“Infuse yourself in a French colonial building” — Eugenelim070, Singapore. July 17, 2015: My room was upgraded because I was told that the room that I booked was full. This hotel is peaceful and quiet. Nested in Ho Chi Minh's dense residential area, finding the hotel is a bit hassle. Having said that, there are plenty of road sign leading you to the hotel. What a charm this hotel is, I feel in love. Likely any typical french building, windows open inwards, pots of flowers hanging outside. Just lovely. Stairs are difficult to climb for the elders, and not recommended to stay high floor for the elderly. Staff are super friendly and attentive. He walked me to the nearest bus stop and even directed me which bus to take. Coffee ordered in room is at no charge, it took just a slight little while to come.This hotel is difficult to catch a taxi, just ask friendly staff to help you arrange one. They will happily walk with you to an alley and help load up the taxi.

“Excellent stay” — NatashaSpencer, Sorrento. July 8, 2015: Only been here one day so far and have another two nights to go but so far we are very impressed. Love the quaint boutiquey feel to the place. The staff are excellent, extremely helpful and accommodating. Comfortable and very clean rooms. Nice choice for breakfast and love the free passion fruit juice throughout our stay. The only thing I would change are the pillows!

“3Cs - charming, classy, clean!” — EvitaPeroni, Singapore, Singapore. June 2, 2015: My 2 nights stay in this family run boutique hotel is seamlessly enjoyable and comfortable. Owned and managed by family members, I must say the condition of the hotel and room is very good. As there are only 12 room, details are being looked at, personalized request is being handled carefully well. In-room settings and decoration is amazingly classy too. Choice of furniture, little details and touches have won my heart. Besides free wifi and drinks throughout the day, the breakfast is super delicious. I have a Vietnamese breakfast on my last day, and it was well prepared and presented. (Didn't get to enjoy breakfast on first day as I join a cycling tour and left early, though they insist to offer me a take away baguette)

I know many past guests in 2001 and earlier rated this place so badly due the location, because it's situated amidst local neighborhood in a small lane and seems dangerous. I must say that's not how I feel, I love being part of the local life, listening to old uncle singing out of tune karaoke in the evening and waving to the neighbors every time I go out and come home. They are just ordinary people, whose life might be affected with the hotel bringing in foreigners everyday overlooking their laundry! Come on, fellow travelers, please be fair to the local community. I read through the negative comments in the early days till 2014 reviews, I believe the management team has put in extra efforts and go the extra mile to turn things into positive including having Tom, the guy who is ever smiling to walk guests out to the main road or ride a taxi. I love that thoughts, and I enjoy every moment I have sipping tea at the ground floor when Tom is always on standby to give me a hand on everything i need...including carrying my overnight bag and walk with me to the taxi. Bravo! Small hotel owner, you make it right! Keep it up...

“Beautifully kept and well run” — Pete J. London, United Kingdom. May 3, 2015: We stayed at this hotel for one night and it was lovely. It's not in the middle of the city so there's a twenty minute taxi ride but as taxis are so cheap this isn't a problem over a short stay. The hotel borders on the beautiful and the staff are fantastic. The owner speaks perfect English, and German and makes sure his guests are happy by speaking to them whenever he can. He obviously cares about this hotel and its prospects and this shows up in every aspect and detail.

The rooms are perfect as are the bathroom, beds likewise. If you call a taxi, do it through the hotel. The owner knows what a shower the taxi drivers can be so he deals with only two firms and logs calls to them, charges made by them along with any problems encountered. If you have any problems in Saigon it won't be with the people or the place but it will be with mafia controlled criminal taxi drivers and the owner of the Ma Maison has found a great way to avoid this misery. Don't expect a posh frontage, even the taxis can't reach the front of the building but the porter meets you and carries all of your bags to the hotel which looks as though it was lifted whole from a leafy Paris suburb and dropped here. We loved it and couldn't find a fault with it. Wonderful!

