Premium White Lion Hotel in Ho Chi Minh

We were due to stay at the White Lion for two nights. We arrived the first night and had a good check in experience. We then went up to our room and we were immediately met with a cockroach. The room was also advertised as a triple room but it was a strange set up of two 1.5 double and a camp bed. We’ve stayed in many triple rooms that have a much better bed combination.

We removed the cockroach ourselves and headed down to reception to go out and enjoy the evening. I informed reception upon leaving of the cockroach that was no longer in our room but appeared to still be on our floor. They said house keeping would go up there and spray the rooms to get rid of the cockroach. We felt that was an ok response but it still felt a bit underwhelming.

We came back after an evening out and went up to our room and found another cockroach. This showed to us that the rooms may have been sprayed but not inspected and left us to kill the cockroach ourselves. I immediately went back to reception and asked for a different room. They obliged but without any real apology.

We then transferred to our different room but it only had the two 1.5 single beds and no extra bed. We asked reception if we could have this moved into the new room. I was told it would have to wait until the morning or 1am. It was already midnight and we were keen to get to bed due to an early wake up the next day. We had to forfeit our extra bed and two adults had to share the 1.5 single bed.

Whilst getting ready to sleep we noticed ants everywhere in the room and in the bathroom. We then also went to throw something in the bin in the bathroom and it has garbage from the previous people staying there. We may have been given a new room but it was also not a clean one.

We then decided we would be checking out early and booked a different hotel.

We went down the next morning to inform reception of this decision. They said this was fine and immediately refunded us for the night we would not be staying. However, they then asked us to tell booking.com that the hotel was too busy and that it was we were checking out. We answered that we would not be doing this and we would be truthful. They asked us a couple of times to lie to booking.com before they stopped.

They did let us leave our bags and we came back later to collect them and transfer to our new hotel.

I have since been contacted by booking.come to query why I did not check in to this hotel. I have responded correcting this information. I was then able to see that the hotel had cancelled my booking on booking.com which has left me unable to review on that platform.

It was a very disappointing and upsetting experience staying at this hotel. In a city with a variety of options, this should not be one. Please find somewhere else to book for your stay in Ho Chi Minh.

I stayed for one day at The White Lion Hotel during my visit to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The hotel is located in a good area within the main city, surrounded by various shopping outlets, local restaurants, and lively walking streets, making it convenient for tourists who enjoy exploring the city on foot.

The hotel has limited parking space, but enough for small vehicles. The reception area includes a sitting or waiting space, which is quite handy while checking in or waiting for transport.

The room I stayed in was small but clean and equipped with the basic necessities such as toiletries, a bed, and air conditioning. However, I did notice an unpleasant smell upon entering the room, which might be improved to ensure a more comfortable experience for future guests. Also, the Wi-Fi was not working during my stay, which was a bit disappointing. The hotel does not have a swimming pool or other leisure amenities, so it’s more suitable for short stays or travelers looking for a budget-friendly option.

One area where I was particularly disappointed was the breakfast service. They offer a buffet breakfast, but when I arrived at 9:25 AM, most of the food was already finished. The staff showed little concern or initiative to assist or offer alternatives. In fact, they were busy cooking for themselves and sitting nearby having their own breakfast, which gave an unprofessional impression.

Despite these points, the hotel can be considered value for money due to its location and basic comfort. However, with improvements in customer service, cleanliness, and facility maintenance, the guest experience could be significantly better.

Staying for 3 nights in this hotel. Location was good, surrounding by many restaurants. Hotel room was fine but the mattress seems not hygienic, I feel my whole body is so itchy.
Everything can be tolerated except for the first bad impression when having the breakfast on my first day.
I am not eating beef due to my religious.
There was a meat noodles displayed on the table and I was asking the staff, what meat is that? He said it’s beef. I asked if I can request just to have the noodle without the beef. He asked me to choose any noodles out there and he will remove the meat. I said I prefer to have new made without the meat. He raised his voices and said “you don’t understand”. He came to me and showed me to me while taking out the meat out from the bowl. I told him that I cant having it since it has been mixed. It’s fine, I wont take it anymore. I walked off. While turning my body, he was “sighing” loudly showing his attitude. OMG, how rude he is!!

Overall, breakfast is not fantastic at all. No variety, beverage was very sweet and eggs was oily… not enjoying the breakfast at all