United Airlines unexpectedly canceled our flight home to the United States and as there wasn't another flight until the next day, they put a whole planeload of people up at the New World. I have to say, it was a nice place to spend 24 hours.

We spent most of our trip in budget places and certainly would not have been prepared to pay for this hotel. But it was a nice way to spend our last day in Vietnam.

The rooms are pretty standard higher end fare. Ours had two small double beds with comfortable mattresses and down (down!) pillows. They were the most comfortable beds we slept in in Vietnam.

Our room was on the 8th floor and had a great view of the city.

It was very tidy.

Check-in, considering the large number of people in line, went surprisingly well. Our clerk was extremely efficient and fast and handled the process very well.

I loved that in the early evening there is a troupe of traditional women musicians playing in the lobby. They were great!

The best part of the hotel, though, was the pool. It is outdoors in a beautiful patio area. The water is flush with the tiles of the patio and there are very comfortable chaise lounges and umbrellas scattered around. Some of our fellow strandees met us there in the afternoon and we just lazed around until it was time for dinner.

Which brings me to the dinner. Perhaps it was because I had grown used to the fabulous food in Vietnam, but I was disappointed with the buffet. Yes, it served a huge variety of dishes, but none were remarkable. At breakfast they served pho, and it was luke warm. Dinner offered some roasted meats and a collection of chaffing dish entres, but we found ourselves missing the street stalls with their incredible flavors and fresh ingredients. Plus, the service (at a buffet!) was poor. We were seated at a table for two. As there were four of us, I asked for 2 more place settings and the woman went off and never came back. I finally flagged down another employee who took care of it. Then, I asked for water and it took forever for them to bring it. It is a good thing it is a buffet, I think. We would probably have grown old waiting for a meal from that crew.

Restaurant aside, the place was lovely. It is across from a park and down the road from the market. If you are staying in Ho Chi Minh City on business, or if your budget allows, this is a nice place.

A busy hotel which is obviously very popular with business and tourist travellers evidenced by the long wait to check in. But the hotel as a whole is very nice and the foyer area and staff are very welcoming. Our rooms, (we had 2) were good, clean and spacious but just a little tired, especially the bathrooms which had sealant problems round the bath. Also I thought our bathroom was about to explode about 2am and got up to investigate the noise but it turned out to be the next door or above room using their bathroom. Others in our group complained about this as well.
The rest of the hotel was very good, breakfast and the buffet restaurant served excellent food with plenty of variety.
My only other niggle was the high cost of internet use and what they wanted to charge for a late checkout.

My husband & I stayed at New World last year Dec 26-Jan 01. The rooms were clean & comfortable. It was walking distance to Ben Thanh Market and many great restaurants. The only negative was customer service. They tried to cheat us in price. During check-in, they quoted $85 ++ per night. But when we were about to book the room and sign in, they tried to charge us $85 ++ per person. Of course we complained to the manager and got what we were initially quoted. Overall, good location & good price.
We are returning this year from Dec 23-Dec 26 for Christmas. It should be wonderful during this time of year.
I suggest everyone go to Nha Trang and stay at the Sunrise Resort...it was paradise!

I've stayed at the New World twice and each stay was good. (I still have the little figurines they leave at your bedside table during the turn-down service. That's a nice touch.) Other than that, I can't really say that anything else about the New World stood out for me.

Ok location... it's still a bit of a walk to the market though.

Overall, the New World Hotel is a nice hotel, a good hotel. That having been said, it is most assuredly not in the same league as the Park Hyatt Saigon or the Claravelle.

Tip: beware the agressive pimps and rickshaw drivers who park themselves right outside the hotel's premises and pounce the minute you step-out ready with an offer of a girl or a ride, maybe both - if the price is right and you're so inclined, of course.