“Really great place to stay” — L3308FXdavid, Hong Kong, China. April 23, 2015: This is a small hotel a bit of the way out of the centre and tricky to find as it is off the main road down an ally way.But you feel like you are in real Vietnam. We were greeted by the owner who is now retired from managing two of the swankiest hotels in the city. This is his family home that has been restored with the help of an investor and boy does the team give you a great service. He sat us down gave us cooling drinks and told us how to get around the city and what to see. His staff are all family or close relatives. The facilities are top quality its a small hotel with only a few rooms. Breakfast is home cooked and you are encouraged to try different dishes from different parts of Vietnam. I would highly recommend this hotel. Room Tip: There is no lift so a room on a lower floor after a long hot day would be a smart ask!

“Little oasis” — JK W, April 22, 2015: We chose to stay here to have a change from District 1 and are so glad we did. What a lovely and charming hotel, run by the most delightful staff. I know some reviews have said it is out of the way, but if you want to get a feel of Ho Chi Minh away from the touristy spots then this a wonderful choice. To all the staff, we are so very grateful for your hospitality and friendliness.

“A tranquil gem in the heart of real Saigon” — Jadiemac. March 17, 2015: We stayed for the last two nights of our trip to Vietnam, and it was a beautiful little boutique hotel located in the heart of "real" Saigon. We had stayed in District 1 at the beginning of our two week trip, and decided to try a different area at the end as had already explored the tourist circuit at the beginning. The hotel is located in a neighbourhood off a busy main road in District 3, a lovely colonial style building with fantastic attention to detail. The staff were exceptional, always accommodating with information of the local area. Breakfast was delicious too! The neighbourhood is bustling, trying to cross the main road is a challenge, but we had gotten used to this throughout Vietnam! A fantastic end to the trip

“A Family Affair” — AndyofLondon. London, United Kingdom. February 17, 2015: This family run boutique get away, is a delight. Tucked away down a maze of streets this may challenge your logistical skills the first few times, but the locals tend to point you in the right direction, without even being asked! It all feels perfectly safe and almost certainly is. Thought not in the centre of Saigon it's easy to get around from here. Don't expect any big shiny glass entrance, there's just a modest cast iron gate which they always open before you get to press the bell. Best to get a taxi first time. Great personal service and just about everybody you meet from the hotel is a relative of the owner. They love to serve you so just ask for what you want. It's excellent value for money but make sure you ask for one of the de-luxe bedrooms on the first or second floors or you'll be trudging up several flights as there is no lift to make life easier. Well appointed rooms, exceptionally clear and quiet.

“Exceptional Boutique Hotel” — Belinda Bramley, Cape Town Central, South Africa. February 7, 2015: A gem of a Hotel with excellent attention to detail. Wonderful, wonderful staff. Large room size with comfortable bed and high class bedding and finishes. Lovely shower. The entire property is spotlisly clean and tidy. Delicious Breakfast is served by the owner, a choice of Western or Vietnamese pho. Even though the hotel is situated in a residential area, we enjoyed the interaction with the local residents in the area, we found them to be polite and friendly. A taxi ride into town is quick and cheap, the bus ride into town is even cheaper and an interesting experience. We have stayed here twice and will certainly stay again. Highly recommended!

“They Did Everything” — Bonifaciornella, Italy. January 19, 2015: We spent the last night at Ma Maison after three weeks in Vietnam, the Maison is super super nice, very nice rooms, super clean, breakfast amazing in the garden. We met a lot of people they stay in when they arrived in Vietnam and when they left Vietnam, as much they were happy to stay there. They served to my son a super late breakfast Has he was not feeling fine at breakfast time. During my work on the computer and my reading they served me so much passion fruit juice! We Will never forget you all and the wonderful Maison!!!

