California Saigon Hotel & Rooftop Pool — Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City

I had an extremely disappointing stay at California Saigon Hotel and cannot recommend it to anyone. If I could give zero stars, I would.

First, when we checked in, the room we were given was moldy, smelly, and in awful condition. The mold was visibly present, and the stench was unbearable. We requested to cancel the booking, but the hotel instead offered us another room. The second room, which was an upgrade, was better, so we reluctantly stayed. However, even in the upgraded room, the bed linens were yellow and stained, which was off-putting. Even though they changed the sheets daily, the visible stains were always there, making it feel unhygienic.

Another major issue was the room service staff. On multiple mornings, housekeeping knocked and entered the room while we were sleeping, which was extremely disruptive. We eventually started using the “Do Not Disturb” sign to stop this, but it was an unpleasant way to start our stay.

The real frustration came when I realized I had forgotten my bikinis in the room after checking out. I returned to the hotel just a few hours later, but the staff claimed they couldn’t find them. When I checked the room myself, it was already occupied by new guests, and the bikinis were gone. I had left them drying in the bathroom earlier that morning, and everything else was accounted for in my bag—so it’s clear they were taken.

The reception service was slow and unhelpful, and apart from the hotel manager (who was rarely present), the staff didn’t seem to care about resolving issues. The breakfast was below average, and the rooftop pool was poorly maintained, often with no towels available.

The only positive aspect of the hotel was its location, but that’s not enough to make up for the terrible experience. Poor room quality, untrustworthy staff, and terrible service make this place a complete disaster. If you value your belongings, comfort, and a good experience, avoid this hotel...

We have just left the california after a 2 night stay. Let me begin this review by telling you what's good about this hotel.....

The location.. That's it. That's all that's good.

Now for the long list of bad.

The cleanliness is shocking and the hotel needs a good scrub and revamp. The hotel has a grubby look to it, the rooms are damp smelling (when it doesn't smell of cigarette smoke). Our room looked okay but on closer inspection the AC was dirty. The chairs had stains on them, the shower screen was disgusting and needed a scrub.

The staff at the front of house were okay, not overly happy or helpful but okay. The doorman kept coughing then touching the door handles which really put me off. My main issue though was the housekeeping staff having meetings outside our bedroom door at 7am!! Laughing and joking outside the bedrooms when people are trying the sleep is not okay.

I thoroughly enjoyed the drilling and hammering at 7am alongside the housekeeping party outside my room.. Really set off the relaxing vibe I was after.

The breakfast.. Starts at 6.30am but our first morning they ran late and strated at 7.15am..not a problem if you are in no rush but we arrived at 6.30 due to a trip we are going on so this created a rush. The selection for westerners is incredibly limited.. Toast and jam only. No hot tea.

This was the worst for me.... The Smoking smell in the room. I'm not sure where it was coming from but our room stank of it throughout the evening and we had to spray perfume around to cover it up. This was unacceptable.

Thankfully this was a fleeting visit otherwise we would have demanded the money back and gone somewhere else.

If you need a bed for the night then this will be fine but if you are after the 4 star luxury this hotel promotes then go elsewhere as it is definitely not 4 star and I have stayed in better 3 stars for...

Stay away from this hotel! It says 8/10 on reviews, but far from it. In fact - I question the validity of some of these reviews. Upon check in, we were greeted by grumpy front desk people, had to drag our 7 pieces of luggage on our own, up at least 15 stairs, and they had 2 people sleeping in cots in the main lobby! We were only given 1 key for 4 people, and when we asked for another, were told only 1 room key. The rooms say newly renovated, but was this in the 70’s? Upon entering the room, we were greeted with the smell of mildew, the sheets even felt damp. There were yellow stains all over the sheets and bed, and don’t get me started on the couch. The beds are also like sleeping on concrete. The towels are grey. There is a “window” but not sure to where. Also the bathtub is so high, it is almost hard to get out of. I could see someone really injuring themselves getting out.

The breakfast ends at 10am, and they really stick to this. The only thing I was able to get at 9:50 was an omelet as all the food was gone. The coffee is also disgusting. My wife tried to toast some bread at 10:01am, only to have one of the hotel people turn off the toaster on her, and tell her no finished! when trying to turn it back on. We took some bread with peanut butter and were yelled at, and told it is not allowed to take to your room for free. Not excuse me sir, but hey you, you and then the lady called over security as we were entering the elevator like we had stolen something (it’s bread?!). The only saving grace of this dump is the rooftop pool, and proximity to markets.

This place is so bad, we re-booked at another property, forgoing the rate we paid here. This place sucks. You get what you pay for, but for about $100 more a night we booked a 5 star apartment for the rest...