wkndtraveler

Name of the hotel: Hotel des Arts Saigon MGallery Collection

What is your Le Club status? Platinum

Were you (or for multi-stayers were you generally) happy with the hotel/stay? Unfortunately no.

Which room did you book and which upgrade did you receive?
Booked deluxe room and received sky executive deluxe room (I guess the only difference is location on a high floor and access to a lounge where the doors opens anyway as platinum).

How are the rooms?
Very nice. Combination of white walls and dark wooden floors gives fresh and comfortable atmosphere. Large windows have great views to city center. Bed was awesome and reminded Sofitel’s MyBed with its soft-like-a-cloud mattress and luxurious bed linens. Big flat-screen TV in front of the bed. Decent desk and armchair by the window. Other amenities include Nespresso machine, Aqua di Toscana bath amenities and two small bottles of water. Room still has a smell of new furniture. Not so big, though: about 30 sqm.

What was good and what was bad?

Good: Sleek room and views.

Bad: Hmm, where to begin…
- Platinum recognition on arrival: no thank you for the loyalty, room not prepared even if arrived after the official check in time, neither welcome letter nor welcome gift in room.
- Check in took forever. We were asked to sit down in the lounge but not offered any kind of drinks before we asked after waiting for about 15 minutes.
- Staff speaks very bad English and hardly understood simple questions. Also, they seemed to be scared of me. Every time I asked something they answered to my (Asian) partner and didn’t even look at me. It happened several times in different locations at the hotel and started to be rather annoying.
- TV in our room welcomed not me but my partner who isn’t even Le Club member. Just can’t understand how they managed to do that since I was the one who made the booking and I gave them our passports together with my platinum card. I don’t really mind about whose name is on the screen but it’s amateurish and made me think if they have put some information incorrectly to their system which might later on cause that I won’t get my points from the stay (I did but wrong amount).
- Went to the lounge at 5:55pm, five minutes before cocktail hours started, and asked for drinks. Were told to wait for five more minutes! Everything was prepared already, lounge empty and staff just standing, so again – unbelievable! Also, the cocktail hours ended strictly as scheduled, unlike in many other Accor hotels, such as Sofitel Saigon almost next door, where we have found the lounge staff being very flexible with the schedule.
- Water in roof top pool was disgustingly dirty (greenish, like in Halong Bay) and smelled sewer.
- We weren’t allowed to have breakfast at main restaurant but only in the lounge (most of the Accor hotels we have stayed at, platinum members have been able to choose to enjoy their breakfast either in the lounge or in the main restaurant, as we know here).
- It was a New Year and all restaurants at the hotel were fully booked. I asked the hotel by email already on November if there is any special program during our stay but never received any reply. So, we went down to the bar to eat – just to be told that they don't serve any food that night. Asked if we could order some food to bar from the room service menu since we didn’t feel like sitting inside our room during the New Year but answer was no. Just can’t understand their inflexibility. They made it almost impossible for us to eat at the hotel!
- After negotiating with a restaurant manager, she allowed us to order food from room service menu to be delivered to the lounge (this hasn't been any problem at any other Accor hotel but here even a restaurant manager had to call to someone before making a decision).
- It took several minutes to get warm water in shower. It's not only inconvenient but also a waste of water.
- Painfully slow Wi-Fi, in-room safe had low batteries.

Did you get club lounge access? How was the lounge?
It’s stylish but very tiny, has only 20 seats or so. Really poor, limited selection of snacks during both afternoon tea and cocktail hours. In the afternoon they don’t have anything salty, just a small selection of petit four. During the cocktail hours, sushi, two different canapés and cheeses are served. Also the variety of international newspapers is pretty bad. They didn’t have The International New York Times, for example.

What about welcome drinks, welcome amenities or any other special perks?
Our room wasn’t obviously prepared for us even if arrived late as told before. No welcome letter, no welcome gift, nothing. I later went back to the lounge to ask what the VIP treatment for platinum members at this hotel means. The lady behind the desk didn’t understand my question so I asked her to give me Le Club brochure. I pointed VIP treatment. She asked if I didn’t receive toothbrush and shaving kit (I had also requested those). I started to be sweaty at this point but tried again and she finally got the point, made a phone call and after that a few delicacies such as macaroons, muffins and fruits were sent to our room.
Drink voucher were handed over and it was usable for soft drink, beer or house wine.
Didn’t need early check in or late check out and they weren’t listed on a lounge benefit list either so can’t comment on that.

Value for $ or Vouchers? Would you return?
Won’t return unless they pay me. This hotel looks good and suit for normal holiday travelers but not Le Club top tier members. Price is similar than in Sofitel but the service isn't on par with the expectations I have for a five-star luxury hotel.