The stunning view from the bathroom of the Panorama Suite I was shown. The Hermès bath products are out of sight. During my further two months travelling around the Far East, almost all of the hotel General Managers I met (eg Raffles, Belmond etc) have talked about The Reverie in Saigon, its outrageous décor and the mind-bloggling expense creating it.
I decided I must stay there on my last night in Saigon and ended up being so glad I did. A hotel like no other with friendly staff who are a dream.
This hotel only opened in September 2015 and I think it is already one of the greatest hotels in the world. It was the perfect, outrageous, place to end my latest Far East adventure.
I decided I must stay there on my last night in Saigon and ended up being so glad I did. A hotel like no other with friendly staff who are a dream.
This hotel only opened in September 2015 and I think it is already one of the greatest hotels in the world. It was the perfect, outrageous, place to end my latest Far East adventure.
| Custom Rolls-Royce Dragon Phantom I was collected by the hotel's custom Rolls-Royce Dragon Phantom. These cars were created for the 'Year of the Dragon' and Chinese customers paid as much as US$1.2MN for them. We last travelled in Rolls-Royces in London, using Four Seasons Park Lane's courtesy cars, but The Reverie's custom Dragon Phantom was so much roomier than these, or The Dorchester Phantom I have also been driven in. We literally 'glided' through Ho Chi Minh City's frantic afternoon traffic, with me using the excellent WiFi & drinking chilled water, and I was sorry when the journey had to end. The Welcome Christina von Wrede (the hotel's Resident Manager) was waiting with a welcoming delegation in the ground floor lobby. She joked about whether I had enjoyed my trip in the 'German' Rolls-Royce and took me up to the 7th floor reception. While joking, chatting and enjoying her vibrant company, it was difficult to fully take in all the incredible pieces of furniture, glass, art etc around you. My Panorama Deluxe Room I was taken up to my 33rd floor room with stunning panoramic views of the river and Ho Chi Minh City. The beautiful bathroom had a window above the bath, Chopard bath products and a 'Japanese' toilet. I last saw the latter in the newly refurbished Dorchester Suites at The Dorchester in London but in Saigon there was an SOS button by it. I must admit the warm toilet seat is a nice touch. I was told I had been given access to the 38/39th floor Reverie Lounge, where champagne, cocktails and canapés are served in the evening from 5:30pm to 8pm. Tour of The Reverie Saigon Nathan Kuehlthau (Marketing Manager), originally from the US, then took me on a mind-blowing tour of this 'overstated' hotel crammed with jaw-dropping Italian designed pieces and Vietnamese taste. It is Versace meets Liberace with 24 carat gold leaf, Swarovski crystals etc However, I must make it clear that pieces are dazzling and fascinating. Nathan pointed out the colourful/beautiful mosaics by SICIS and told me the only other Colombostile sofa like their 5-meter one was made for Michael Jackson's ill-fated last planned ('This Is It') tour that never took place. We viewed one of their Reverie Romance Suites - deep red colours - with a beautiful mosaic bathroom and a Panorama Suite with stunning furniture and a bathroom with a view to die for. You get Hermès bath products in the entry level suites and Aqua di Parma in more expensive suites. I first came across the latter at The Chedi in Muscat and hate that smell/product. Then we went to look at The Long @ Times Square. This is their bar & restaurant on the ground floor - 'outside' in the shopping mall and open to the elements and so too warm for me. We went there to see the wood-fired pizza oven imported from Naples and then R&J, their sumptuously decorated fine dining Italian restaurant in the basement. I decided to eat there later. The Reverie Lounge on the 38th Floor I went to the 38th floor for 'happy hour'. This two level lounge was decorated by Visionnaire and has stunning views of the Saigon River & the city. The 39 floor Times Square building The Reverie is in (with rooms & suites on floors 27 - 39) makes it the tallest hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. I started with Moët and canapés and then tried the signature cocktail, which changes each day. On Saturday it was rhum (not rum) with fresh coconut, so refreshing. A first class cocktail. The staff there chatted to me about www.sifrew.com and the fact I should do a luxury TV travel show. The staff were a joy to deal with and even escorted me down to dinner in R&J. Dinner in R&J Italian Lounge & Restaurant R&J is named after Romeo & Juliet and is a feast for the eyes. I had not had time to change since my flight but they let me in despite the wrong footwear etc. I was still wearing training shoes & shorts. I ordered a very dry Grey Goose martini. The maître d' told me he used to work at the Cipriani in Venice and I told him about my dinner there. The martini was perfect and then one of the staff made me a small strawberry Bellini from a trolley as a welcome drink. There is lots of formality and theatre to this restaurant. Then fresh bread and a pasta amuse bouche arrived. The pasta was so light and the three flavours of the pumpkin, basil & tomato so good. The bread was soft