“Great if you value charm and intangibles; too expensive if you value tangible hotel qualities” — Billy B, Miami, Florida. January 16, 2015: Wonderful house, wonderful staff. Nothing to complain about in room size. It's great for pretending you're staying in a (well-off) friend's home, or living out some colonial fantasies. Clean, accommodating, everything works well. To the reviewers who said this is a "dangerous neighborhood": you're seriously mistaken. Q3 is some of the best residential real estate in Saigon. This is not a "dangerous" neighborhood by any stretch, even if sometimes you see rats in the alley! (Ever been in any big city, ever?!) Owner does seem to have a bit of a "my way or the highway" attitude, but that is common for all businesspeople proud of their niche product. And indeed, with so many choices among Saigon hotels, there's no reason for you to stay here if you don't like this "quaint" kind of atmosphere, and the owner's other quirks. Why four stars, not five? There's no way to justify the price if you're looking at tangibles. For the same money, you could have a much bigger, more modern, more comfortable room, in a more central location. For the same price, could probably be rocking a multi-bedroom suite at some other small hotel (that's devoid of this hotel's charm). So if you want tangible, measurable stuff, like the size of your room, distance to the center, size of the bathtub, whatever, this isn't the hotel for you. But if you're into charm and atmosphere and "feeling," as I am (sometimes, on some stays), this is the place for you.

“Nothing but accommodating” — 640Scoutee. Los Angeles, California. January 6, 2015: I stayed at the beginning of my trip as well as the tail end of my trip--I found it from the 36 NY times blog--turned out more than amazing-- clean comfortable with all the accommodations- breakfast was delish et the passion fruit juice they serve was unforgettable. The 3 guys that take care of you there go over and beyond to make things great for you. I was so happy to stay but sad to leave. Room Tip: A quaint little frenchie place to stay in.

“Little charming hotel” — Queen-nias. Dhaka City, Bangladesh. January 5, 2015: We booked the hotel after seeing the review from Trip Advisor. We stay only for one night before we go back to Bangkok as its close to the airport. We booked 2 rooms with one double room for us and one single room for our daughter. Our room was upgraded without additional charge which we take happily. Both rooms are very clean and well decorated with very nice furniture. Ours has balcony facing the city on the fourth floor. Staffs are very friendly and helpful. Though on arrival we were bit disappointed as the taxi driver drop us on the alley and we had to drag our luggages through small alley unsure where it will take us but once we are there the atmosphere changed our mood. The hotel does not have restaurant but serve simple breakfast. You have to get a taxi and drive for 15 to 20 minutes to the central to have decent food if you are not in the mood of eating local good. The only downside of this hotel from my opinion is the ugly plastic flower hangs on the window of the room (well in general I hate plastic flower) if the management could put some real plants or flower then it would be perfect just like little Boutique Hotel in the middle of Paris.

“A lovely little Parisian hotel tucked away in a residential neighborhood” — December 25, 2014. Wendell D. New York City, New York: Ma Maison hotel is located on a quiet alley off a busy street several kilometers (25 minute taxi ride) from center city. Wandering though the neighborhood, eating in a local restaurant where little English is spoken, or watching residents during their early morning exercises in the large park nearby… it’s hard to imagine a better place to catch a glimpse of life in Saigon. But walk into the hotel and you feel like you’re in Paris. It’s a beautifully renovated 5 story family home. The staff is friendly and attentive. A delicious breakfast is served in the comfortable lobby or pretty garden. The well-appointed guestrooms are modern, simply furnished and elegant. Rooms on the higher floors have nice views of the surrounding rooftops. There’s no elevator, but the balconied stairwell is drop-dead gorgeous and lined with pictures taken by the owner, an accomplished photographer and a gracious host.

“Great Way to end our trip in SE Asia.” — Casimir K. December 13, 2014: I'm not sure that I can accurately portray the level of hospitality shown by the Ma Maison Boutique Hotel staff. My wife and I stayed here for two nights at the end of a whirlwind tour of SE Asia culminating with two days in Saigon. From the moment we arrived we were treated to a fresh passion fruit, juice, water and a beer. The rooms were beautifully done in a French Colonial style, wonderful bathroom, and the hotel itself is off the main drag, which is Saigon is a welcome relief from the noise and chaos on the street. My wife was feeling a bit under the weather on our first day, and Tom, one of the most kind men we've met in our travels brough her some ginger tea to help her feel better. The staff speaks perfect English and will help you with your Vietnamese as well. If you need to get your bearings, someone from the staff will help you orient a map of the city as well as help you to the bus station, taxi or whatever means of transport you wish to take while in Saigon. There is free Wi-Fi as well. I can't stress how much I want to come back to Vietnam just to stay at this hotel again. Please pay them a visit, you'll be glad you did! Also, some other posters mentioned it being, "scary," down an alley. That's where you find the best in Saigon! Get lost in the back streets, sing some Karaoke, eat some Ban Xio, drink some 333 beer, and truly experience Vietnam.

