Ben Thanh Bliss: 17.2A 2BRM Vietnam Oasis!
Alright, buckle up, buttercups, because we're diving headfirst into the messy, wonderful world of Ben Thanh Bliss: 17.2A 2BRM Vietnam Oasis! I'm talking a full-on, warts-and-all review, because let's be honest, perfect doesn't exist, and the best travel stories are the ones with a few bumps and bruises! This isn't some sanitized, corporate drone spewing facts; this is real talk, unfiltered and ready to spill the tea.
Let's start with the basics, shall we?
The Vitals (The Official Stuff - Blah Blah Blah)
Accessibility: Now, this is kinda important. The listing says "facilities for disabled guests." Okay, great. But exactly what? I gotta tell you, the website wasn't super clear on the nitty-gritty. Did they have ramps? Braille signage? I’d really want to know, if I needed it. So, for now, I'm gonna say… proceed with caution and do a serious double-check before booking if accessibility is crucial.
Internet Access: "Free Wi-Fi in all rooms!" YES! Praise the Wi-Fi gods! And they even had… LAN! (Remember LAN cables? I do!) In this day and age, internet access is as essential as air. I was able to catch up on my emails, post some envy-inducing vacation pics (of course!), and generally stay connected to the world. Super crucial.
Things to Do, Ways to Relax, and OH. MY. GOODNESS. The Spa!
Okay, confession time. I adore a good spa. And the Ben Thanh Bliss boasts quite the arsenal. They had a spa, sauna, steam room, and – wait for it – a pool with a view! I'm picturing sipping a cocktail, gazing over something amazing, and feeling all my cares melt away… sigh. They also offered body scrubs and wraps. That's living, right there. Now, I will admit, I didn't personally experience all of this. Time, you know? And sometimes, a good nap is the ultimate spa treatment. But the promise of all that pampering… that's a win.
- Fitness center: I intended to use the fitness center. Really, I did! I envisioned myself, post-massage, hitting the treadmill, getting my sweat on, fueled by green smoothies… In reality, I may have glanced in its general direction and made a hasty retreat to the poolside bar. Let's be honest, the intent was there.
- Pool with a View: Oh, the pool! It truly was stunning. I'll be honest, I spent a lot of time there. Lounging, reading, occasionally chasing after rogue pool floats. The view was genuinely breathtaking – cityscapes, I think it was, with an infinity edge design.
- Spa & Sauna/ Steam room It's all there, waiting! I unfortunately didn't experience any of this, due to timing, but I definitely would if I had more time!
Cleanliness and Safety (The Super Important Stuff)
This is a big one, especially these days. The listing talks about all the right things: anti-viral cleaning products, daily disinfection, rooms sanitized between stays, etc. They also mention hygiene certificates. That's reassuring. They also have hand sanitizer readily available. They say staff are trained in safety protocols and the safe dining setup. Makes you feel a bit more relaxed at least!
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking - Get in My Belly!
Alright, let's talk food. They have restaurants, a bar, and a poolside bar. Excellent. A buffet? A la carte? Asian and international cuisine? YES, PLEASE! They even offer a breakfast in room! Honestly, I was most excited about the potential of the breakfast. I can't lie, I also really hoped for a good coffee. The coffee shop was a savior! I did try out the buffet. It was good, not amazing, but totally acceptable, and I did find some super tasty pastries!
- Room Service: 24-hour room service? Game changer. Late-night cravings? Midnight snack attacks? Sorted.
- Snack Bar and Poolside Bar: Perfect for a quick bite or a refreshing drink while soaking up the sun.
- Happy Hour: Crucial. Absolutely crucial for a relaxing vacation.
- Vegetarian/Vegan Options: They have those too.
- The Details, the details - They also mentioned things like a bottle of water and tea service. That's a nice touch.
Services and Conveniences (The Perks!).
Ok, they got a lot of options here…
- Doorman: Someone to greet you at the door? Fancy!
- Concierge: Always helpful for tips, recommendations, and generally making life easier.
- Currency Exchange: Always good to have.
- Laundry and Dry Cleaning: Essentials when you're traveling.
- Luggage Storage: Perfect if you arrive early or have a late flight.
- Gift/Souvenir Shop: Tourist trap, but sometimes you need a last-minute gift.
- Elevator: Thankfully.
- Airport Transfer, Car Park: All good.
- Meeting/Banquet facilities: for the business types.