and excellent. Appertiser I picked a gnocchi main course dish as my starter, as I love truffles so much. It was rich, creamy and delicious, with a strong truffle flavour, but too much food and I left the potato. Main Course For the main course I got the Wagyu beef shank with Parmesan risotto. It was rich and heavy and I could not eat much of it. It did not help that the room got rather warm. Dessert I ended the meal with ice cream, to cool down, chatting to chef Fabrizio. It was at this point that I decided to name the newest member of 'the gang' Christina, after the hotel's dynamic Resident Manager. After this I went back to my room and drank some of the red wine left by the hotel, watching TV, while my room cooled down to 18.5 degrees. Day Two The cool room, and the 400 thread count Frette sheets, led to me getting a perfect night's sleep. Breakfast in Café Cardinal I went down to the 6th floor for breakfast and got a table looking out at the pool. There was an incredible buffet section and you can also pick freshly cooked items (eg Eggs Benedict) from a menu. For our last breakfast in the Far East I brought Issy & 'the gang' and picked chicken pho (noodle soup) from the menu. It was some of the best pho I have eaten with a delicate, and delicious, taste. I played on the WiFi after breakfast, while drinking excellent coffee, as staff fussed around Issy & 'the gang'. The staff were brilliantly cheerful and friendly. 6th Floor Pool After breakfast I swam and worked on www.sifrew.com, as staff brought around watermelon juice, fresh fruit salads and checked on Issy & 'the gang' and me. I eventually had a great chat with a young English lady who lives in Taiwan. What a laugh we had. The hotel had let me keep my room until 6pm and so I ended up packing in a leisurely way. I checked out at 6pm, just as the clock in reception was lighting up. The hotel had given me a complimentary Mercedes to take me to the airport. 🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻 (7 out of 5 ‘teddies’) - only Four Seasons Koh Samui and Icon Klub bar in Luang Prabang, Laos has ever earned 7 'teddies' before, which demonstrates what a legend The Reverie in Saigon already is. In particular, two extra 'teddies' are for Christina & Nathan; the staff in the Reverie Lounge on the 38th Floor & in Café Cardinal at breakfast; and the artwork/furniture & the state of art facilities in the hotel. My tips: you will be surprised how reasonable the bills in R&J Italian Lounge & Restaurant are; pay the extra to gain access to the 38th floor Reverie Lounge; use the Rolls-Royce Dragon Phantom; and get a member of staff to explain the artwork & furniture to you. |  The view from the backseat of the Rolls-Royce Dragon Phantom. It was incredible to 'glide' through the Ho Chi Minh City afternoon traffic in this majestic 'ship of the road'.  The opulent ground floor lobby, with handblown Murano glass on the ceiling in the shape of the map of Vietnam, VGnewtend's crystal & steel LED-lit 'Arabesque Egg' chandeliers and Colombostile's Baroque-meets-Rococo furniture.  The 7th floor reception area. Note the five-meter long custom-made 'Esmeralda' Colombostile sofa in the background. It is covered in purple ostrich skin, has gilded features and is decorated with a single amethyst.  The panoramic views from my beautiful room on the 33rd floor. The minibars in all rooms & suites in the hotel are free.  My luxurious bathroom had a 'Japanese' toilet. It made me smile that there was an SOS button.  The three-meter high emerald green malachite veneered Baldi atomic clock. It weights 1,000 kilos and the 'pillars' light up on the hour.  There is stunning artwork everywhere in the public areas of the hotel.  The wood-fired pizza oven from Naples in The Long @ Times Square.  The ice cream selection in The Long @ Times Square includes such items as sticky rice flavour.  The beautiful mosaic bathroom in a Reverie Romance Suite.  The hotel's robes, sheets, and even the pool towels, are made by Frette. I adore this luxury brand.  The Moët and canapés I was served in the lounge on the 38th floor. The staff there were exceptional.  The signature cocktail for Saturday night. Fresh coconut milk with rhum (not rum). I now know there is such a word.  The ceremony that involved making my strawberry juice, mint & prosecco welcome drink.  My perfect very dry Grey Goose martini with the mouthwatering pasta amuse bouche and fresh bread.  My potato-ricotta gnocchi, with green peas & truffles essence on a potato.  After dinner I went back to my room and drunk some of the wine kindly left for me by the hotel.  The choice, and quality, of the food at breakfast left me stunned. Fresh dragon fruit juice, boiled quails' eggs etc  On the last morning in the Far East it had to be Vietnamese chicken pho for breakfast. This was some of the best I have tasted.  I spent my last day in the Far East in, and around, this beautiful pool working on www.sifrew.com, as staff brought us fresh watermelon juice & fruit salads. Note the outside 'chandeliers' and the mosaic floor of the pool.  I ended my time at the pool eating lemon sorbet chatting to a young English lady who lives in Taiwan.  I got to see the reception clock light up while I was checking out.  The view from the back of my Mercedes to the airport. |
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