I've been a regular at the Blue River for 3 years now. I am an Australian living in Hoi An and I regularly stay at the Blue River when I visit Saigon.

The hotel is in a charming narrow lane in the tourist area of District 1. The advantage of the location is that you don't get much traffic noise- motor bike engines & horns which are a 24 hour annoyance in HCM. The hotel is 2 minutes from the restaurants, bars and tour ticket offices in Pham Ngu Lao and De Tham sts. It's also only a 10 minute stroll to the Ben Thanh market and nightly street restaurants.

I have always found the hotel to be immaculately clean, the beds and cotton bedding are comfy. I've enjoyed the free internet and the light breakfast included in the room price.

I have always found the staff to be friendly, courteous and helpful. There are many budget priced hotels in HCM - but the Blue River is one of the cleanest I've ever stayed in and that's why I am a regular guest and I recommend the hotel to all my friends and relatives visiting Vietnam.

Aussie Phil in Hoi An, Vietnam

This hotel should be considered as a guest house and it is quite small. Although it is located in a tourist place near Open Tours and TNK travel but it is in a small lane. The room rates are quite expensive. The staff is fine but not so friendly. With the same price, you can stay at other surrounding hotels which look better and more comfortable.

The room was fine and the staff were nice...until it came time to pay. When we arrived, the price was quoted in dollars. When we tried to pay with dong the woman at the front desk tried to charge us a 18,600 dong to dollar exchange rate when it should have been 16,600 dong per dollar. Don´t stay here. (We also stayed 1 night next door at the Bich Duyen Hotel. The room and breakfast were the same and the front desk didn´t try to rip us off)

My husband and I stayed at this hotel during our trip to Vietnam for Honeymoon in June. We couldn't have been more pleased. It's not luxury, but it's clean and safe and comfortable. The rooms were spotless. I noticed some other reviews say there wasn't a "normal" shower, but as this was Vietnam, or anywhere in Southeast Asia for that matter, that was to be expected. However, there was great water pressure, the water was hot, the beds were comfortable, and the air conditioning worked. The hotel is also very convienently located by everything you need.

Breakfast was great, a fried egg, ham, and bread as well as fresh fruit, juice and tea.

However, the standout part of this hotel was the hospitality. We were completely amazed at how above and beyond the two young women who were in charge of the hotel went for us. We went down one morning to ask about where to buy bus tickets or where to find the bus station. They told us not to worry, where did we want to go and when? They called to arrange everything and even went down to the station to pick up everything for us! They called to help us out with a messed up plane ticket. But what really took me was when I came down to ask if I could bring a bit of bread upstairs for my husband who was feeling ill. They wouldn't have any of that. Instead, she told me to go back up and proceeded to bring us a full tray of breakfast in bed complete with herbal teas to soothe my husband's aching belly. No charge. They genuinely wanted him to feel better.

This hotel is fantastic. If we're ever back in Saigon we will most certainly stay here again.