“Nice hotel with lots of character, inconvenient location” — Rosie_w_uk, Cheshire, UK. December 3, 2014: We stayed here for just one night between arriving from Hanoi and doing a tour of the Mekong Delta. We chose this hotel as after staying in Ho Chi Minh City District 1 we fancied a different location, a boutique hotel with a bit more character and a bit of peace and quiet. The hotel was very pretty and clean, in the style of a French chateau. The "signature room" we chose was fairly small in comparison to others we had stayed in in Vietnam but I loved the small personal touches such as the cute toiletries. The room and hotel was very peaceful, felt a world away from the hectic nature of HCMC, and had a good night's sleep in the comfortable bed. The staff were helpful and attentive and the breakfast great, the freshly baked baguettes were delicious although I didn’t have room to finish all of them! The only thing I didn’t like was the location. This was not a problem a priority for us staying for one night and the plus side of the location is that it is very close to the airport whilst still in the city, and is a quiet haven in HCMC. However if I was staying for longer I would be disappointed. We arrived in the evening and as others have pointed out the hotel is situated down a dark alley off a very busy road which didn't feel very safe. The hotel felt secure although this was in part due to a fortress like gate outside! Although it is in District 3 which many of the main city attractions border, the districts in HCMC are large and Ma Maison is on the far side. We were shocked when we said we intended to go out for dinner locally and one member of staff said he would get the security guard to go with us, although I appreciate his concern for guests' safety. If you want somewhere primarily with a bit of character, a good night's sleep with great service and don't mind travelling a bit to get to the city centre I would recommend Ma Maison. If you want to be within walking distance of the sites, perhaps are travelling alone and like to explore the city in the evening accommodation in District 1 would be better.

“Service Sanctuary” — Timvanhasselt. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. October 31, 2014: The service in this hotel is utterly amazing. It does not matter what time of day it is, the staff (which largely consists of the owners family) are always there to help, to offer you a glass of water or juice, provide you with fresh fruits and a lot more. On top of this, the hotel looks really amazing as well, it most certainly deserves the title of boutique hotel. It is amazing for a romantic getaway because of the looks and its location. It is located a 10 minute bus drive from the main city centre, something that could cause trouble for business travellers, but for couples it is perfect. Taking the bus is something very special as well, you can buy a ticket for 2,5 eurocents and ride the bus all day. Be careful though, when it starts to rain make sure you are not sitting next to a window for they might leak. The same counts for the doors! Taken everything into account, this hotel is amazing for couples, families and people traveling on their own! Room Tip: If you're old, choose a room on on of the lower floors. There is no elevator!

“Merci Ma Mason!” — Kwisi. Welkenraedt. October 26, 2014: A lovely hotel tucked away in a narrow street. Dragging my luggage and walking past peoples homes and food vendors, I thought surely, this can't be the right address. Well. it was the right address and our 4 day stay was very comfortable. The lovely Tom took care of us daily. We came down every morning to his smiling face and he served us pho, fruit, coffee and juice and he was exceptionally kind and caring. Tom was like our own personal butler. Another special mention goes out to Mowgli. He made all our dinner reservations, gave us some great recommendations and he was so thorough and professional. He went out of his way for us and no request was too difficult or challenging. This is what service should be like everywhere!

“Very nice hotel off the tourist trail” — James T. Dubai, United Arab Emirates. October 23, 2014: I stayed here in October for a couple of nights. It is a short drive out of the main city centre, but a very nice place to be. You are in an area away from the main tourist areas, which I think is a benefit. All the local bars and restaurants are predominantly filled with locals so you get to see more of the "real" HCMC and interact with some genuinely friendly locals. The buses take you to the central bus station in 10 minutes, which can be a great experience! The rooms are clean, the beds comfortable and the breakfasts are a great way to start the day. Combined with friendly staff, I would definitely stay here again. The only real improvement would be to offer an airport pickup. It would be a nice extra to offer to save travelers who have just flown long haul having dealing with local taxis who do not know exactly where they are going!

