For decades, Ho Chi Minh City was largely viewed through the lens of its history — a city of colonial landmarks, wartime narratives and bustling street life. Across the city, independent galleries, design-led hotels and ambitious cocktail programmes are helping shape a more contemporary identity. Together, they reflect the cultural institutions positioning Ho Chi Minh City as one of Southeast Asia’s most compelling urban centres.
Boutique Hotels
The Reverie Saigon
Built as the crowning jewel on the topmost floor of Saigon’s landmark Times Square Building in 2015, the Reverie Saigon takes visitors on a journey to experience the maximalist fusion of European luxury infused with cultural Vietnamese elements — featuring custom furnishing and lavish materials from high-end Italian houses such as Visionnaire, Giogetti, Cassina, Poltrona Frau and Colombostile.
Upon entry, visitors are met by the Baldi Monumental Clock, a 3-metre-tall clock crafted by the Italian design house Baldi, featuring emerald-green malachite in a Russian-mosaic style, hand-chiselled lead crystal, and 24-karat gold accents, along with a Colombostile Sofa, a 16-foot-long Victorian-style sofa that is upholstered in plush purple ostrich leather, gilded with gold trim and features an embedded precious amethyst gemstone.
Guests will also be able to enjoy subtle regional motifs such as hand-blown glass ceiling art shaped like the geographic outline of Vietnam or auspicious jade and malachite stones that are strategically positioned for positive Feng Shui.
While the Reverie Saigon is famed for its European aesthetic and Italian craftsmanship, the hotel also features an outdoor pool on the seventh floor with underwater music a fitness center and a spa that offers Himalayan salt-charged steam rooms and chakra-balancing saunas. Paired with a one-Michelin-star Cantonese restaurant named Long Trieu, located on the 4th floor and is known for its lavish, gold leaf and jade-accented decor, a view that overlooks the Nguyen Hue Boulevard and fine-dining of traditional Chinese delicacies.
Rooms at The Reverie ranges through 12 distinctive categories of guestrooms and suites, with sweeping floor-to-ceiling views of Ho Chi Minh City and the Saigon River.
For more information and bookings, click here.
Hotel des Arts Saigon
Located close to Saigon’s Notre Dame Cathedral and part of Accor MGallery collection, Hotel des Arts Saigon is a 5-star boutique lifestyle Hotel established in 2015. Known for its 1930s French Indochina architecture and art deco interior, designed with a concept called, “Inspired by Her”, the hotel pays homage to the women of Vietnam. This is seen with the hotel’s emphasis on femininity, showcased through the curves and arches of the building to echo the silhouette of the Vietnamese dress, Ao Dai — with every wall in the hotel showcasing the owner, Sao Phuong Nam’s private art collection that centralises around female figures, feminine beauty and women’s heritage, allowing guests to relish in a space that is akin to a contemporary art museum.
On the rooftop of Hotel des Arts Saigon also features the Social Club Rooftop Bar that sides alongside the Infinity pool. Guests can enjoy the theatrical crafted signature cocktails that are true to the hotel’s art aesthetic identity or enjoy the tranquility of the infinity pool that offers a view of the modern skyscraper and historical French colonial avenues of District one and three.
True to their identity, the rooms are decorated with a blend of French colonial romance and modern luxury that features floor to ceiling windows with an extensive view of the skylines of downtown Saigon. Hotel des Arts Saigon invites guests to relive the romance of this bygone era in their luxury hotel that offers all the comfort and luxury of the 21st century.
For more information and bookings, click here.
Mia Saigon Luxury Boutique Hotel
Established in 2019, Mia Saigon is the city’s first luxury boutique hotel set along the banks of the Saigon River, where guests can enjoy a scenic 15-minute transfer from the city centre aboard the exclusive Mia Speedboat. Located within what is described as the “quieter side of Saigon”, Mia Saigon offers a tranquil, resort-like atmosphere that is akin to an urban sanctuary surrounded by tropical greenery away from the buzzing city.
The O de Spa, located directly on the river’s edge beside a pool, specialises in Vietnamese massage techniques combined with modern wellness therapies. Guests can also enjoy private experiences such as mixology classes at the bar, cooking demonstrations, or curated art tours of the hotel.
Though fewer rooms as compared to other hotels in Saigon, the hotel is furnished in vibrant distinctive colours that mimics gemstones — like emerald green, ruby red or amethyst in different rooms and floors. Adorned with a private collection of historical artefacts such as propaganda posters to original postage stamps, book covers and matchbox art, Mia Saigon invites travellers to immerse themselves in Vietnamese art and culture through their hotel art tour.
For more information and bookings, click here.
Nightlife & Cocktail Bars
Stir Modern Classic Cocktail
A somewhat hidden first-floor bar near the Ben Thanh Market, Stir was founded by two renowned bartenders, Thép Đinh and Lâm Đức Anh in 2021 and was featured in the top 100 of Asia’s 50 Best Bars in 2023. The bar’s set-up is reminiscent of Vietnam in the 1960s and 1970s, with a focus on preserving traditional Vietnamese flavours and culture through modern mixology techniques. The bar offers a intimate atmosphere with its dark interior and warm wood detailing, with a small balcony that overlooks the city streets below. Visitors can enjoy a range of Vietnamese uniquely inspired food and drinks such as Pho, Banh Mi and Vietnamese street coffee — The nuoc Mia Highball for one is based on freshly pressed sugar cane juice.
