Park Hyatt Saigon REVIEW - MASTER THREAD
Jul 19, 2015, 11:18 am
#212
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MFR
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,885
Thanks for those pics -- that is one ugly room! Not so excited about our stay in November anymore. (btw, the pic of you in the bath is hilarious -- it makes you look like a giant)
Jul 19, 2015, 11:20 am
#213
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,054
That looks like a child's bathtub and the furniture looks like they picked it from a seconds sale. Unbecoming of a Park Hyatt and looks more like a guesthouse. I wouldn't have stayed either!
Last edited by Aventine; Jul 19, 2015 at 10:55 pm
Jul 19, 2015, 9:02 pm
#214
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,602
I rarely jump into defense for a hotel, but in this case I want to. Dewby, from what I can see you must have been on the third floor, left or right from the Spa, probably in a 33X/34X series room. Was the suite on the same floor? Renovations on the third floor are not completely finished, as I saw work being carried out. I am surprised the second room you were put into was on this floor. I do think your points are valid and I can see your frustration, especially after talking to the FOM. What a joke. I sincerely think you should have asked to speak with the GM, Jan-Hendrik Meidinger.
The funny thing is, and this might be against the trend here right now, that my stay was actually great. I even felt this very hotel walked all over other Park Hyatts, including Vendome. It's right up there with Sydney and Buenos Aires. It's not one of those new, cookie-cutter Park Hyatt properties, so you either fall in love with it or hate. And the renovations, at least what I have seen, have been to the highest standard. But they did preserve the soul of this grande dame. The bathrooms remain a problem, and will most likely never be up to the standard of other International Park Hyatts, because they would have to do some major structural work and gut the whole damn building to re-structure everything. One sink in many of the suites is a symptom of this problem. But the rest was done lovely. I actually like the furniture and the subtle tech in the room. It's one of the hotels where you exactly know in which city you are staying. For that, it is very well done. But I can see where you are coming from.
The true qualities of the hotel though are in the staff and the service levels. I have to say that service levels were on par, if not a notch over many Four Seasons properties around the world and truly excellent. No other Park Hyatt can live up to that and I have seen many of them. All the little touches. Many of the staff members you interact with have business cards they will present you, even Concierge agents, which helps with the names. Arrival and departure procedures are some of the best in the entire chain, truly world class. Housekeeping is immaculate, even to the point where they arrange your laptop/tech equipment with cable ties. Just walking through the lobby you are asked if you need help with anything. F&B operations top notch, with management presence and the chef at the tables talking to guests. Service recovery is in a place, more so than at other properties. Bellboys speak great English and generally, the hotel is willing to go the extra mile in order to please guests.
The renovations are a difficult time for this very special hotel and things should have not gone this route with your stay, but I do think it they try to make it right. There's only so much they can do with the physical build of the hotel, and they tried to preserve the spirit and soul of the property. But it's one of my favorite hotel experiences in SE Asia, if not the world.
The funny thing is, and this might be against the trend here right now, that my stay was actually great. I even felt this very hotel walked all over other Park Hyatts, including Vendome. It's right up there with Sydney and Buenos Aires. It's not one of those new, cookie-cutter Park Hyatt properties, so you either fall in love with it or hate. And the renovations, at least what I have seen, have been to the highest standard. But they did preserve the soul of this grande dame. The bathrooms remain a problem, and will most likely never be up to the standard of other International Park Hyatts, because they would have to do some major structural work and gut the whole damn building to re-structure everything. One sink in many of the suites is a symptom of this problem. But the rest was done lovely. I actually like the furniture and the subtle tech in the room. It's one of the hotels where you exactly know in which city you are staying. For that, it is very well done. But I can see where you are coming from.
The true qualities of the hotel though are in the staff and the service levels. I have to say that service levels were on par, if not a notch over many Four Seasons properties around the world and truly excellent. No other Park Hyatt can live up to that and I have seen many of them. All the little touches. Many of the staff members you interact with have business cards they will present you, even Concierge agents, which helps with the names. Arrival and departure procedures are some of the best in the entire chain, truly world class. Housekeeping is immaculate, even to the point where they arrange your laptop/tech equipment with cable ties. Just walking through the lobby you are asked if you need help with anything. F&B operations top notch, with management presence and the chef at the tables talking to guests. Service recovery is in a place, more so than at other properties. Bellboys speak great English and generally, the hotel is willing to go the extra mile in order to please guests.
The renovations are a difficult time for this very special hotel and things should have not gone this route with your stay, but I do think it they try to make it right. There's only so much they can do with the physical build of the hotel, and they tried to preserve the spirit and soul of the property. But it's one of my favorite hotel experiences in SE Asia, if not the world.
Jul 20, 2015, 12:19 am
#215
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Germany
Programs: IC Dia, Hyatt Globlist, Hilton Gold, Star Alliance Gold, Emirates Gold, BA Gold
Posts: 558
All fair comments.