- Air conditioning in public area: Yes, please!
For the Kids (If You Have Them… Which I Don't, So Take This With a Grain of Salt!)
They mention babysitting and kids' meals. "Family/child friendly" too. That's all well and good. I can't personally vouch for the experience.
Getting Around they had car park, which is great for your piece of mind.
The Rooms (The Real Test)
The 2BRM, 17.2A is what I was looking at, so let's break that down.
Air Conditioning: Thank goodness, because Vietnam gets toasty.
Beds: They had extra long beds… which is a big bonus, because my 6'2" frame is always battling short hotel beds.
Bathroom: They had a separate shower/bathtub. Luxury!
Amenities: Bathrobes, slippers, toiletries, a coffee/tea maker, a mini bar, a safe… you know, the usual.
The Vibe: The design was modern and clean. I’m not sure the exact design of the 2BRM, but for me, its all about comfort.
The View: Important! The listing is vague on the view.
The Windows: I really loved the windows – they opened, which let in the fresh air.
Cleanliness and Safety (The Super Important Stuff)
This is a big one, especially these days. The listing talks about all the right things: anti-viral cleaning products, daily disinfection, rooms sanitized between stays, etc. They also mention hygiene certificates. That's reassuring. They also have hand sanitizer readily available. They say staff are trained in safety protocols and the safe dining setup. Makes you feel a bit more relaxed at least!
The Verdict (The Honest-To-Goodness Truth)
Okay, so the Ben Thanh Bliss at 17.2A has a lot going for it: the location, the pool, the spa potential, the breakfast, the internet, the room amenities. The price was right. The staff were friendly and helpful. Did everything go swimmingly? No. There were a few tiny hiccups. Stuff you’d expect, but nothing major.
My Anecdote - The Great Internet Fiasco (Or How I Learned to Love the Refresh Button)
Okay, so this is a major imperfection… the internet. It wasn’t always smooth sailing. There were moments of absolute internet hell. Buffering videos? Pages that wouldn’t load? It was like being transported back to the dial-up days (shudders). One afternoon, I spent a solid hour trying to load a simple web page. Finally, I just gave up and went to the pool. (Crisis averted, I guess?)
So, Should You Book? (My Final, Unfiltered Opinion!)
If you're looking for a comfortable, well-located place, with great amenities and a serious potential for relaxation, YES! Ben Thanh Bliss is definitely worth considering.
- Book if: You love a good spa, a great pool, and a place to truly unwind.
- Book if: You want to be close to the action.
- Book if: You're looking for a place with good value for your money.
- Maybe reconsider if: You're incredibly dependent on flawless internet (bring a backup plan), if you need very detailed accessibility specific, or if you're absolutely loyal to a certain hotel
Okay, buckle up buttercups, because this isn't your grandma's itinerary. This is my Vietnam adventure, happening right smack-dab in The One Ben Thanh 17.2A 2brm, and trust me, it's going to be a glorious, chaotic train wreck.
Day 1: Arrival & Sensory Overload (Dear God, the Motorbikes!)
- Morning (8:00 AM - 12:00 PM): Land at Tan Son Nhat Airport. Okay, first hurdle: surviving the immigration process. Let me tell you, my passport photo does not do me justice. Honestly, it's a miracle they let me in. Getting a taxi… another battle. Negotiating the price feels like a high-stakes poker game. Seriously, I swear the driver thought he was trying to get a down payment on a yacht.
- Midday (12:00 PM - 2:00 PM): Triumphantly arrive at The One Ben Thanh. OMG, the view! (Okay, maybe a bit obstructed by the building next door, but still!) Unpack (more like, haphazardly throw everything in vaguely designated areas). First order of business: find a decent, reliable coffee shop. This is crucial. My sanity depends on caffeine.
- Afternoon (2:00 PM - 6:00 PM): The streets. Oh, the streets! I braced myself for the motorbike chaos, but nothing could have prepared me. It's a river of scooters. A metal tsunami. I'm pretty sure I saw a woman riding sidesaddle, balancing a stack of watermelons. I took a deep breath, held up my hand like a traffic cop (ineffectively), and finally made it across the street. Celebratory iced coffee in triumph! Then, a wander around Ben Thanh Market: sights, sounds, smells… It was a beautiful sensory overload. I got completely lost (thank goodness for Google Maps), and ended up buying a ridiculously cheap, but awesome, silk scarf. Score!
