An Unforgettable Evening At The Park Hyatt Saigon

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I’m live-blogging my SAS EuroBonus SkyTeam Milion Mile challenge this week. Click here for background and route information.

We finally reached Ho Chi Minh City, a city I had flown through a couple of times more recently but had not visited since 2010…it was great to be back (after clearing immigration). But what really made the evening special was spending it with my son Augustine at the Park Hyatt Saigon.

A Very Special Return To The Park Hyatt Saigon

I fondly recall staying at this hotel for the first time with my brother so many years ago now and sitting in the lobby lounge as the piano was gently played and music sweetly sung in the evening. I was hoping there would be live music in the Park Lounge in the evening and indeed, there was. But we had some things to do first…

Lobby
Check-in desk

We checked in and were not upgraded to a suite, perhaps because I had booked two beds. No matter, the room was quite comfortable and would do the job perfectly well for our one-night stay.

Our first order of business was swimming…something we missed out on in both Madrid and Paris. Thankfully, the pool was still open and we quickly changed into our swimming trunks (and kudos to the Park Hyatt for proactively placing a small robe in the room for Augustine…I had booked the room for one adult and one child and specified the age and the robe fit very well).

It was a beautiful evening and we enjoyed a nice swim for an hour, then retreated to the whirlpool and steam room.

We changed and headed downstairs. It was just after 8:00 pm and the music had begun. We took a seat in the Park Lounge and ordered drinks…a gin basil smash for me and a lemonade for Augustine.

It was so lovely to sit and listen to the gentle singing…it brought back the fondest memories of traveling with my brother and I was thrilled to now share the experience with my son.

In fact, we got so comfortable that we decided to eat dinner in the Park Lounge…salmon for me and a hamburger for Augustine.

The tiramisu for dessert was absolutely exquisite!

It was such a nice way to spend a couple hours in Ho Chi Minh City.

I was ready for bed after this, but Augustine wanted to workout…

The workout helped him fall asleep…

Early the next morning (unfortunately, our flight was at 9:05 am) we arose for breakfast. Thankfully, it began at 6:00 am.

WHAT. A. TREAT.

I had forgotten how wonderful the breakfast was at this hotel and we both enjoyed a very hearty and delicious breakfast, a perfect way to start the day.

By 7:00 am we were on our way back to the airport after a lovely 12-hour stay…what a shame it could not be 12 days.

In all seriousness, this delightful stay made me so sad we could not take a more leisurely pace on this trip. Imagine nights like this in every city. Well, maybe in the future…it’s what we always say to console ourselves.

I cannot recommend this hotel strongly enough.