This hotel does have flair. The lobby is outstanding I admit. The pool great. I mention this in my first post. The hotel also has an air of specialness to it and is for sure a place to be seen. The rooms though are not great. The management poor and they don't like to accept they have service failings. Living off a legend is never good, you have to maintain and earn your reputation. No quality control springs to mind. Toilet broken, shutters broken are just 2 things that a guest should not be confronted with yet alone the awful smell of fumes which is unhealthy.
You make a fair comment on the staff. They are genuinely engaging. When I told our butler we were leaving early he was devastated alongside the pool attendants. A shame the management were not as endearing.
My suite was on the 8th floor. The room was on the 3rd floor. Both rooms though have been renovated. No excuses on that front. Let's face it aesthetics are important in a hotel of this standard. It's just ugly. On top of this the dismissive FOM became an irritation.
I have more pics that are worse. I was trying to be fair by not putting them up. I wanted to make some valid points about how ugly the furniture is and that the renovations have created some problems which FTs should be made aware of if they are travelling to this hotel. Let's face it the options are limited in HCM.
On my size in relation to the bath I am 5,11 and weigh 170 lbs. Those baths are crazy small.
Thanks for all your comments and support.
I will write a TR over the coming weeks on Vietnam and f flights with CX.
This hotel does have flair. The lobby is outstanding I admit. The pool great. I mention this in my first post. The hotel also has an air of specialness to it and is for sure a place to be seen. The rooms though are not great. The management poor and they don't like to accept they have service failings. Living off a legend is never good, you have to maintain and earn your reputation. No quality control springs to mind. Toilet broken, shutters broken are just 2 things that a guest should not be confronted with yet alone the awful smell of fumes which is unhealthy.
You make a fair comment on the staff. They are genuinely engaging. When I told our butler we were leaving early he was devastated alongside the pool attendants. A shame the management were not as endearing.
My suite was on the 8th floor. The room was on the 3rd floor. Both rooms though have been renovated. No excuses on that front. Let's face it aesthetics are important in a hotel of this standard. It's just ugly. On top of this the dismissive FOM became an irritation.
I have more pics that are worse. I was trying to be fair by not putting them up. I wanted to make some valid points about how ugly the furniture is and that the renovations have created some problems which FTs should be made aware of if they are travelling to this hotel. Let's face it the options are limited in HCM.
On my size in relation to the bath I am 5,11 and weigh 170 lbs. Those baths are crazy small.
Thanks for all your comments and support.
I will write a TR over the coming weeks on Vietnam and f flights with CX.
Jul 20, 2015, 1:19 am
#216
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,602
I wholeheartedly concur that the lapses you experienced should have never happened. You should email those pictures to the GM, if he doesn't read this forum. Looking forward to the rest of the report.
You know what they say in hospitality... "you're only as good as your last meal". The FOM should take that to heart.
You know what they say in hospitality... "you're only as good as your last meal". The FOM should take that to heart.
Jul 20, 2015, 1:23 am
#217
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Germany
Programs: Some
Posts: 11,523
Correct, but not too limited. Even if it looks like Disney Land the Reverie could be an option. I donīt intend to visit HCM again soon, but again I was happy with my pre-renovation stay. Service was indeed very good. I found the bathroom OK, but to be fair it was an Executive Suite.
Jul 20, 2015, 4:46 am
#218
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Sixt Diamond, Hertz PC, Bonvoy Gold, UA G
Posts: 596
He also refused to award me the diamond bonus points because he said cash and points didn't qualify...except it does, and I confirmed with HGP on Twitter and on the phone.
Fortunately I contacted the GM who was able to solve the issues...know that the GM is accessible via email and can help solve this kind of issue.
Last edited by peteropny; Sep 12, 2015 at 7:40 am
Jul 20, 2015, 5:04 am
#219
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Osaka
Programs: Hyatt Explorist, Hilton Gold, UA
Posts: 3,158
Thanks for the photo dewby. I assume those are of the suite on the 8th floor and not the room on the 3rd floor? That is definitely some of the worst furnishing I've ever seen.
This is sure tempering our expectations for our week on a DSU in Feb, but we're very locked into Hyatt right now, so unless we re-plan the entire trip and decide to skip HCMC, we'll have to make do.
On the bright side, now I'm glad we decided to go to HCMC first and then Bangkok rather than vice versa. I had originally wanted to save PH Saigon for after GH Erawan because I though the PH would be more luxurious, but then it turned out to be logistically better to do HCMC first.
Look forward to hearing more about your trip.
This is sure tempering our expectations for our week on a DSU in Feb, but we're very locked into Hyatt right now, so unless we re-plan the entire trip and decide to skip HCMC, we'll have to make do.