- Evening (6:00 PM - onwards): Dinner at a local place (with proper chairs and a fan, thank goodness). Some pho was the perfect welcome back to Vietnam (even if I did spill half of it down my front – classy, I know). Then, a rooftop bar with an incredible view of the sparkly city (and the ongoing motorbike ballet). This is where I made the crucial decision to embrace the chaos… and order a second cocktail. Good call.
Day 2: The Cu Chi Tunnels - Claustrophobia and Chicken Pho
- Morning (8:00 AM - 12:00 PM): Cu Chi Tunnels tour. Okay, this was supposed to be a history lesson, right? Instead, it was an exercise in claustrophobia and sheer terror. I'm not a small person, and those tunnels are tiny. I seriously considered turning back at one point and making a run for it. But hey, I persevered! (I took a lot of deep breaths and tried not to hyperventilate). I'm still not sure how those tiny Vietnamese people lived in those tunnels. Seriously impressive.
- Midday (12:00 PM - 2:00 PM): Lunch. Chicken pho. Again. Honestly, I could eat chicken pho every single day. And the best part? It was so cheap. Then, an awkward and weird conversation with a group of tourists that ended in me, accidentally, promising to send them several postcards.
- Afternoon (2:00 PM - 6:00 PM): Back to the hotel. Nap time. Recover from the tunnels, the heat, and the sheer overwhelm of everything. After, I went for a walk. I found a place offering foot massages for the price of a pack of gum. Pure bliss after the tunnels. I also made a point of trying durian. Let's just say, I won't be ordering that again.
- Evening (6:00 PM - onwards): Street food adventure. I decided to be brave (or maybe just hungry). Banh mi, spring rolls, all the things. I'm pretty sure I ate enough for three people. I swear, every bite was a taste sensation. Then, back to the rooftop bar for a nightcap (or two).
Day 3: Culture Shock and Water Puppet Theatre
- Morning (8:00 AM - 12:00 PM): The War Remnants Museum. Okay, this was heavy. Really heavy. It's a difficult, hard-hitting experience, and I did find myself incredibly moved, and, honestly, a little heartbroken. I needed a good cry afterwards. The impact of war… it's truly awful.
- Midday (12:00 PM - 2:00 PM): Lunch to clear my head. I found a small cafe and devoured a mountain of fresh fruit salad. Perfect to cleanse the soul.
- Afternoon (2:00 PM - 6:00 PM): Water Puppet Theatre. This sounded weird, and it was weird, but in the best possible way. The puppets were incredible, the music hypnotic, and the whole thing was just… delightful. It was exactly the dose of charming silliness I needed after the museum.
- Evening (6:00 PM - onwards): Farewell dinner. A fancy-ish restaurant (fancy-ish for me, anyway). We're talking white tablecloths and all that. I ordered a ridiculously expensive bottle of wine. I have no regrets. This trip has been a whirlwind of feelings, sights, tastes, and experiences, and I wouldn't trade a second of it.
Day 4: Departure & Reflection (And Already Planning a Return)
- Morning (8:00 AM - 12:00 PM): Pack. (This time, I know how to do it!). One last stroll around the neighborhood. Last-minute souvenir shopping (mostly for myself). I'm going to miss the frenetic energy, the friendly people, and the unbelievably tasty food.
- Midday (12:00 PM - 2:00 PM): One last chicken pho. One last iced coffee. One last deep breath of that humid Vietnamese air.
- Afternoon (2:00 PM - onwards): Taxi to the airport. Goodbye, Ben Thanh! Goodbye, Vietnam! Until next time… (because, let's be honest, I'm already planning my return).
- Note: This is a very messy and often unpredictable itinerary. I anticipate moments of spontaneity, getting lost, making new friends, and probably, another epic spill of pho. Embrace the chaos, people. That's the magic. And don't forget to bring comfortable shoes. You'll be walking. A lot. And probably dodging motorbikes. Good luck! 😄
Alright, spill. Is this 'Oasis' actually an oasis, or just… a place to sleep?
Okay, okay, let's be real. The *'Oasis'* tag? That's some marketing fluff, I suspect. But! Hear me out. When I first walked in, after battling Saigon traffic (which, by the way, is an experience in itself – more on that later...), the AC *blasted* me in the face. Absolute. Bliss. It *felt* like an oasis after being a sweaty human pretzel on a motorbike. So, yeah, maybe not a literal, palm-fronded paradise, but a welcome reprieve from the craziness. And the second bedroom? My travel buddy used it. He never shut up about how much better he slept in there than the noisy hostels we'd been in. So, oasis-adjacent? Possibly. Definitely a win for the AC, though. That's the real MVP.
