Vietnam Get it's First Ritz-Carlton Hotel

The Ritz-Carlton has finally set foot in Vietnam. The brand's first hotel in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is owned by the Bitexco Group, one of Vietnam's prestigious property developers.

It is a 250-room hotel located in the historic centre of Saigoni, adjacent to Ben Thanh Square market, in a 48-storey tower. The Ritz-Carlton here is part of a development project called The One Ho Chi Minh City, which also includes prime office space, retail outlets and 350 luxury apartments.

The hotel has been designed by award-winning American architect Bernardo Fort-Brescia of Arquitectonica Architects, who says he has been inspired by Vietnam's legendary dragon. He has described the towers as a representation of two dragons rising from the ground with their tails coiled and pearls dangling from their mouths. What's the big deal about the dragon? In Vietnamese culture, dragons, especially in pairs, are a powerful life symbols representing prosperity and growth.

City of the Future

Ho Chi Minh City enjoys a modern vibe that blends well with its past of neoclassical buildings and broad boulevards. It's proximity to the foothills of the Central Highlands, part of the spine of mountains running nearly the entire length of Vietnam, are a short drive to the northeast while to the south is the Mekong Delta. Ho Chi Minh City is planned to open in 2017. 

So with the pretty location, design and hotel brand checked, it suffices to say, a trip to Vietnam can be added to your travel bucket list.