Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

In Vietnam’s most populous city, the Park Hyatt Saigon offers a relaxing place to escape the crowds

Vietnam’s rural regions are characterised by remote caves, virgin forests and tranquil mountaintops, but many travellers add the country to their bucket list to experience the hum of life in its teeming cities. Ho Chi Minh City is one electrifying example. The city attracts more tourists than anywhere else in the country, with 36.5 million visitors in 2018, 7.5 million of whom were international tourists.

In the heart of the city, just a 25-minute drive from the airport and within walking distance of the top attractions in District 1, sits the Park Hyatt Saigon, a hotel that acts as an oasis of calm in a region that never stops moving. Bursting with antique paintings, ornate furniture and hand-woven carpets, the Park Hyatt Saigon expertly blends modern luxury with classic French design.

Bursting with antique paintings, ornate furniture and hand-woven carpets, the Park Hyatt Saigon expertly blends modern luxury with classic French design

The hotel’s 245 rooms include 23 grand suites. Each is fitted with technological amenities, including in-room iPads and speakers. Guests can lounge by the 20m outdoor pool, break a sweat in the state-of-the-art fitness centre or relax in the award-winning Xuan Spa, which features treatments using fresh herbs, local grains and fruits.

Overlooking the hotel is the elegant Saigon Opera House, a stunning example of the Western-style buildings that dot the country as a result of decades of French colonisation. Other attractions in Ho Chi Minh City that exemplify the French influence include the neo-Romanesque Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon and the Saigon Central Post Office. Meanwhile, the Independence Palace – a former government building – acts as a time capsule of the architecture of the 1960s.

While the boutiques and restaurants along Dong Khoi Street are a great way to spend an afternoon, the Park Hyatt Saigon also offers an excellent trattoria-style restaurant that serves up Vietnamese cuisine as well as French-inspired dishes.