If you are looking for a very affordable place to stay in Ho Chi Minh City, Felix Hotel may be an option to consider, especially if you only need a place to sleep before continuing your journey.
We stayed at Felix Hotel during our trip to Vietnam as our transit hotel before heading back to Manila. The main reason I booked this hotel was simple—it was cheap, and we only needed a place to stay before our flight home.
We paid around PHP 800 per night for two people, making it one of the most affordable accommodations we experienced during our trip.
Location and Accessibility
Felix Hotel is located in a busy area of the city where you can find hotels, bars, restaurants, and other tourist-friendly establishments.
However, the hotel is not located directly on the main street. Instead, it is situated inside an alley, and you need to walk for around two to three minutes from the main road to reach the hotel.
Cars cannot enter the narrow alley, although motorcycles can pass through. This is something to consider if you are arriving with large luggage or prefer being dropped off directly in front of your hotel.
On the positive side, the location is surrounded by plenty of restaurants and establishments, making it convenient for travelers who want easy access to food and other services.
Our First Impression of the Lobby
Unfortunately, our first impression of the hotel was not very pleasant.
The lobby itself did not look particularly welcoming, and what concerned us the most was seeing a salon staff member sitting on the couch and smoking.
This was immediately noticeable to us, which was fortunate because I have sinusitis that can easily be triggered by cigarette smoke. More importantly, my wife was pregnant during our stay, so we were also concerned about her inhaling secondhand smoke.
For us, smoking inside or near the hotel lobby is something that the management should seriously address, especially since hotels accommodate different types of guests, including families, children, and pregnant women.
Our Room
Our room was located on the third floor. One positive thing about the room was its size. It was relatively spacious and had plenty of windows, allowing natural light into the room.
However, we experienced several issues during our stay.
First, I had difficulty with the room key. It took me quite a while to remove it, which was inconvenient.
The air-conditioning was also not cooling the room enough. Fortunately, there was a wall fan installed in the room, which helped improve the airflow. I honestly felt that the fan was necessary because the air-conditioning alone was not sufficient.
The room also had a television, but unfortunately, it was not working during our stay.
Another concern was the electric kettle. We noticed that it had rust, so my pregnant wife was unable to use it to prepare her evening milk. This is something that should definitely be checked and replaced by the hotel because guests expect basic appliances provided in the room to be clean and safe to use.
Complimentary Coffee and Drinking Water
The hotel provided complimentary coffee and bottled water, which we appreciated.
However, on our second day, they ran out of bottled water. The staff politely informed us that we could refill our empty bottles using their water dispenser instead.
They were very apologetic about the situation, and because they handled it nicely, we were completely fine with the alternative. Sometimes, small inconveniences happen, but how the staff communicates with guests can make a big difference.
Breakfast and Nearby Restaurants
Felix Hotel does not offer breakfast.
Fortunately, this was not a major problem because the surrounding area has plenty of restaurants, cafés, and places where you can have breakfast or grab a morning coffee.
If you enjoy exploring local restaurants, the hotel's location gives you several options just a short walk away.
Is Felix Hotel Worth It?
At around PHP 800 per night for two people, Felix Hotel is undeniably affordable.
However, based on our experience, travelers should manage their expectations. The spacious room and convenient location were positives, but we also encountered several issues, including the smoking in the lobby area, the weak air-conditioning, the non-working television, and the rusty electric kettle.
For us, Felix Hotel worked as a cheap transit hotel because we only needed a place to stay before flying back to Manila.
Overall, you get what you pay for. At around PHP 800 per night for two people, Felix Hotel was one of the cheapest options we found. It served its purpose as our transit hotel, but there are definitely several areas where the hotel could improve the guest experience.