Summer Experiment
Hidden behind an unassuming entrance in an old apartment building lies Summer Experiment, a bar dedicated to the idea of eternal summer in Saigon. Established in late 2019 by Australian mixologist Jay Moir, who is also the owner of Layla Eatery & Bar, it evokes a perpetual sun-soaked atmosphere. The bar is recognised for its theatrical style of mixology featuring cartoon illustrated menus and avant-garde presentations. Setting the tone for sustainable sourcing within Saigon’s bar scene, Summer Experiment focuses on experimental cocktails that utilises homegrown and locally procured ingredients and molecular concepts to create a unique experience. Their signatures include, 365 Days of Summer that is a sharing cocktail served in a watering can and the Milk Batch Baby, a nitrogen boozy ice cream with roku gin. Featuring an apothecary behind the bar filled with dried edible flowers and a herb garden displayed on the balcony, giving the space a rich scent of fragrant rosemary, basil and mint where patrons can immerse themselves in a botanical sanctuary.
The Enigma Mansion
Originally inspired by a futuristic library in France, the Enigma Mansion — formerly known as the Enigma bar before its rebrand in 2024 — is located near the Saigon river front and Ba Son Bridge. Founded by the award winning bartender, Vũ Ngọc in 2022. Following its rebrand in 2024, the bar’s artistic vision evolved from a futuristic concept into a deeply atmospheric, heritage destination that is embedded in their design of exposed brickwork and intimate seating booths and the custom sculpted phoenix centrepiece that is suspended from the ceiling.
The menu focuses on dedicated concepts such as their plant-based cocktail line up that is the amalgamation of modern experimental techniques and classic flavours. The founder of the Enigma Mansion is also known to use their platform for social causes by hosting high-profile guest shifts that help raise donations for local charity projects such as Nuôi Em, a project that supports the children in the Vietnamese Highlands.
Layla – Eatery & Bar
Tucked away in an old Saigon apartment sits Layla, which serves guests artistic cocktails, delicious snacks and relaxing ambience that quickly gained popularity among young locals and expats. Layla – Eatery & bar was established in 2016 by Jay Moir and a Vietnamese partner. Created by the idea of comfort and casual, it is a bar that strays away from high end cocktail lounges. Following its recent renovations, the space has been divided into three distinctive zones where guests can choose their preferred atmosphere — from lively and energetic on the main bar floor to intimate lounge seating and an outdoor balcony space. Layla – Eatery & Bar is known for their high-quality crafted cocktails, premium spirits and local craft beers while staying true to their name, they serve a diverse menu of finger food, tapas, sliders and gourmet comfort dishes that matches the caliber of their drinks.
Contemporary Art Spaces
Galerie Quynh
Known as one of Saigon’s renowned contemporary art museums, Galerie Quynh was established in the 2000s as an online archive for Vietnamese art by Vietnamese-American curator Quynh Pham which later evolved into a commercial gallery space in 2003. The gallery is recognised as Vietnam’s most influential commercial space, with its focus on contemporary art practices across various mediums and collaborations with local and international artists, curators, museums and cultural organisations such as Tuan Andrew Ngyuyen and Truong Tan.
Galerie Quỳnh has been a driving force that help cultivate Vietnam’s art community through its dedication to non-profit initiative and educational programming by regularly hosting artist talk segments, workshops and high-quality publication in both Vietnamese and English.
For more information and bookings, click here.
Ao Dai Museum
Ao Dai Museum is Vietnam’s largest institution dedicated to Vietnam’s traditional dress, the Ao Dai. Housing over 300 designs, it was built in 2014 by designer and artist, Si Hoang. The museum’s comprehensive collection dates back to the 17th century origins — including early designs like the áo tứ thân, which is a four part dress, historical variations from royal dynasties to modern day designs. It also features garments that were once owned and worn by influential Vietnamese women and cultural figures where each is accompanied with their own stories and accomplishments.
The Ao Dai Museum extends beyond just a gallery space and into an immersive experience where visitors can engage in various forms of activities that are hosted regularly or rent a variety of traditional Ao Dai for a fee to get a feel of Vietnam’s cultural and sartorial roots.
Quang San Art Museum
As the first private art museum dedicated exclusively to Vietnamese fine arts, the Quang San Art Museum offers a fresh perspective into the expansion of Vietnam’s artistic identity. Home to more than 1,600 artworks that span across three floors, each dedicated to a distinct era of Vietnamese art and organised chronologically — from early Indochina to present day, it allows visitors to trace the shift within the nation through its political transitions across colonialism, war and globalisation.
Rooted in its commitment to Vietnamese art, Quang San Art Museum serves as a platform for knowledge and connection that allows visitors to engage in its historical depth and multi-dimensional presence in contemporary life through an immersive bilingual guided tour that uncovers the context between each artwork. It also acts as a bridge through hands-on educational workshops and public dialogues. Following its rebrand in 2025, Quang San’s focus shifted from passive preservation to community-centered programs with contemporary artists, curators and researchers — making it an open space that invokes independent thinking and cultural exchange.
For more information and bookings, click here.