“Quiet and very well looked after.” — Tomdelre. Singapore. October 15, 2014: I have just spent 3 nights at Ma Maison with my family and parents. Ma Maison is a small hotel, extremely well built and with style. It is outside of the center of HCMC so you can get a chance to see the less touristy aspects of the city and stay in a quieter area as it is off the main road. The down side is that it is not walking distance to the center however it is very easy to get a taxi into town (15 min). Once we even took a bus to Ben Thanh market which was very straight forward. Other good aspects about Ma Maison: the staff was incredibly friendly and helpful, they really looked after us. While they do not serve dinners we brought in our meals other restaurants and they served the meals for us at no extra cost. I would also say the place is extremely clean. In summary this is a good place to stay with family including kids and grandparents. It has character and is very professionally run and hospitable with a lot of attention to detail. The only point you may want to consider is whether you prefer to stay someone more central so that you do not have to travel in and out.

“Delighted to return” — Manorom, Cheshire. October 6, 2014: I had so enjoyed my first visit to Ma Maison in 2009. On that occasion I was travelling alone, now I had the opportunity to visit Ho Chi Minh City with my wife I wanted her to also experience the amazing hospitality offered in this beautiful boutique establishment. Located in district 3 allows one to glimpse real daily life away from the tourist areas and the area immediately surrounding the hotel is so atmospheric. The staff are charming, friendly, efficient and the attention to detail is very noticeable in many ways. We loved breakfast in the small garden courtyard and taxis to and from District 1 were easy to find and all were metered. Ma Maison is the sort of place that stays in your memory for all the right reasons.

“All round fantastic” — Danerain. London, United Kingdom. October 5, 2014: Very tastefully decorated with all comforts, whilst not being too over the top. Spotlessly clean. An oasis of calm in the hustle and bustle. Above all the service and staff make the stay. Very relaxing to have breakfast and coffee on the terrace and listen to the staff's advice on places to see and where to eat. Will return.

“Exceptional hospitality!” August 26, 2014: My friend and I recently visited Ho Chi Minh city after booking 2 nights we ended up staying 5. Ma Maison was slightly out of town but was only a short ride in a taxi to the centre (£3). The hotel was beautifully presented, French influenced very charming decor. Rooms are very quiet (which is hard to find in Ho Chi Minh City). I can't emphasis enough how wonderful all of the staff were, always so helpful and friendly. Nothing was too much trouble. We felt truly looked after and didn't want to leave! I would highly recommend this little oasis.

“A Quiet Haven” — Kati C. Vienna, Austria. August 9, 2014: Our taxi driver was a bit crazy and aggressive as he was driving through Saigon circus, and he overcharged us for our ride to Ma Maison (expect to pay 4 to 7 dollars), so that was not the best of starts to Vietnam. Ma Maison was amazing though. They changed our dollars to dong so we could pay for a meal on the street. They brought us to a place that had great food. They helped us cross the street to get to the place that sold the great food ( I admit being a bit ashamed needing help in crossing the street, but wow, for an Austrian girl, this Saigon is like a 24/7 Prater and crossing the street is like venturing your life in a weird computer game. Even, or especially, at 10 o clock at night. And any help is appreciated. Since our dinner was not Ba Xeo, what I had hoped to try, got a note at breakfast that had the best addresses for Ba Xeo on it so that I could find one during the day. They had coffee sweeties. They had fresh passion fruit juice for free, even in the evening. They had super friendly staff and one of them even spoke German like he'd just arrived back after a 20 year stay in Bavaria ( how you do that when your own language is so different to German remains a mystery to me - I was so impressed). Their room on the top floor allows you to spy on Vietnamese P.E. lesson plans, in case you're interested... And the peace of this place allows your for a good night's sleep, in case you need that after a day in the chaos that is Saigon.

