We stayed here for it's old world colonial appeal and it lacked the charm we had hoped for. The service was not personal or very friendly and the lobby was under construction. It was our first destination in Vietnam and it really colored our impression of the people and the country. While the staff was pleasant, they were not charming or delightful at all. The first room they took us to had a window facing an internal wall, so we asked to change rooms. The location, while on the water isn't as clean, quiet or desirable as where the Rex hotel is at the other end of the street. The Sofitel Metropole in Hanoi is a world apart from this property. If we went back to HCMC we would stay somewhere else.

We stayed 3 nights in HCMC at the Majestic, and found it comfortable and very well located. The breakfasts are great, and what a view from the restaurant! We didn't use the pool as the weather wasn't that great while we were there, and we didn't spend a huge amount of time in the hotel as we had so many things to see in Saigon and beyond.

The rooftop bar is amazing in the evenings, such a beautiful view and a great place to watch the madness of the traffic and the boats on the river all lit up.

We found the staff less friendly than in some of the other hotels, but never unhelpful. I think we'd been spoilt elsewhere, but we had no complaints.

Two things I would really recommend for Saigon are:
Saigon Hotpot tours - a university student takes you on a tour of the city, we did this the first day and it was a great way to orientate ourselves and was fascinating to speak to a local and find out more about Vietnamese life.
Cu Chi Tunnels - the day trips organised by the hotel are much more expensive than those you can get elsewhere, so it is worth shopping around.

It's great to be in a lovely historic building, and fascinating to see old photographs of the hotel through the years. Not convinced by the proposed modern extension, part of the charm of the place is its heritage, hope that doesn't get swamped by the desire to pack in the guests in a high rise!

Right from the time we checked in till we checked out, we were made to feel like royalty.The colonial interior of the hotel and the rich woodwork in the rooms added to the old world charm of the hotel.
However ,our room window overllooked sme kind of a backyard of commercial buildings and we could not draw our curtains and missed the natural light in the rooms.
The bathrooms were small ,but well appointed and the hotel staff offered excellent service which made up for any other problems
The location is very good ,with dong khai street as ho chi minh's main attraction...all major shopping areas and hotels are within walking distance .
All in all , an experience worth repeating

I have been to Ho Chi Minh many times, and usually stay in one of the big chain hotels. My first choice was booked out, so chose to try the Majestic hotel. What a treat. It was such a great decision. The views from both the roof top bars (yes, it has two separate ones) are stunning. All the staff in the reception area are so helpful. I will definitely be back.