First Hotel

The hotel is actually more like two properties in one. The First Wing, which is the original part of the hotel, is housed in a beautiful colonial-style building with a striking round lobby featuring floor-to-ceiling windows and a big central dome. The newer Executive Wing is housed in a somewhat nondescript building with a smaller lobby, and is where most of the hotel amenities can be found, including the pool and the tennis courts. Decor is similar in both sections of the hotel, but the First Wing is a little dated. Rooms in the Executive Wing are more attractive and newer, offering better value and a more upscale feel. 

The hotel is close to the airport, and guests here are mostly business travelers and transit passengers.

First Hotel is located on the corner of two quiet streets in a residential neighborhood a short drive from the international airport. There isn’t much to do in this area, and finding a restaurant that’s not in a hotel can be a challenge -- but those who have a short layover in Ho Chi Minh or meetings in the nearby factories and offices may find this location convenient. The city’s most popular attractions -- including Ben Thanh Market, the Fine Arts Museum, Huynh Thuc Khang street market, Notre Dame Basilica, the War Remnants Museum, and the Independence Palace -- are all a 20-minute drive from the hotel in normal driving conditions. Xa Loi, the largest pagoda in HCM, is a 15-minute drive away along the river, and the airport can be reached in 10 minutes by car or in about 35 by bus.

The hotel’s 108 rooms are housed in two different buildings, one across the street from the other. The First Wing is the original section of the hotel, and rooms here are mostly pleasant and bright -- with wooden floors, basic furniture, white linens, and accents in earth tones -- but most are showing their age and decor is somewhat old-fashioned. Executive Wing rooms are newer, larger and more upscale, with polished dark floors, cream-colored walls, and classic furniture. Free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, air-conditioning, safes and minibars are all standard amenities. Bathrooms are clean and many have been renovated. Older ones have black countertops and beige walls; newer ones have light brown wall friezes and matching sink counters.

The hotel has three restaurants, including a buffet popular among locals, an attractive Japanese restaurant on the top floor, and a Korean eatery on the ground floor. A free breakfast with a good spread is served every morning at the buffet. The pool is medium-size and average, with a few padded loungers, a couple of umbrellas, and a bar offering seafood, traditional Vietnamese cuisine, and snacks. The fitness center has a handful of cardio and weight machines in a bright room with large arched windows, and there are three tennis courts that can be booked at front desk. The small spa offers body treatments, salon services, a sauna and a steam bath. There are also 15 meeting rooms and eight larger halls for events, as well as catering and secretarial services. Great freebies include Wi-Fi, airport transfer, and buffet breakfast.