Great location with lovely French touches, but a few let-downs My partner and I stayed here recently and overall had a pleasant experience. The buffet breakfast was excellent with plenty of variety, although it did get very busy. Afternoon tea was a bit underwhelming – mainly just cakes and quite small. The rooftop area was beautiful, especially at night, but also quite small and can get crowded quickly. The room itself was nicely styled with charming French-inspired decor, though it was a little on the small side. Unfortunately, we had an issue where we were almost charged $35 AUD in cleaning fees after sweating overnight (it wasn’t a stain or like anything actually there). It felt like they were trying to charge for anything they could, but after raising the issue, they did manage to remove the stain and waived the fee. Aside from that, the customer service was friendly and helpful throughout our stay.

Au Lac Charner Hotel is in a prime location right in the heart of District 1 — perfect for exploring all that Ho Chi Minh City has to offer. The position couldn’t be better, and the staff were overall fantastic. A special shoutout to Tommy, whose helpfulness and friendly attitude really stood out. The rooftop pool offers great city views and is a brilliant spot to cool off or enjoy a sunset drink. The rooftop bar is also a lovely space to unwind after a busy day in the city. Although we didn’t make use of the spa services during our stay, the woman managing the massage area was warm and welcoming, and the prices were very reasonable — a great option for those looking to relax without leaving the hotel. The breakfast buffet was excellent, with a wide variety of options to suit all tastes. A particular highlight was the cheerful pho chef — his smile and energy were the perfect way to start the morning. Overall, a charming and well-run hotel with great amenities, top service, and unbeatable location. Highly recommended.

One small observation — on a couple of occasions, a few of the younger female staff appeared to be giggling in a way that some guests seemed to notice. While it may have been completely harmless, it did come across as a little unprofessional and made some guests appear self-conscious. Additionally, the morning manager walked around with a noticeably authoritative presence that bordered on overbearing. It gave off a slightly uncomfortable “boss ego” vibe that felt out of step with the otherwise warm and welcoming atmosphere created by the rest of the team. Minor details, but worth noting as part of the overall guest experience.

Great hotel in HCMC! It’s in district 1 but somehow stays quiet at nighttime which was great. The staff was exceptional as well - helped us with tours and bookings. They were all super friendly. The rooms were spacious and the amenities were great. Highly recommend staying here as opposed to the bigger hotels as they’re in the busiest areas!

Nothing!

Great location. Could easily walk to river and main streets. Very helpful staff. Lovely welcome on arrival. Room was spacious. Everything spotlessly clean. Good choice at breakfast.

Rooftop terrace was disappointing. Pool is good size but limited space around it. Five loungers which were 'reserved' from very early in the morning. Three sets of tables with two chairs right next to pool and two sets also 'reserved' so no space available. Booked so that we could relax there after long travel but wasnt possible.

The location, being close walking distance to a lot of great places including the markets! The staff here are outstanding! It was my husband’s birthday and I messaged them last minute to make his birthday special with a surprise cake for breakfast. They came through with an amazing cake and made my husband’s day! The cake was delicious and such a great French tasting cake. Which he loves! This hotel will def be our go to when we go Saigon again. Loved their afternoon tea which they put on upstairs. Real old French vibes and the tea cakes and sandwiches are amazing! I can not fault this hotel at all from the staff or the hotel. Only bad thing we had guests next door who had friends from other rooms come and drink and be loud on the balcony from 12am till 5am. Which is when I think they passed out from too much drinking. I even turned our balcony light on and off to tell them I’m awake. But no care! Happened 2 nights in a row and last night/morning we had to be up at 5am to fly home.

Nothing

We had a small issue with the room at the start of our stay. They had allocated a different room than what we had booked through Booking.com but this was quickly remedied on the first day. The correct room was lovely and spacious (we booked the Junior Suite with Balcony) and it was found to be very clean and similar to that advertised on line. The afternoon tea area and breakfast areas were nice and very clean. Although the breakfast was not as good as some of the other hotels we had stayed at, there was still enough choice that you could find something nice to eat. Staff were really friendly and helpful and provided great service throughout our four night stay.

The pool was good but the relaxing area around it was very small, so often there was no availability to hang around if you wanted more than just a quick dip.

Don’t let the handful of negative reviews keep you from booking this hotel—I almost did, and I’m so glad I didn’t! The staff were incredibly attentive, respectful, and courteous throughout our stay. One of the highlights was the complimentary afternoon tea service, complete with coffee, pastries, and snacks—a thoughtful and charming touch. While the pool area is on the smaller side, it’s clean, cozy, and relaxing. Just above it is an additional seating area with fantastic city views, perfect for unwinding. I was especially impressed when the staff went out of their way to have my laundry done the same day—something I truly appreciated. We always use the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign during hotel stays, and the staff here fully respected that. Whenever we needed anything, their response was immediate and helpful. The location is ideal—close to all the must-see spots for first-time visitors to Ho Chi Minh City. It’s also very convenient to book a GRAB (the local version of Uber/Lyft) for getting around. There’s a small café attached to the hotel as well, offering live music, pastries, light bites, coffee, and smoothies. We didn’t get a chance to try the spa or gym, but based on the overall quality of the hotel, I have no doubt they meet the same high standards.

Kent and his team were hospitable and went out of their way to make our experience the best possible. We had a late flight and without hesitation they supported our request to store our luggage on a later than usual check out. Kent also allowed us to use the hotels facilities to "freshen up" before catching a Grab to the airport, which we were most appreciative of. Being friendly and accomodating certainly made thing easier for us. Au Lac Charner is located in a brilliant area, beautifully positioned in a street between old and new Saigon, and within easy walking distance of every must see and do in District 1. Staff also delivered flowers to the room one evening to wish us a good night. How nice is that !!

There was nothing that I didnt really like.

Great small hotel with beautiful pool deck and breakfast room. Really good breakfast. Staff were all really friendly and helpful. Location was great - can walk to district 1 attractions and the new mrt stop at the opera house.

One point not so great - the junior suite with the bath on the balcony is very small with only one upright chair. The balcony is a good size with a couple of chairs but often too hot to be out there. The other type of junior suite has a bathtub in the room and the shower outside on the balcony. That said, even though small, the room was very nice.

It has a ‘wow’ factor from the lobby to the room. I’ve had the best sleep in D1 in this hotel. Love the bathtub too, after a long day of walk in celebration of VN’s Reunification Day, it’s so much needed. Things that other hotels don’t normally provide are there. There’s this huge Satori 19L of water included in the bar. Idk if it’s really part of what we paid or if it’s from a previous guest. I drink a lot and I love that. Also, there’s hair conditioner, which the other hotel (supposedly 4-star one) we stayed at couldn’t even be provided. The conditioner, bathroom gel and shampoo smell so nice too! The hotel is thoughtfully-designed too! We’ve enjoyed our stay here and we will be back next time.

The space for breakfast might be too limited. We had to go back to the area after some minutes. Or maybe there were just too many guests at the time of our stay. It was not that big of a deal. The big deal for me is the wifi. It sucks. Like a lot.