the hotel in this post to see the exact address. Cheers.
Hi ROCKIT.can you book a room for just 1 or 2 hours to bring a girl in these hotels?
I don’t think any of the hotels listed here would allow that but I could be wrong. There are some low class hotels around town that will rent out time by the hour. The price is usually very low and they have signs outside that say things like “50000 1 Gio”. Cheers.
Hi Rockit,
Is the Pullman a bar girl friendly hotel? Will I have any issues with bringing back a guest?
Hi Dan. Sorry but I’m not sure about the Pullman’s policies. Cheers.
No its 100% not , i stayed there last night
Hi rockit, I saw in agoda that empress hotel indicates that foreigners can’t stay in room with a lady under Hotel Policy. So is it still guest friendly?
Hi. To the best of my knowledge this post was accurate at the time of publication. Things do change in HCMC all the time so perhaps someone got wind that a policy was violated or something prompting a notification like this to be displayed. Or it could be that Agoda is just including this information because the law says so. Or it could be so that the hotel could point to it in case they ran in into trouble, saying “we told them it wasn’t allowed, see this notification!” Or maybe something else entirely. Unfortunately I have no way to know for sure. Cheers.
Has anyone stayed at the Signature Saigon? Is it really guest friendly?
Hi Rockit
was wondering if have any information on Vien Dong hotel being guest friendly?
thanks
My impression is that it is, especially considering that they have a massage parlor inside the hotel. Cheers.
Hi there, planning a friends reunion in HCMC n planning to stay in a 5 star international chain could u suggest any bar girl friendly hotel
As stated in the post hotels rated 3 stars or more typically don’t allow customers to bring guests to their rooms in HCMC. Cheers.
FYI TIEN TUNG HOTEL 72/74 PHO DUC CHINH STREET DISTRICT 1 HCMC
IS NOT A GUEST FRIENDLY HOTEL
ON 25 NOVEMBER I HAVE BEEN RFUSED 2 THINGS
1 TO BRING A VIET GIRL FRIEND IN MY ROOM
2 TO ASK A MASSAGE WOMEN TO COME (NOT A SEXUAL MASSAGE JUST
A RELAXING MASSAGE AFTER A WORKING DAY°)
NO POSSIBLE DISCUSSION WITH FRONT OFFICE MANAGER
Thanks for the report. Cheers.
Rockit,
Is Sophia hotel girl friendly
Hi George. I don’t have any personal experience with that hotel but if I had to guess based on its location and star rating I’d say it probably isn’t. Cheers.
Hey rockit,
Do you know or have any experiences with harmony hotel in saigon?
It is a 4 star and supposed to be in the middle of district 1.
Will it be possible to bring a girl back to the hotelroom after midnight?
I don’t have any personal experience with the place but if I had to guess based on its location and star rating I’d say it probably isn’t possible. Cheers.
is Cap Town Hotel a freindly hotel that can bring girls to the hotel room
I’m not familiar with that hotel.
Hi, any guest friendly hotel to recommend in district 5?
No, sorry.
Blue Diamond Hotel Hochiminh at Vietnam is Not lady guest freindlt hotel. They ask for Joiners Charge. Cheating Hotel.
Thanks for the report. Some hotels will ask for a joiners fee. Many will refuse outright. Cheers.
Blue Diamond insisted I provide Marriage Certificate otherwise my Long-term GF would have to be registered in separate room at cost of $15 per night. She was embarrassed and I think this is clearly a scam. Even 5 star “New World Hotel” have never done this. Receptionist clearly enjoys embarrassing her hotel,guests
It seems that they were following the law. Many places do the same but some will let people get around it in various ways. Only a few show respect to modern practices and unmarried couples which is one reason I put this list together. Cheers.
Would hotels like New World Saigon allow locals to stay in? I am bringing my friends who are vietnamese and so happen girls.
Locals can stay at any hotel in Vietnam if they pay for it. Local women cannot stay in the same room with foreign guys in many places if they are not married. The more expensive and higher rated hotels are among the most likely to ban locals from rooming with foreign guys they aren’t married to. Cheap hotels are more likely to allow it. Cheers.
John, do you mean New World Saigon hotel will allow GF to stay in? I am bringing 2 vietnamese girls and one is my GF another our best friend. I have booked and paid, will be travelling there next week. Please revert thanks, truly appreciated. I have booked 2 rooms by the way.
hi rockit. someone told me that A & em hotel is girl friendly. is it true?
I’m not familiar with that place. It may or may not be. Cheers.
If you’re booking through a site like agoda or others, scroll down to check the hotel policies section. Hotels that aren’t girl friendly will be transparent about it and should post something like, “As per the law, a foreigner cannot share a room with a citizen of Vietnam without a certificate of marriage as a proof. The property may reject the booking or request that a second room be booked upon failure to do so.”
Thanks for the tip. Unfortunately the reality doesn’t always match the stated policies as evidenced by some of the girl friendly hotels in HCMC having signs up officially prohibiting unmarried female guests and prostitutes. Cheers.
Hi Rockit
how to get some refined english speaking young girl in HCMC
who to contact
Sorry I can’t help you. Cheers.
Hi Rockit,
Do have any experience with bringing friendly girls to Sheraton in HCMC?
Hi. I don’t have any experience with that. If I had to guess, I would say they might refuse it. But things are changing fast in Saigon. Cheers.
Hi ,,
I am considering booking an apartment on AIR bnb.. with a private host so to speak.
is there any difficulty in having a guest in this scenario ?
Cheers
Hi Gino. Air BNB can be hit or miss in HCMC. It depends on the building and the owner. A lot of rooms are in residential buildings with nosy neighbors who will complain if they see women coming in and out. Other buildings have security guards or owners who prohibit bringing in any local ladies. If I was going to go with an Air BNB room I’d ask if I could bring female friends to the room. But I usually go with trusted and known guest friendly hotels when I visit. Cheers.
Hi Rockit,
thanks for the info..
I was thinking of renting out an apartment,, but I wouldnt be having any noisy parties etc etc …
may be if I got a bit friendly with the security guards,, they may turn the other way !!
Anything is possible. Cheers.
Thiem Tung Hotel – Reception told me on checking in that my Vietnamese girlfriend not allowed in my room. Would need to book a second room for her…..
So sad.
Thanks for the comment. Unfortunately that is quite a common occurrence in Vietnam. Cheers.
Boss is always a good choice especially since they often have a nice spa on site
Thanks for the comment. Cheers.
I’m an older – very experienced monger – coming for my first trip – I’d like great location district 1 / a roof pool / elevator/ all my research seems everyone is friendly and Egar to please (hotel staff)
I’m not looking for Cheap – value for money is always a plus but I’m far from cheap. Clean – comfortable amenities- convenience.
Thanks for the comment. In Saigon the more expensive and higher rated hotels are usually not guest friendly. Cheers.