The Caravelle Hotel
The Caravelle Hotel is
located in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City's District 1, the former
Saigon area. Located just to the side of the Opera House, it has a
distinguished history, dating back to the Vietnam War, when it was a
haven for journalists, who would survey the war from its famous rooftop
bar. More recently it was home to the cast and Crew of the film The
Quiet American, filmed across the street at the Rex Hotel. For visitors
to Ho Chi Minh City the Caravelle has much to offer. The photo above
shows the entrance to the Caravelle with a
wire frame Christmas Tree in front to herald the holiday season. The
interior is spacious and warm,
with ample amount of marble and light
wood to absorb the light from its all-glass exterior. The photo at the
upper left shows the reception area of the Caravelle, with its tropical
palms competing with a Christmas Tree. The hotel staff is courteous,
informed, and really go out of
their way to accomodate guests. The photo
to the upper right shows the same area from a different angle, down the
hall that lead to the elevators. The handrail shown in the photo is the
entrance to the Caravelle's main dining area, shown in the photo at the
bottom left. Large enough to accommodate all of the guests at
breakfast, the Caravelle had especially fine breakfasts, offering both
traditional Asian cuisine as well as a hearty American breakfast. Below
is a promotional 360 video of the Caravelle which shows the lobby and
common areas.
An
elevator ride to the top of the Caravelle brings guests to the
SaigonSaigon Rooftop Bar, one
of the city's most famous watering holes. It boasts a large indoor area
for eating and dining, located behind the long bar shown in the photo
to the left. To the right of the bar is a narrow balcony with tables
overlooking the Opera House. The more spectacular view is to be found
on the large veranda overlooking District 1. It was from here that
journalists surveyed the Viet Cong advance on old Saigon, as well as
the final withdrawal of American forces. It is truly the classic war
journalist watering hole. Today the pace of life is a bit more sedate,
but the bar retains its popular status among tourists and expats alike.
Below is a video panorama of the SaigonSaigon Rooftop Bar by Phan Quoc
Cuong.
The
Caravelle Hotel has all the amenities of a five star hotel. In addition
to numerous restaurants and the rooftop bar, the Caravelle offers ample
recreational opportunities. These include a very complete fitness room
(and steam room), shown in the photo to the left, as well as a
beautiful pool area with restaurant, located on a mezzanine midway up
the hotel. The pool has a very tropical feel, with tropical plants and
thatched cabanas. The large free form pool also has a jacuzzi, located
at the far end of the pool.
I neglected to take photos of our room during the
first part of our stay at the Caravelle, but suffice it to say that
they were clean and roomy. On our second visit (when we returned from
the Anoasis Resort) Tracy booked us into the Club Floor, which was a
real treat. Club Floors continue to be the travel bargain, as for a few
more dollars you get a larger room (usually), express checkout, and
access to the Club Room. At the Caravelle the Club room served their
own breakfast, which had a much more intimate and relaxed atmosphere,
as well as complimentary cocktails in the evening and drinks and
nibbles during the day. It is to hotel stays what first-class
upgrades are to air-travel, a little extra that makes one's stay so
much more pleasant. The photo at the upper right shows the entryway
area of the Caravelle's club floor, where one can relax and watch the
large-screen plasma TV's. It was also where breakfast was served.
Beyond this area was a larger lounge and bar area. The photo to the
right offers a view of the
interior of our club room floor. The room
was light, with high ceilings. The photo to the right gives a glimpse
of the room, looking inward from the window, while the lower left
photo offers a view of the far side of the room.
