Originally Posted by ftrichard

I think this comes down to whether you prefer the black onyx style of a SE Asia Le Meridien or the 1980s-style marble of a Sheraton. I've only ever stayed at Le Meridien in HCMC and have never felt the walk into the centre to be onerous. If you get the correct road around the back then there's lots of bars, a Japanese quarter, and it takes you directly to where you want to be even quicker than walking along the river. I've walked into the Sheraton and seen where their club lounge is and I wasn't overly inspired to switch brands. The Club Lounge at LeM is a highlight for me, it being on a high floor and serving caviar with blinis in the evening among other delicacies.

You should always have Grab ready in SE Asia. There are others but probably this is the most widespread and having one app that you know will correctly charge your foreign credit card is valuable.