An Extravagance; Or a Bargain?

Most travelers, unless they’re on someone’s expense account or rolling in money, watch their travel dollars these days. That’s certainly my mantra. I should confess I’ve been known to stock mini-bars with purchases I’ve smuggled into a hotel from the neighborhood mini-market.  I always feel guilty until I look at the prices on the slip on top of the bar.  Six dollars for a beer or soda?  I’m all for hotels making a profit but …. I think I’ve unearthed what ultimately can add up to real hotel savings, in addition to making a stay more pleasant.  Spend the extra dollars and book a room on the concierge or executive floor.  You won’t find these designated floors in smaller or boutique hotels. However, in many of the chain hotels and/or large ones, they can be godsends. For not so much more, you have access to a lounge, can relax while eating a complementary breakfast buffet and reading that morning’s papers, stop in for a soft drink or tea during the day and are generally greeted with free drinks and appetizers at cocktail hour.  For women traveling alone, lounges offer a respite from sitting in your room, or in the lobby bar, where it’s sometimes suspect you’re on the prowl.  In addition, an executive lounge usurps the impersonal feeling of some bigger-than-life hotels. Check-in and check-out are done in the lounge and there’s someone on duty to help you get from here to there. This is especially important in Asian cities where not everyone speaks English — and there’s not a chance you’re ever going to learn Vietnamese. I’ve just returned from Vietnam, myself. A female friend and I visited many places. The hotels were by no means equal. One of the most outstanding was The Caravelle in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).  Toby and I were upgraded to an executive “Signature” room in this 335- room award winning hotel. This hotel has a very different feeling than many chain hotels since it’s privately owned and the main management team has been working together for ten years. The Caravelle is situated across from the Opera House and is located in the center of some of the world’s best shopping. Paris may win the prize for haute couture, but tailors in Vietnam are masters at copying clothes and fitting them precisely. Since The Caravelle’s official opening on Christmas Eve, 1959, it’s seen more than a few VIP guests, including President Bill Clinton, Princess Anne as well as Sir Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser (who resided there while the movie “The Quiet American” was filmed). The building was designed by French and a Vietnamese architect, and at the time, was state-of-the-art construction. The hotel has maintained its standards by constantly upgrading the facilities and subsequently opened a new 24-story tower in 1998. The Caravelle also had a center seat on a painful war where news correspondents made the bar their headquarters.  It’s rumored that some of the press sat out the war filing reports from the Saigon-Saigon Bar. Occasionally, they’d saunter downstairs to climb into a car and see the action first-hand and then return to their bar stool and sit with their colleagues. The tenth floor Saigon-Saigon bar is still very much the in place to go. On a clear night you can see forever, and the music entices people to get up and dance.  Not visiting this bar filled with history would be unthinkable. However, Toby and I didn’t stay long. We were tired and retreated to the Signature Lounge.  The evening buffet selection was so extensive, appealing and delicious that we called it dinner and went to bed early after watching a DVD in the room. Yes, we were tired. That day we spent considerable time at the War Remnants Museum. A young man approached me and asked if I were American. When I said yes, he asked whether or not I felt guilty about the war that ravaged his country before he was born.  Of course I do.  I protested against it. However, the tragedy of so many people being killed or maimed will always be a stone in my heart. And the Caravelle will always be more than a hotel to me.   The Caravelle Hotel 19 Lam Son Square District 1Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Tel:  (84.8) 8 234 999http://www.caravellehotel.com