The Windsor Plaza Hotel, built relatively recently in 2004, is hard not to miss. Smack dab in the middle of HCMC’s District 5, the Windsor’s 25 stories rise high above its quaint surroundings. While not in the main city area, the hotel has every amenity necessary, from the market-esque “mall” on the lower levels all the way to a full beauty salon.

The rooms are clean and comfortable (especially compared to many other Asian hotels,) but basic. The hotel prides itself on “5 Star Luxury,” but one must remember that this is on a different scale than American or European stars. I was impressed with the complex as a whole, but the hotel does have a rather odd layout. The main lobby is housed on the fourth floor and those with a bad sense of direction may get easily confused between elevators to the shopping mall and disco and the guest rooms. A quick walk around the hotel should suffice as to grasp where everything is. Guest rooms actually start on the ninth floor as the lower levels includes the America Discothèque, restaurants, a business center, a massage and spa facility, and beauty salon. High up on the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth floors are the swimming, fitness center, executive lounge, the Top of the Town French Restaurant, and the Viet de Latin terrace bar. With all these facilities all over the place, get ready to wait and wait and wait for the elevators. Getting several more elevators is definitely one thing they need to fix!

In terms of dining and entertainment, the Windsor does it right. The Café Central An Dong is a New York themed restaurant with some surprisingly good food. Room service was even quicker than most hotels I’ve stayed at. Unfortunately I did not go to any of the other several restaurants. The Ngan Dinh Chinese Restaurant and Top of the Town French Restaurant are more elegant and probably better for those searching for a fine dining experience. A trip to the America Discothèque is one to remember also. Make sure to go well after opening (we were awkwardly one of the first to arrive) when the crowds are already there. Young Vietnamese and tourists both were having a fun time. Music played ranged from modern today’s most popular hits to odder selections, such as a techno version of the hysterical instructional dance classic “Hands Up.” There are two areas, the New York Room and Pacific Room, which respectively play “hip hop and R&B” and “tribal and progressive” music. Near the bar are “VIP rooms,” which are not especially exclusive, but nice for a small group for friends. Do not expect a serious club scene or rave – everyone is there just to have fun and let loose.

Be wary of the loud city surroundings, which can be heard in many of the hotel’s rooms. Personally though, I think any hotel in the city will have to deal with honking horns and general noisiness. It is also apparent that the hotel is geared to businessmen and women. Despite this, the hotel is fine for any traveler looking for a nice getaway. The staff, especially one woman in the business center, was very friendly. I’m not sure if internet access is normally free, but she let us use it without charge. I’d recommend the Windsor any day for those traveling to Ho Chi Minh City.

One step into the resort's beautiful entranceway and you know that you are in for a great stay. Typically when arriving in a hotel with a group of nearly one hundred rambunctious musicians, as I came to know over the course of three summers performing with a traveling orchestra, you see flustered hotel staff shuffling around suitcases and instruments, as the check-in staff try to speed up the rooming process as quick as possible. This normal hustle and bustle was eradicated with the offering of greatly welcomed drinks, tropical fruits, and local snacks, in the beautiful atmosphere of the resort’s enormous lobby. This lobby is reminiscent of a tropical palace, with its beautiful wooden structure, giant hanging silk chandeliers, statues of Asian deities, plenty of comfortable lounge seating, and the gentle breeze passing through.

After being sorted and settling into our respective rooms we simply starred, jaws dropped, at our immaculate room. Unlike many other resorts I’ve stayed in, which would normally include corny hibiscus-patterned bedspreads and tiled flooring, the bedroom featured crisp, clean white sheets, wooded floors, modern furniture, and a balcony featuring a partial-view of the white sandy beach, which was only a few steps away. Outside the resort looked like a tropical village, complete with the obligatory palm trees, colorful flowers, and long-stretching pool. One of my only true complaints was a problem with the pool’s filtration system, which was sorted out within two days. They did allow swimming in the pool oddly at that time, but I wouldn’t take a chance in the bright green colored pool water. This was not too much of a damper on the stay though because the perfect-temperature ocean was right there waiting for us to dive in. Many others enjoyed beachside volleyball or soccer, but I was all for swimming in the pristine ocean. Be very wary at night though for during a nighttime stroll down the beach we spotted a rather large jellyfish.

Many of the guests were businessmen there for business meetings and a number of European and Oceanic families who obviously enjoyed more exotic locales for their family trips. Even with the handful of families, I did not once hear a screaming baby or see a connection with a Club Med or Sandals Beach Resort offering the kiddies arts and crafts on the beach or other activities. There still was a kid’s room and children’s pool, but most of the time they were vacant. I do not imagine that too many parents would take children to locale where rest and relaxation is clearly number one.

As for dining, the buffet breakfast featured bread, pastries, some Vietnamese typical breakfast dishes, such as phở (noodle soup.) and more bread. The lines for breakfast were very long and out the door, but being accustomed to waiting, I personally did not mind. For a more pleasurable sit-down experience I suggest to order at least one room service meal. This pricey option is well worth it though. This takes longer to come so order well in advance; for breakfast maybe even the night before. As a general rule, with all room service orders, be prepared to wait. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a hotel where the food has been delivered in less than an hour. It’s just a fact of life. Even the poolside lunch, which offered light meals, took approximately thirty minutes to be served. In the meantime we enjoyed the singers performing nearby, which were oddly enough playing Latin tunes. For dinner we once again enjoyed purely Vietnamese cuisine, which offered a wide variety of noodle, beef, shrimp, chicken, and fish dishes. I particularly remember the large salad banquet, but one might want to be wary of the fruits and vegetables. Even in a top notch hotel I still recommend washing the produce in bottled water prior to eating. Nighttime dining in the White Orchard Restaurant can be enjoyed either indoors or outdoors, but it is much easier to hail one of the bustling waiters indoors.

Shuttle busses to and from the main town of Hoi An are very convenient, but they do stop at around 9:30 PM. Even so, a taxi back to the hotel is relatively inexpensive and should not be a problem.

I definitely want to return to Hoi An one day and I’d stay once again at this beautiful and accommodating hotel. I don’t recommend it for the budget traveler just trying to pass through the country, but it is certainly perfect for couples looking for a romantic and truly exotic getaway, small families with kids who enjoy the beach, and those just looking for a relaxing stay in one of the most unique areas of the country.