The Myst Dong Khoi is ideally located in District 1 of Saigon. The rooms are unique
but there’s definitely room for improvement- join me for the full tour, coming up.
Opened in 2018, the Myst enjoyed a few years with incredible views,
until the new and yet to be opened Hilton was built right next door. That said, the hotel
still does have a lot to offer because of its location. Let’s take a quick look at where we are.
Located near the riverfront in the central District 1, The Myst is convenient to all of the
tourist arteries in the district including the near by Nguyen Hue pedestrian street and it’s
namesake shopping street, Dong Khoi. Via these streets you can easily access some of Saigon’s
most well known attractions, such as Ben Thanh Market and the historic Opera House.
In terms of convenience, this is as good as it get’s in Saigon. There’s a Circle K on the block
and many around the area. If you need a coffee fix from home there are plenty of Starbucks
and if you prefer a local brand they’re literally all over the place.
So, full disclosure, the majority of this tour was filmed in February of 2021.
I had to hold it for a while until I could refilm some shots that had damaged files.
Just off of Me Linh Square, the Myst has a well known green facade.
In the first couple of years it was open, it played up its river views and created
a great reputation among western tourists looking for a premium hotel- with a twist.
The hotel has great curb appeal and has the street side Bason Cafe-
popular with locals in the mornings- which leads to the polished yet eclectic lobby.
The parent company, Silverland Hotels, which operates many three and four star hotels across
Vietnam- opened the 108 room Myst Hotel as a big departure from their typical cookie cutter style.
The Myst is meant to transport you to the Saigon of yesterday,
the rooms focused on natural materials, evoking a neighborhood shophouse aesthetic.
In the rear of the lobby is an annex of the Bason Cafe. Here, a complementary but basic
afternoon tea was served and it is connected to event spaces which can also be rented out.
Up to the roof, the hotel is popular with local expats for it’s beautiful rooftop pool and bar.
During the middle of the afternoon this area is packed with guests- every lounger taken and the
staff a bit frazzled trying to balance everything. At least though, the views from up here looking
west are great and on a clear afternoon, would be quite the spot for a sunset cocktail.
Now, down to the fourth floor for a look at my room, a Serene Corner Double Room.
When you book this hotel, you need to pay close attention to your room category.
Because of the Hilton next door, half of the rooms have absolutely no view- I checked around
a few booking sites and they all seem to make this very clear in the room description, but just be
prepared- if you end up just booking the cheapest rate, there may be no natural light at all.
The construction of the building is equally interesting and puzzling if I’m honest. There
is an exterior facade with all of the ivy and iron work which is sort of the outer skeleton of the
hotel, then the actual hotel sits inside of that. Before my visit, I thought they were just all
balconies, but no- you can even see on one side of my corner room, there is a door leading out to
just empty space between the interior and exterior walls. I’m not complaining though, it’s that
construction that allows I believe every room to have a generous sized soaking tub outside. Urban
hotels with balconies are rare enough, but with a tub on the balcony is truly something unique.
The rooms are relatively spacious and well outfitted with connections
and storage space as long as you don’t pack too heavily.
The only thing I would need to ding them for inside the room is the lack of comfort. I
completely understand the commitment to evoking traditional Vietnamese houses-
and they’ve done very well with that, but a cushioned chair or sofa would have made
a big difference between a hotel to stay for a night and a place I could stay for a week.
The mini bar was stocked with glass bottled water- not so common in Vietnam
and a nespresso like pod machine that did the trick.
From the rotary phone to the braided electrical cords to the ceramics inside the room-
the commitment to design was quite a bit more elevated than I expected. I
was afraid it was all going to read a bit tacky, but it doesn’t at all.
On the opposite side, the open floor plan bathroom. In general, it served it’s purpose
well. Plenty of vanity space and the design adds to the quaint hometown feeling throughout.
And then we have the star of the show, the lush and sundrenched balcony.
Besides the fact that the chair out there was made for a toddler,
it really is a great space. There are reed shades that can be drawn around the tub for privacy.
That night for dinner, I planned to eat at The Nest or Bason Cafe,
but there was no food menu so I went to the Reverie Hotel a block away,
but I still wanted to see something food wise and this sad sandwich was the best I could find.
The other hotels I stayed at in Saigon in this month all had full food programs running and
considering The Myst seemed to be the busiest of all of them, it was really disappointing.
The next morning I checked out the Nest for breakfast.
The restaurant itself is beautiful, open and airy and has some great tables outside as well.
As for breakfast itself, it was a buffet with a supplemental a la carte menu.
The buffet setup was unique but the offerings were bog standard four star food
and even 20 minutes after breakfast started it still was not fully setup.
The supplemental menu was an absolute pet peeve of mine. Trying to be something they’re not. On
offer was a Lobster Thermidor Omelet, Salmon Eggs Benedict, Foie Gras Sunny Side Eggs,
Caviar Scrambled Eggs. I promise I’m not making this up. I chose benedict, without the salmon
and this is what I was served. The food was easily the low point of the entire hotel stay.
That said, now it’s time for the Flip Flop Score.
The room design and condition impressed me, just wish it was a bit more comfortable.
Service was, it was standard four star Vietnamese service which is just what I expected.
The common areas overall are pretty good. Location and convenience are hard to beat.
The restaurant venues are all very nice but the food was just horrible. Stick to the basics and
execute them well. Overall an 81/100. With added comfort and a completely revamped food program,
the Myst could be a great spot. I hope you found this review helpful,
even a full year later! If you did, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe for two new
hotel or flight reviews each week. It really helps the channel out.