“Super service and awesome breakfast” — OffshoreBanks. July 31, 2014: Had a perfect stay at this lovely French style boutique hotel. The service was simply outstanding, with every staff member eager to help and offer excellent restaurant suggestions and provide transportation in a speedy and efficient fashion. The hotel itself is tucked in a little alley and not the typical tourist destination, but that was part of its charm. Expect to take a cab to the main tourist spots and downtown but don't let that deter you as I think we enjoyed the hotel neighborhood and other nearby local spots more than the travel guide suggestions anyway. The rooms are small but comfortable and have lovely French style windows overlooking the city. Complimentary breakfasts were huge and delicious. Overall, HIGHLY recommend this for couples or anybody looking for a unique, higher end option in Saigon!

“A wonderful, tasteful boutique hotel in District 3 with brilliant service” — AFScales. July 31, 2014: We picked Ma Maison as our first stop in Vietnam having flown in to Ho Chi Minh City. We thought about the Caravelle and the Majestic but opted for the cheaper option outside of District 1. We were delighted with our choice. The hotel has a charming French twist to it. Our room was delightful. We were on the 4th floor and there is no lift, so if you pick a room on the upper floors you better be fit. The bathroom was good too and many small touches such as cinnamon sticks to scent it, and sesame cookies in the bedroom made it special. Located down a quiet alley off a busy road the area is very real and has a great buzz to it. It was actually great to have a quiet idyll of a hotel outside of the downtown area that we could retreat to after a hectic day in Saigon. But it was the service and hospitality that we received from Ha and his staff that was so special. Breakfast was delicious - pho as well as Western - tea, coffee and passion fruit juice could be ordered to your room - complimentary. The staff took us to the local bus stop as we got our bearings and went out of their way to cater to our needs. We couldn't recommend the hotel more. It really is a gem. Room Tip: Choose a room on floors 1 or 2 if you don't want to walk up lots of stairs as there is no lift.

“Lovely breakfasts and personal service” — DavidW. July 29, 2014: As others have pointed out, Ma Maison is a ten minute taxi ride Northwest of the centre, in a residential neighbourhood. Our taxi driver found it easily enough though, and once you know where it is, it's simple to find again. Was great walking to it from the main road and getting small glimpses into Saigon homes and lives. The rooms were very elegant and immaculately presented. Breakfast was wonderful (the pho was top rate and generously sized, on top of the baguettes and fresh fruit) and the free hot drinks all day were a nice touch. Service was personal, warm and knowledgeable. The annotated map of the neighbourhood was appreciated too and led to a great dinner. The only point to bear in mind is the stairs. We were on the fourth floor (out of choice) and it was a bit of a climb as there was no lift. Though we didn't mind, others might want to request a room lower down.

“Charming boutique hotel” — VeeJayParis_France. Portland, Oregon. July 28, 2014: We planned to stay two nights at Ma Maison at the front end of our two-week long trip to Vietnam. When all was said and done, we had stayed 6 nights! We fell in love with the sanctuary that is Ma Maison - the charming rooms, the beautiful fragrant garden courtyard, the wonderful breakfast, and the warm hospitality of Mr. Ha, John, Tommy, Tuan, and Natasha – and it truly became our home away from home in Saigon. We hope to return to Vietnam, and when we do, we will certainly stay again at Ma Maison! [Jason & Vanessa]. Room Tip: All rooms are lovely. The superior doubles have balconies and are particularly nice.

“Good Hotel” — Killianf. Dublin, Ireland. July 24, 2014: This is a very pleasant Hotel. Its nicely decorated and well finished and our room was very clean and spacious. The staff are very friendly and professional and couldn't do enough for you. The location is a bit out from the city centre but it is easily and cheaply reached by taxi and we walked it one morning in about 45 minutes. The alley way leading into the hotel is perfectly safe and we liked it as it is in a proper local area of the city. This is not a negative comment to the hotel but in my opinion it is probably suited a bit more to the older or more mature traveller. That said we really enjoyed our stay there.

“Backstreet Gem”— IanRJacobsen, Brisbane, Australia. July 24, 2014: My wife and I stayed here for 3 nights in late July. Ma Maison is tucked away down a classic Saigon alley. The staff are all wonderful and very helpful, the local map (with shops, restaurants, bars and ATMs listed) provided was invaluable. The room was clean and very well appointed. This hotel is in a great spot, and close (by cab) to the train station and airport. We would stay here again.

