Symbolizing the dynamism of Ho Chi Minh City and the new Vietnam, the sleek and stylish 252-room Park Hyatt Saigon (www.saigon.park.hyatt.com) has rapidly emerged as the preferred hotel for both leisure and business travelers since opening in August 2005. A member of the elite group of 26 Park Hyatt properties worldwide, it has raised the bar for upscale properties in Ho Chi Minh City and added panache to one of the most vibrant and happening cities in southeast Asia. 
Among the hotel's key selling points is its prime location
on
Book VIPs into either the Park Suites or Park Executive Suites. Each of the 15 Park Suites (which are 700 square feet) has its own private terrace with direct access to the swimming pool and views overlooking the pool and garden. The five super spacious Park Executive Suites (1,100 square feet each) have a separate living room and bedroom area and either pool views or city views.
Both Park and Park Executive suites come with four poster beds, work desk with broadband Internet access, multi-channel flat-screen TV, marble tiled bathrooms with separate bath and rain shower wet area and 24/7 butler service. All suites are bookable over the GDS. Agent liaisons are the sales managers, who can be contacted through the hotel's sales and marketing department (84 8 824 1234; [email protected]).
Another reason for the Park Hyatt's initial success is the
16,500 square foot Xuan Spa offering a full menu of treatments and seven
treatment rooms outfitted with exquisite antique Vietnamese wood furnishings.
It is the first spa in
The Park Hyatt is also home to Square One, one of the city's hottest new restaurants, which specializes in all varieties of Vietnamese seafood. A menu favorite is Vietnamese-style lobster served with pomelo salad, spring roll, minced shrimp and scallops with sticky rice. Square One also is known for the best Western-style steaks in the city. The hotel's other restaurant, Opera, is a contemporary and casual Italian restaurant with alfresco dining built around a glass enclosed wine library.
Contact the concierge desk (84 8 824 1234;
[email protected]) to arrange personal shopping tours for
antiques, clothing (embroidery and silk), ceramics and lacquer ware. Parkson
Department Store, adjacent to the hotel, has a selection of luxury brand
clothes, cosmetics and shoes. The concierge will also set up a city cultural
tour that visits artistic and religious sites, including the
The restaurant scene has exploded in
A short walk from the hotel is Asian Reflections (19 Lam Son
Square/Caravelle Hotel; 84 8 823 4999), which serves East-West fusion cuisine.
Start with the Caesar salad prepared with a choice of prawns fried in Szechuan
sauce or lemongrass fried chicken, followed by a main course of stir fried
For guests who want to create their own Vietnamese-style
concoctions, the Vietnamese Cookery Centre (362/8 Ung Van Khiem St., Tan Cang
Block, Bin Thanh District; 84 8 512 2746) provides cooking lessons featuring
the most popular native dishes. There are also nightly themed cooking shows from
6 to 9 p.m. performed by the house chef; one theme revolves around