We arrived with Cathay Pacific after only a couple of hours flight from Hong Kong. The airport is quite fancy, better than Soekarno-Hatta though not necessarily bigger; It's quite modern that it put shames to Juanda airport in Surabaya (even the new Juanda).
Once we stepped outside, it felt like home, the humidity. the crowd. the weather. the motorcycles. Driving out from the airport, you can almost feel like you're in Wonokromo.
15 minutes drive (no traffic), and we arrived in Omni Hotel Saigon. It claims to be five stars and a member of Marco Polo Hotel. (check www.omnihotelsaigon.com )
It could not have been more disappointing for us.
For once, the hotel does not offer the colonial splendor it subtly hints from the pictures in the website. It can't be more different than the Majapahit Hotel Surabaya.
Then the size. From the internet, it almost looks as if it's the same calibre with Shangri-La, if not at least Sheraton Surabaya. It's barely that size. The lobby is only the size of Garden Hotel in Surabaya, the room is the size of the living room in Ritz Carlton Singapore. bathroom included.
Okay, it may not be fair to compare the hotel to one of the best hotels in the world. But when you boasts a five stars standards, one cannot help but expect a five star, well, hotel. Such as Shangri-La surabaya, for example.
But the hallways are not so brightly lit, it smells of old carpet, and the AC is Daikin AC like the one you might find in any other household in Indonesia instead of the central Air Con one. The sink in the tub is quite rusty. And don't get me started on the view.
Hm....probably I'm being too spoiled lately with the spectacular view of Dubai, Singapore, Seoul, and Hong Kong's skylines. But to my defence, from this hotel, there is NO view. literally.
I would post more with pictures.
However, despite everything, despite all the above and me being only 3 hours here, there is still hope.
The exchange rate is 1 USD = 16,128 Dong. So for once, I don't feel like a pauper. We exchanged 400USD which is = +/- HKD 3,100 = +/- Won 400,000 = +/- Dong 6,500,000!!! hahahahaha....at least I'm familiar and more comfortable with the prices.
Anyway, can't say much now since, well, like I said, have only been here for 3 hours.
But internet is free, so I'll try to post more tomorrow.
Ciao!
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Stories of Lord Steiner, THE Vivi and Princess Felicia
3 comments:
the 5 star hotel should have the standard. im not sure what the standards are though. but i know it doesnt include view and hospitality. i think its more to the facility they provide. i bet trusty hotel is better, but its only 4 star if not 3 star hotel. why? it doesn thav e swimming pool, etc et.
hmmm... after all, it's Saigon. Bear in mind that 5-star hotel in Semarang might not be the standard of 5-star in Dubai or in Singapore, for example.
Even when choosing hotels in Bali, they will state in German websites "locally 5-star rated, internationally / German 3-star rated" hahahahaha... menghina ya... jadi ada hotel2 yg claim itself to be 5-star but only locally :-P
But this has the embel embel of " A Marco Polo Hotel"...so you would expect something more...special..
Anyway, I forgot to take picture of the "view" from my room...
on the other hand, i like it that they keep changing the breakfast buffet menu...something different each day, so not really boring in that way.
Airport is a killer though, a chicken sandwich for USD7?? Hello? you're not Paris for Christ sake!
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