“Cozy boutique hotel” — Raymond F. Cincinnati, Ohio. July 22, 2014: Like most other reviewers of this hotel, we were well pleased with the Ma Maison and especially the lovely staff. From the smooth pick-up to the clean room and good breakfast, everything was great. Will be back again.

“Convenient and Service-focused” — JogjaCrew. Yogyakarta, Indonesia. July 12, 2014: We picked this hotel because of its proximity to the train station. We had an early morning train and didn't want to have a long taxi ride to navigate. From Ma Maison we were able to easily get to the train station by cab in 10-15 mins the day before to buy our tickets to the beach (Mui Ne), and then the staff at the hotel called us a cab the next morning. We left before 5am, and they cooked us a hot breakfast and served it in style before we left. The service is superb and the decor doesn't cut corners. We loved the high pressure rain shower and the restful atmosphere. It's a little tricky to find, and you need to walk down a dingy alley to reach the hotel, but the destination is worth the walk! Room Tip: The only access to rooms is via stairs, so ask for a room on a lower floor if you don't want to be hiking up and down stairs.

“Third time and still just as charming!” — Katie C. Kansas City, Missouri. July 11, 2014: This was our third visit to Ma Maison. We love everything about this cozy boutique hotel nestled back from the craziness of the city. We stay in a deluxe room with a balcony. While some do complain about the comfort level of the beds, their beds are more comfortable than many of the other hotels we have visited in SE Asia. The hotel is only a short cab ride away from the city center, but there is still lots of local activity around the hotel that you can take advantage of during your time at Ma Maison. Mr. Ha, Tom and the other staff are so kind and welcoming! We always feel like royalty when visiting Ma Maison.

“Gem of a hotel” — R0b48, Newcastle, Australia. July 4, 2014: Wanted to stay somewhere accessible to Downtown HCMC, but not right in town. This was perfect, in District 3, and more than a walk to Downtown. Hotel owner and all staff couldn't have been more helpful, breakfast included in tariff - not cheap, but clean and quiet, which was what was needed. Spent much less in other establishments, but all very noisy at night, in contrast to this hotel. Number 65 bus easily gets you into town for only 5000 Dong, or expect to pay about 100,000 for a cab (make sure the meter is on!). Room Tip: Aim for higher floors unless you can't manage stairs (no lift)

“An oasis of calm” — Sally D. Sydney, Australia. June 19, 2014: This was my first trip to Vietnam - and in fact the first time travelling to Asia in over 20 years. My husband and I and our two friends arrived in Ho Chi Minh City after an overnight flight with a stop over in KL, hot and tired and overwhelmed by the chaos of the traffic. We were dropped off by our taxi at a narrow lane and trundled our way down the bumpy surface to find our hotel,at this stage a bit dubious about where on earth we were going. We arrived at the iron gates of our hotel and received a very warm welcome from our host Mr Ha and the lovely Tham - Ma Maison is gorgeous - peaceful and an oasis of calm in this frenetic city. Our rooms were beautiful, well appointed, very comfortable and I loved our heart of rose petals on our bed at night. We stayed for two nights at the beginning of our trip and then returned for our final night - and were welcomed back like long lost friends. I would recommend Ma Maison to anyone it is a real gem and I hope to be able to return in the not too distant future - my thanks to Mr Ha and his wonderful staff- we miss you all!

“Amazing place to start our adventure!” — Mandeep1981, Singapore. June 18, 2014: We stayed at Ma Maison for 3 nights at the beginning of June as the start of our Vietnam 4 week trip. As soon as we walked in we new we were going to enjoy our stay. Mr Ha was a very gracious host who was very generous with his time explaining to us where everything was located near the hotel etc. he also upgraded us to an amazing room as soon as we had sat down. The hotel is beautifully decorated and feels like a cross between someone's home and an art gallery (but not in a pretentious way!). Breakfast is amazing and huge – thoroughly recommend the Vietnamese options and the free coffee and juices throughout the day are a nice touch. The hotel is quite a way from district 1 but that adds to the charm. We cannot recommend this hotel enough – Mr Ha, Tom and John provide a level or service that is second to none and ensure that whatever you need is provided at all times and all you need to focus on is enjoying your stay.