On the bright side, now I'm glad we decided to go to HCMC first and then Bangkok rather than vice versa. I had originally wanted to save PH Saigon for after GH Erawan because I though the PH would be more luxurious, but then it turned out to be logistically better to do HCMC first.
Look forward to hearing more about your trip.
Jul 21, 2015, 12:55 pm
#220
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MFR
Programs: UA 1K 1.9MM, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,885
Jul 21, 2015, 2:29 pm
#221
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Saigon/Hanoi/San Francisco
Posts: 1,779
I have stayed here 4 times. Each time, I feel the hotel has gone down a notch. My last stay, we had two guests came to visit in our suite. A couple minutes later, out of nowhere, a trainee (from France) came knocking on our door asking if we needed anything, peeking inside our door, very weird situation. I think he had ulterior motive for checking up on us.
This past week, I had Guest of Honor booking and my guest was refused Diamond benefits even after the FD clerk checked with the FOM. I can understand FD level employees may not know everything, but when a manager is unaware, that reflects poorly on the mgt of the property. I'll give them the benefit of doubt and hope that it was just one-off.
I like the location and look forward to my return visit later this year.
This past week, I had Guest of Honor booking and my guest was refused Diamond benefits even after the FD clerk checked with the FOM. I can understand FD level employees may not know everything, but when a manager is unaware, that reflects poorly on the mgt of the property. I'll give them the benefit of doubt and hope that it was just one-off.
I like the location and look forward to my return visit later this year.
Jul 21, 2015, 7:38 pm
#222
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Europe
Posts: 2,602
This past week, I had Guest of Honor booking and my guest was refused Diamond benefits even after the FD clerk checked with the FOM. I can understand FD level employees may not know everything, but when a manager is unaware, that reflects poorly on the mgt of the property. I'll give them the benefit of doubt and hope that it was just one-off.
Last edited by scented; Jul 22, 2015 at 8:49 pm
Jul 21, 2015, 7:57 pm
#223
Join Date: Sep 1999
Programs: AA EXP, SPG PLT, Hyatt DIA, Hilton GLD
Posts: 974
I have stayed at this hotel approx. 30-35 times since they opened. I honestly don't agree at all with your criticism, much of what is quite subjective and superficial. I also don't often defend properties, but this is one of the best Park Hyatts in my opinion, and certainly the top property in Saigon. The atmosphere, serenity, service and personal approach is strong. The comments on the shutters and the design of the hallway carpets aren't that important to me. The management is good, the food is outstanding and the diamond recognition is great.
I honestly would not invest in a Mercedes pick up when I can take a taxi for the 15-20 minute ride for about $8.00 USD. Just my two cents.
I honestly would not invest in a Mercedes pick up when I can take a taxi for the 15-20 minute ride for about $8.00 USD. Just my two cents.
I arrived today for what was meant to be a 3 night stay. I will leave in the morning.
The suite assigned to us stank of paint or varnish. Shoddy work in places and I am not willing to breath fumes of god knows what. My advice would be to stay away until all the renovations have been completed and them come back to what I am sure is a very special hotel.
We ended up downgrading to a deluxe room that are tiny although it has pool access which is nice. That said this room has the smallest bath I have seen in a luxury hotel. No longer than 3 feet at the most so any idea of soaking in a tub can be forgotten. The wooden shutters in the room are the only form of privacy, the issue is they don't close all the way and have warped. This means you can not block out the morning sun. A real fail for me. If you can't secure privacy in your own room that is a problem. Why did they not just hang curtains escapes me.
On the refurb in the rooms it appears they have kept a lot of the old furniture which makes a very odd aesthetic, old teak, white barrocke and gold bamboo. Hmmm. The carpets in the rooms are very opulent, I don't get though the parrot embossed hallway carpets. Very odd.
On a positive side I liked the s class pick up. A nice treat and seamless. The lobby is stunning and gives a feeling of luxury. The pool is a haven in a city and is a good size. The Italian restaurant serves delicious food and is great value. Just the rooms are not up to standard I would expect.
I am overly excited to leave which is not how I should feel. Lucky I could move my flights forward by 2 days. I have never left a vacation early but if I stay here i will become irritated by the lack of attention to detail.
This hotel needs to get on top of its quality control and be reminded of what PH is about. The flair and setting is amazing yet attention to detail and making things special fail to excite me.
A great shame.
The suite assigned to us stank of paint or varnish. Shoddy work in places and I am not willing to breath fumes of god knows what. My advice would be to stay away until all the renovations have been completed and them come back to what I am sure is a very special hotel.
We ended up downgrading to a deluxe room that are tiny although it has pool access which is nice. That said this room has the smallest bath I have seen in a luxury hotel. No longer than 3 feet at the most so any idea of soaking in a tub can be forgotten. The wooden shutters in the room are the only form of privacy, the issue is they don't close all the way and have warped. This means you can not block out the morning sun. A real fail for me. If you can't secure privacy in your own room that is a problem. Why did they not just hang curtains escapes me.