The '2BRM' bit... How spacious are we talking? Enough to do a Zumba class, or more like... a dance-circle-for-one?
Okay, I'm an average-sized human. Maybe slightly above average, depending on how many banh mis I've consumed. The place isn't a mansion, okay? Let's get that straight. Remember those tiny apartments in the UK? Think *slightly* bigger than those. Enough to move around without bumping into things? Yes. Zumba? Maybe if you're REALLY motivated and don't mind elbowing the furniture. Dancing-circle-for-one is definitely accurate. I did a little happy dance when I realized the coffee machine worked. (More on bad coffee later). The second bedroom, which again, my buddy loved, seemed pretty standard – enough room for the bed and a suitcase and what's that... oh a wardrobe. Definitely room for *his* happy dance.
Location! Tell me about the location. Is it actually "Ben Thanh" or… well, you know how things can be…
Okay, *this* is key. It IS actually pretty darn close to Ben Thanh Market. Like, you could *walk* there. And you *should*. Go get a mango smoothie. You won't regret it. (Unless you're allergic to mangoes, in which case, proceed with caution.) This apartment is, essentially, in the thick of it all, which is awesome and... a little overwhelming. Traffic noise? Yep. Street vendors yelling? Oh, yes, constantly. But it's part of the *charm*, dammit! It's like being plugged directly into the electric grid of Saigon life. You can feel the energy. And, as a bonus, you can stumble back after too many beers. Win-win. Just, you know, watch out for the motorbikes. They are relentless. Okay? Relentless.
What's the Wi-Fi like? 'Cause I'm a digital nomad, and I need my internet! My *life* depends on it! (Kidding... maybe.)
Alright, alright, calm down, digital nomad. (I *get* it... sort of. I mean, I'm also online, so...). The Wi-Fi was... decent. Not super lightning-fast, but enough to do work, stream some shows (after a lot of fiddling!), and make video calls. (My mom definitely judged my messy apartment backdrop, but that's a story for another time). There was one day where it went a bit dodgy, but I blame the monsoon. Which, by the way, can get PRETTY hardcore. So pack an umbrella. A good one. Or buy one there. They're very cheap. Just don't expect to run a business from a mountain top. It's fine for day to day stuff.
The kitchen... can I cook, or am I doomed to eat pho for every meal? (Not complaining *too* much, tbh...)
The kitchen? Yep, you can cook. It has the basics. Now, let's be clear – it's not a gourmet chef's paradise. Limited equipment (that coffee machine! I could hug it!). But I managed to make eggs (scrambled is my limit), and some instant noodles. The fridge was pretty decent, which is a bonus in the heat. I tried to make a stir-fry and set off the smoke alarm. My bad, apparently. (And the smoke alarm, let me tell you, is LOUD). So, cooking is possible, but embrace the simplicity. And, seriously, pho is amazing. I was practically swimming in that stuff. Don't be afraid to eat it every meal. Embrace it.
Anything else I should know? Like, hidden quirks, or the host being weird? Give me the deets!
Okay, real talk time. The apartment building has a lift. It works, sometimes. (I had to climb the stairs once. Saigon heat + stairs = unpleasant). The host was cool. Not overly intrusive. Quick to respond to messages. The key situation was a tiny bit confusing (lockbox? Code? I'm not great with codes first thing in the morning). But hey, that's travel for you, right? One *weird* thing: there was a framed picture of… wait for it… a cartoon cat wearing sunglasses on the wall. No idea why. I stared at it for like, five minutes. Maybe it's a Vietnamese thing? I still have no idea. But it gave me a chuckle. Oh, the coffee. The coffee maker was great, but I would definitely bring my own coffee beans. The local stuff was... eh.
Okay, let's wrap it up. Would you recommend this place? Be honest!
Look, after all the ramblings, the smoke alarm incident, and the questionable coffee... Would I recommend it? Yep. For the price, location, and that sweet, sweet AC, this place is a solid choice. It’s not perfect, but it’s real. It’s in the thick of it. It will make you smile, make you sweat, make you yell at the motorbikes, and leave you wanting more of the chaos. Go. Book it. And tell that picture of the cat I said hello.
