I will say right the way that my experience with the Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers has been very positive (so far) as I'm here on an award stay until 12/31/2010.
It all started with a very efficient and professional BMW 525i airport pick-up, with the hotel greeter holding the Sheraton sign and helping us with our luggage and then phoning the driver who brought the car curbside, and in less than 5 minutes, we were on our way! Believe me, I have been in many airport transfer situations where it was nothing but aggravations and disappointment, and this one ranks as one of the smoothest and the best that I have ever had. It is easily worth the 3,750 points redeemed for it. The fact that the driver was very friendly and knowledgeable about the area was just the bonus, and we arrived at the hotel in less than 30 minutes (it was already 10:30PM on a Monday night, so traffic was not bad).
The bellhop team immediately came to the car to open the doors for both my wife and me, and I walked directly toward the front desk. Upon presenting my SPG AMEX credit card, I was recognized as a Platinum and was cheerfully informed that I have been upgraded to a suite ^
And what an upgrade! It was a sumptuous 1 bedroom suite that could easily qualify as an apartment, with a large and wonderful living room with a small dining table holding a chess set, a beautiful marble bathroom complete with a separate shower stall boasting side shower heads for your body, a huge bedroom with a King bed and a long sitting couch which could sleep another person if needed, 2 flat screen LCD 46" TVs, a mini-bar, a DVD/CD stereo system, and even a separate hall powder room! The quality of the furnishing is as fine as some of the best Starwood properties that I have stayed at around the world. Needless to say, I am very pleased with the upgrade!
But I was most surprised and astounded by the staff - how friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient they are. It was 11:30PM, and my wife and I wanted a late night snack, and most places around the hotel were closed (& we did not want room service), so we asked the security guy at the front door and he recommended an excellent Vietnamese/Chinese restaurant nearby which is open 24 hours per day for a fantastic bowl of noodle, exactly what we wanted. He hailed us a cab (the fare was a cheap $2 each way) and the cabbie even offered to wait for us at the restaurant in order to take us back! The next morning, the staff at the Club Lounge answered numerous questions about the local areas, made excellent recommendations for restaurants and where to buy a local prepaid SIM card, and so on. You are made to feel very welcome at this place ^
Waiting in my suite was a bowl of fresh Vietnamese fruits along with personal greetings from Dr. Dietmar Kielnhofer, the GM, and from Andy Belmonte, the Executive Assistant Manager - it's so wonderful to see these sorts of things, to see your loyalty to Starwood so nicely recognized and rewarded.
The location of the hotel cannot be beat, as you are literally in the "middle of the action", with practically everything that you need within walking distance (excellent restaurants, the best luxury shops such as Louis Vuitton, Ferragamo, Chanel, etc, fantastic bars, some important tourist attractions, many corporate offices, and the Saigon River).
Security at the hotel is excellent, with hotel security conspicuous everywhere and you have to insert your room key in the elevator to get to your floor.
The housekeeping staff refreshed the towels, laid down the bathrobe on the bed, and prepared the room for the evening in an "invisible but efficient" manner befitting an international 5 stars hotel. Complimentary shoes shine is yours for the asking, as are pressing of up to 3 items upon check-in.
The Club Lounge has a nice view of Saigon, but the Continental breakfast augmented by smoked salmon and cold cut, along with miso soup is OK, and not outstanding. The high tea service is excellent and the evening hors d'oeuvre et wine/cocktail service is also excellent.
The wired Internet is reasonably fast (complimentary for me as a Plat), but the complimentary WiFi access in the Club Lounge is a bit on the slow side.
After dinner, we went up to the 23rd floor wine bar which offered a great view of the City for a night cap, and it was truly a nice first day at the Sheraton Saigon.
To be continued...