On the refurb in the rooms it appears they have kept a lot of the old furniture which makes a very odd aesthetic, old teak, white barrocke and gold bamboo. Hmmm. The carpets in the rooms are very opulent, I don't get though the parrot embossed hallway carpets. Very odd.
On a positive side I liked the s class pick up. A nice treat and seamless. The lobby is stunning and gives a feeling of luxury. The pool is a haven in a city and is a good size. The Italian restaurant serves delicious food and is great value. Just the rooms are not up to standard I would expect.
I am overly excited to leave which is not how I should feel. Lucky I could move my flights forward by 2 days. I have never left a vacation early but if I stay here i will become irritated by the lack of attention to detail.
This hotel needs to get on top of its quality control and be reminded of what PH is about. The flair and setting is amazing yet attention to detail and making things special fail to excite me.
A great shame.
Jul 22, 2015, 4:50 am
#224
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Germany
Programs: IC Dia, Hyatt Globlist, Hilton Gold, Star Alliance Gold, Emirates Gold, BA Gold
Posts: 558
Each to their own.
i agree the hotel has a lovely lobby, it has great food. The rooms though?
I do expect privacy in my room, there are no curtains only shutters so if you shower and walk out naked and the shutters have opened because they don't close you are basically looking out to the pool which is a walk way for guests. if i was on the 8th floor would i have been so bothered? No.
I think this is the misunderstanding, the room has no curtains or blinds, it is only the shutters that don't work. I think that is important.
I am assuming the fumes would have gotten to you which was my biggest gripe.
The furniture is bad, think there is a lot of agreement on that. what were they thinking.
Yes the hotel has flair, yes it is the best place in SGN (probably) so surely the type of service mishaps and an incompetent FO team like seems to be prevalent here should not be what one would aim for.
i go back to my original point and i think it is a quality control issue. 'We are the best so lets not care'. That is a dangerous attitude and a leadership issue. On diamond recognition, i got none.
i agree the hotel has a lovely lobby, it has great food. The rooms though?
I do expect privacy in my room, there are no curtains only shutters so if you shower and walk out naked and the shutters have opened because they don't close you are basically looking out to the pool which is a walk way for guests. if i was on the 8th floor would i have been so bothered? No.
I think this is the misunderstanding, the room has no curtains or blinds, it is only the shutters that don't work. I think that is important.
I am assuming the fumes would have gotten to you which was my biggest gripe.
The furniture is bad, think there is a lot of agreement on that. what were they thinking.
Yes the hotel has flair, yes it is the best place in SGN (probably) so surely the type of service mishaps and an incompetent FO team like seems to be prevalent here should not be what one would aim for.
i go back to my original point and i think it is a quality control issue. 'We are the best so lets not care'. That is a dangerous attitude and a leadership issue. On diamond recognition, i got none.
Jul 22, 2015, 10:26 am
#225
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Germany
Programs: Some
Posts: 11,523
Each to their own.
i agree the hotel has a lovely lobby, it has great food. The rooms though?
I do expect privacy in my room, there are no curtains only shutters so if you shower and walk out naked and the shutters have opened because they don't close you are basically looking out to the pool which is a walk way for guests. if i was on the 8th floor would i have been so bothered? No.
I think this is the misunderstanding, the room has no curtains or blinds, it is only the shutters that don't work. I think that is important.
I am assuming the fumes would have gotten to you which was my biggest gripe.
The furniture is bad, think there is a lot of agreement on that. what were they thinking.
Yes the hotel has flair, yes it is the best place in SGN (probably) so surely the type of service mishaps and an incompetent FO team like seems to be prevalent here should not be what one would aim for.
i go back to my original point and i think it is a quality control issue. 'We are the best so lets not care'. That is a dangerous attitude and a leadership issue. On diamond recognition, i got none.
i agree the hotel has a lovely lobby, it has great food. The rooms though?
I do expect privacy in my room, there are no curtains only shutters so if you shower and walk out naked and the shutters have opened because they don't close you are basically looking out to the pool which is a walk way for guests. if i was on the 8th floor would i have been so bothered? No.
I think this is the misunderstanding, the room has no curtains or blinds, it is only the shutters that don't work. I think that is important.
I am assuming the fumes would have gotten to you which was my biggest gripe.
The furniture is bad, think there is a lot of agreement on that. what were they thinking.
Yes the hotel has flair, yes it is the best place in SGN (probably) so surely the type of service mishaps and an incompetent FO team like seems to be prevalent here should not be what one would aim for.
i go back to my original point and i think it is a quality control issue. 'We are the best so lets not care'. That is a dangerous attitude and a leadership issue. On diamond recognition, i got none.