zzap

This doesn't sound very promising, ajca! Do you think I should be looking into another hotel near by, like the Caravelle, or give the Sheraton GT rooms a try?

Good luck if you go back in a few weeks -- it does seem that the grand tower rooms are much nicer than the old tower as they have been more recently renovated. The photos of the old tower room from travelswithmyself leave a lot to be desired.

travelswithmyself

Though my only stay was more than a year ago, I have to say that the old tower rooms were really not that bad IMO, just out of fashion . They were clean and the a/c worked. They didn't have that musty smell some of the old Sheratons in Indonesia have.

I particularly liked the high ceilings and airiness.

I viewed the grand tower rooms which are much newer but they felt dark and constricting after being in the old tower. But they are definitely much more modern if that's your thing.

ajca

The Sheraton Grand Towers rooms do look good in the photos so I reckon worth giving it a try... having said that they seem to be nearly as expensive (or sometimes more expensive) than the Park Hyatt around the corner.

The Park Hyatt is really in a class of its own in Saigon so if given the choice I would take the PH over the Sheraton any day (and you could book through Visa Luxury Hotels or Virtuoso and get more or less the same benefits you'd get through SPG Platinum, although without the points)

I have not stayed at the Caravelle but it doesn't look great in the photos and Vietnam is really not a place where you can expect a presumably locally owned and managed property to be good.

The new Pullman Saigon Centre looks quite good - very modern - and for the price of a Sheraton GT room you could get a big suite there. But its location is not as central at the Sheraton.

Intercontinental is another option but it is rather bland.

So all up I think the Sheraton Grand Towers is worth a try - unless you can get the Park Hyatt cheaper.

Thanks! Will report back!

TRAVELSIG

I have had good stays at the Sheraton Grand Towers and also nice upgrades from suite to a larger suite. This Tower was originally built I think as luxury apartments and the build quality is quite high and fairly spacious.

Braindrain

I had booked a room in the Grand Towers and was upgraded to their largest suite. Honestly, it was a great room and I was truly disappointed when I had to leave.

zzap

Great to hear! I'll book a GT room, cross my fingers that I get upgraded, and report back in a few weeks with my experience.

X-ON

I was there last Christmas with two rooms my mom staying in one. Both rooms (C+P) booking. After checking in I paid 75 USD/room and night to upgrade to Grand Tower since the rooms in ordinary tower is in desperate need of renovation. Both rooms got upgraded to an Executive Suite which were very nice. The Tower Lounge is nice indeed but not on par with for instance Westin Chaoyang in PEK or Grosvenor House in DXB...

I agree with others that I can't wait for the LM SGN to open, without the Grand Tower the Sheraton would be a sad story.

One night we went for drinks and dinner at the Park Hyatt next door seems to be an awesome property..

namdas

I stayed at Sheraton Saigon in a standard, not grand tower, club room in May and was very disappointed, having been a resident and greatly enjoyed its level 23 cocktail bar for the views over the years. The property is tired and despite having enforced a smoking ban since late last year has the stale 'morning after in a nightclub' smell of old smoke pervading all the common areas - though thankfully not the room itself. To be honest it was all a bit depressing after a month in VN enjoying plenty of other great hotels, though the food in the lounge wasn't bad.

On alternatives in Saigon:
- Caravelle - fairly simple rooms but great views and fantastic food and breakfasts. The sunday brunch has always been fantastic too
- Sofitel is also a very nice property in one of the only 'green' areas of Saigon, good food and smart rooms
- Not stayed at the Pullman mentioned above but while the location isn't right on the Dong Khoi / Nguyen Hue downtown area its a pretty interesting area to explore and not far from Ben Thanh market

MAN Flyer

Same here. I've stayed at the property over thirty times, including a couple of months ago and think it's fine. It's only slightly over a decade old.

I've stayed at the PH numerous times as a Hyatt Diamond and while I agree it is a step up in quality from the Sheraton the rates usually reflect this.

TRAVELSIG

I also like the Park Hyatt a lot- and you are correct that typically the rates do reflect this difference.

jaejaez

I stayed at the regular tower for my two nights and then upgraded myself to the Grand Tower for the remaining several days. We were upgraded to suites in both towers (as plat) and we were very glad to have moved.

As many others have already noted, the quality of rooms, the bathrooms, the exec lounge and the service in general are far superior in the Grand Tower. My biggest problem with my initial suite in the old tower was the water pressure - it was way too weak!
It wasn't that the old tower was bad per se, it was just that the Grand Tower was much better.


Would I pick Grand Tower over the PH at the same price? Definitely not.

The main reason is because at the Sheraton, the service is only up to the PH level at the Grand Tower. The moment you step out of the Grand Tower and head to one of Sheraton's restaurants or cafes, you are met with your typical (actually arguably weaker than typical) Sheraton level of service. Same goes for the pool and its service which is shared between the two towers... as well as the bellhops, the gym etc etc which are all shared between the two towers.

At the PH (where my friend stayed at the same time I was at the Sheraton), well, it's PH level of service all the way through from the entryway to the rooms. And so for the same price, I would pick the PH.

Wifey's Korean blog has photos for those interested:

Arrival, Old tower check-in, (shared) pool, gym:
http://blog.naver.com/dalgizoa/220272585664

Old Tower Exec Suite (including bathroom with very weak water pressure):
http://blog.naver.com/dalgizoa/220351897462

Grand Tower Exec Suite:
http://blog.naver.com/dalgizoa/220352767739

Main restaurant (Old Tower) Breakfast:
http://blog.naver.com/dalgizoa/220353143571

Old Tower Club Lounge:
http://blog.naver.com/dalgizoa/220353834577

Grand Tower Lounge:
http://blog.naver.com/dalgizoa/220354498590

travelswithmyself

I just had a stay here too. They gave me the same suite in the old tower which I had previously. And frankly I was very pleased with it. Having read so many negatives here and on the SPG website, I was beginning to wonder if my memory was wrong regarding the quality of the rooms.

Yet when I entered I was pleasantly surprised. Furnishings seemed to have been upkept very well. Yes old-fashioned but still in good shape with no scuff marks. Bathroom was on par with the ones in the SGS (refurbished suites). Water pressure was excellent especially the mid-level massage sprays - almost painful I might add. But then I wasn't on the 20+ floor like JJ... more like 10 floors down.

Again, I love the high ceilings. My group went over to the LeM to have a look-see - we were shown a standard room and while we were in agreement that those rooms were much more modern somehow we preferred the airiness of the Sheraton.

Ah well, I said as much previously. To each his own. I turned down the offer to upgrade to the Grand Tower, partly because I was planning to be out almost all the time, but also because I was satisfied.

cln

thanks for the reports !

lounge offerings look great ! booked a stay there....

LM has no lounge i guess ?

travelswithmyself

LM's lounge is not open... probably needs another month or so.

It's a bit small, but the view is great though...

domirule

Is the "offer to upgrade to the Grand Tower" still at US$75?