Rooms house sweeping windows that let in spectacular city views alongside contemporary furnishings, posturepedic beds, pillow menus and sprawling marble bathrooms with free-standing baths, while the more traditional suites have the added benefit of private lounges. It’s the signature rooms that are particularly special, though, with access to the Signature Lounge for daily evening canapés and drinks as well as all-day free-flowing fizz.
While Ho Chi Minh caters to every taste, Caravelle itself is well worth a visit; Reflections’ creations are best sampled through its innovative five-course tasting menu, with the likes of roast duck breast and confit salmon on offer, while more traditional Vietnamese cuisine can be found at the historic Saigon Saigon rooftop bar. Open and thriving since 1959 even through the war, guests drink in panoramic city views with a nightly happy hour alongside tempura tiger prawns and Vietnamese spring rolls. If that’s not enough, there’s also chances to mix your own cocktails in the martini bar, indulge at the acclaimed Nineteen Buffet – with particularly excellent seafood – or enjoy afternoon tea at the elegant Café de l’Opera with opera house views.
The tranquil spa is a welcome antidote to the city buzz – though its floor-to-ceiling windows provide a dazzling panorama – where you can enjoy the likes of Jacuzzi baths and treatments like black sesame and honey scrubs, seaweed wraps and rebalancing massages. It's all alongside a 24-hour fitness centre and outdoor pool – but you’ll want to head out and explore. Caravelle’s fabulous location means you’re steps from the city's intoxicating fusion of colonial-charm architecture, contemporary skyscrapers and vibrant laneways, with the hotel's complimentary activities making for a great way to experience it all, from concocting your own pho on ‘pho Fridays’ to trips on the Saigon river bus and street food tours and tastings. The shopping market, humming with life as vendors bargain for anything and everything, is well worth a visit, as is discovering Ho Chi Minh’s fascinating but tumultuous history, from the sobering War Remnants Museum to the Cu Chi tunnels just outside the city.
