Athena Hotel — Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

Athena Hotel

Rating: 1/5 Stars

I’ve traveled across 4 Vietnamese cities over the past week-plus, and this hotel in Ho Chi Minh City stands out as the absolute worst stay—no contest.

First, our check-in was a nightmare: we didn’t get to check in until 6-7 PM, and even then, we waited over 30 minutes just to get our keys. What made the wait more frustrating? The front desk staff were all huddled together chatting the entire time—they didn’t even glance up or greet us when we walked over, let alone apologize for the long wait.

Once in the room, the red flags kept coming: no shampoo or body wash for the shower, and the bath towels were noticeably yellowed (unacceptable for any hotel, let alone a 4-star one).

The next day, we hung the "Please Clean" sign and left the corresponding light on before heading out around noon. Imagine our frustration when we returned that night to find the room completely untouched—no fresh towels, no tidying, nothing.

When we went back to the front desk to address this, a middle-aged male staff member’s behavior crossed into outright rudeness. He clearly knew we were Chinese, yet spoke to us with a hostile, dismissive tone. Instead of apologizing, he made excuses: "Check-in takes time if you’re not here during our ‘normal hours’" and lied, claiming we’d hung a "Do Not Disturb" sign that morning (we never did). When I asked if he realized the hotel had inconvenienced us, he just shook his head—with a look that felt intentionally unkind.

A 4-star hotel should accommodate guests’ varying arrival and wake-up times, not penalize them. It should also train staff to greet guests politely, not ignore them while chatting among themselves. We didn’t ask for much—just a simple, "We’re sorry for the trouble." Instead, we got defensiveness, disrespect, and a complete lack of basic hospitality.

This stay was our final stop in Vietnam, and it’s a shame it left such a bitter taste. It didn’t just let us down as guests—it made me think far less of Ho Chi Minh City as a travel...

Athena Hotel – Comfortable Stay in a Great Location

We stayed at Athena Hotel last year and decided to return because we liked the location and overall comfort. The area is busy and lively, with plenty of food stalls, cafés, and restaurants serving great Vietnamese street food. A big plus for us is the Big C Hypermarket—just a 5-minute walk away—a Western-style store where you can find almost anything.

Now, onto what matters most to us: ✔️ Cleanliness – The hotel is generally clean, though some areas, especially in the bathroom, could use a little more attention. That said, we just arrived from Japan, so maybe our expectations were a bit high. ✔️ Bed comfort – The beds were great, with soft linens, but the pillows were a bit too hard for our taste—not a dealbreaker, though.

The room was comfortable and practical, with a large desk (great for work or just organizing your stuff), a useful armoire for clothes, and a small safe—handy for storing your passport and cash while exploring the city. The bathroom was spacious with a big glassed-in shower.

One important tip: Make sure your room has a window! Last year, we accidentally booked a windowless room, which was not ideal. We managed to switch for an extra fee, so check this when booking.

✔️ Breakfast is a must! If you stay here, definitely include the breakfast option in your room rate. The buffet on the 11th floor is absolutely perfect, offering a huge variety of both cold and hot dishes, sweets, and drinks. Absolutely worth it!

❗ One thing to note: Both times we stayed here, the staff wanted to keep our passports, which we didn’t allow. We’re not sure why, but just something to be aware of.

Overall, Athena Hotel is a solid choice for both leisure and business travel—comfortable, well-located, and reasonably priced.

Paul 🇺🇸 &...

We stayed at Athena hotel on our last night in Vietnam. We had an early morning flight, but didn't want to stay in an airport hotel, as we wanted to see a little of HCMC and eat good food. I must say the staff were good and spoke good English, but the Hotel itself is lifeless. The room had no window and dark wood decor. I could live with that, if I hadn't had the most frightening situation happen. Around midnight people came back to there room talking loudly and woke me up. After falling back to sleep, I was woken around 1.10am by a horrible sound of a man yelling, he sounded violent and aggressive. Then a woman started screaming the most blood curdling screams, as if she was being hurt badly. By this time I was terrified and very concerned about the woman. I dialled reception and they said they would check. I don't know if they did. Things quietened down a bit, but people continued to come and go, the door opening and closing was noisy. Then they ran the water for about an hour, which was also noisy. By this time it was 2.30am. I got to sleep at 3.30am for a 5am start. 6am breakfast on the top floor was ok, but pretty dismal after a bad night. I felt like I'd experienced a taste of the Underworld that night. I told reception the next morning and they apologized, I know it was not their fault. But honestly, I stayed on hotels $20 cheaper, that had beautiful pools, nice decor and incredibly helpful staff. This place was like a vault. I think you could find much nicer places for a fraction of the price. Oh and I'm allergic to mould and had to take an antihistamine in the middle of the night, so there is mould there too, I saw a patch of it on the ceiling. Do yourself a favour a read reviews before...