Majestic Hotel Address: 1 Dong Khoi Street, District 1 Ho Chi Minh City 175 Rooms

The recently renovated Majestic with its riverside location is our favorite of Saigon's classic colonial hotels. It offers prime location, classic architecture and a generous helping of local flavor.

Originally built in 1925, completely restored in 1998, and expanded in 2005, the colonial era Majestic boasts an excellent location on the river at the end of Dong Khoi Street and a very Vietnamese flavor - which is wonderful so long as you don't expect Western standards of service! The lobby is classic Vietnamese kitsch, with lots of marble and brightly colored lights. The small courtyard pool is pleasant. We love the rooftop bar (with free WiFi!) in the evenings.

The original 4-story building has been expanded several times over the years. The latest addition was completed in 2005 and added 45 Deluxe River View rooms with balconies. The architect did an amazing job blending old and new, even down to furnishings. But the best feature is the double-paned windows which really do keep out most of the noise from street and river traffic. We strongly suggest booking one of these newer "Deluxe River View" rooms, as the older "Deluxe" rooms do little to keep out the street noise. Leave the noisy and cramped "Superior" rooms to the tour package folks.