“I loved this pretty French Style boutique” — Snazzyyazzy, Brisbane. June 3, 2014: We arrived following a thunderstorm and had to walk down an alley full of puddles. I was dubious, but as soon as I walked into the welcoming gates I knew we chose the right place. The service was impeccable- they couldn't be more helpful and friendly; the decor gorgeous French style with white timber shutters with potted plants in the windowsill and wrought iron. It has a lovely courtyard surrounded by a vine covered brick wall and frangipani trees- nice place to eat breakfast, have an afternoon cuppa or g&t. You take your shoes off at the door- I don't think I've ever felt cleaner floors in my life. We weren't in the city centre and I liked being amongst the "real life" of Ho Chi Minh. If you want to walk to designer shops and expensive restaurants you will want to stay right in the city. We liked the contrast and a taxi into the city centre didn't take too long. We stayed in a deluxe room. It had plenty of space. I saw a single room which looked very quaint for one person. My only negative point was the beds and the pillows. They were rock hard- so hard they hurt my ears. I would definitely recommend if you prefer boutique to massive chain hotels.

“Little gem off the beaten track” — TeaAddictLondon, London. May 17, 2014: We kicked off our trip in Vietnam with a stay in this lovely little hotel. As previous reviewers have mentioned, it's not close to the centre by any means but taxis and buses are so cheap, it doesn't matter at all (taxi to centre cost approx £2.50 and the bus was about 20p!) Plus it gives you the opportunity to see life outside the tourist centre of HCMC. Don't be put off by the little trek down the alley way to the entrance of the hotel, you feel like you're going to the back of beyond and then suddenly a lovely yellow french style building rises out of the alley. The hotel was quite simply wonderful. As soon as you arrive they offer you a refreshing pomegranate juice and check you in swiftly. They upgraded us to a superior room free of charge. The staff are excellent, every time we needed to get somewhere, they escorted us down the alley way to a waiting taxi or around the corner to a local restaurant. Every time we returned back after a hectic day in the city we would be offered a refreshing drink. Nothing was too much trouble and special mention should go to Tom who was exceptional. The room was cosy, exceptionally clean and beautifully decorated. Breakfast was delightful in the little garden outside and although breakfast hours are normally 8-10, they will arrange an earlier breakfast for you if you've got an early start. Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable stay and would not hesitate to return.

“Perfect retreat from Ho Chi Minh City” — Alex F, Richmond, United Kingdom. May 11, 2014: Ho Chi Minh City is an incredible place but it is chaotic (in a good way!). Ma Maison is a wonderful oasis of peace and calm, which is a lovely thing to come back to after a day exploring. It is located about 4km from the airport and the same from the city centre. This might be an issue if you want to be right in the middle of the major sites but we did not find it to be an issue. Taxis are very cheap (less than 100k dong to the centre) and there in a bus which takes you straight to the centre (bus station is right next to the market) which takes the same time as a taxi but only costs 5k dong each. We used the bus and it was easy and good fun. If you use taxis, ask the hotel which firms to use, as some HCMC firms' meters are set much higher. Staying in District 3 was also an opportunity to see a lesser known part of HCMC, and there are plenty of places nearby to eat and drink (hotel will recommend). Anyway, back to the hotel! There is a choice of three breakfasts, and each is served individually. The breakfasts were delicious. The rooms are quiet, clean, and well equipped. In all we would thoroughly recommend this hotel for anyone travelling to Hi Chi Minh

“Wonderful hotel, excellent service” — JCR80, London, United Kingdom. May 8, 2014: We stayed here 3 nights on arrival in Vietnam. Although away from the city, it provided a welcome respite from the craziness of HCMC and taxis were easy to find and quick to arrive. Their service was exemplary, breakfast and other drinks/fruit delicious and nothing was too much trouble. I was recommended this hotel by a colleague and would definitely recommend again to anyone.

“Short but Sweet” — Jayne B. Kendal, United Kingdom. April 22, 2014: Chose to stay here as we needed a brief, one night stop-over near to the train station for the next morning. What a great choice we made! Yes the approach is down an alley past friendly working locals, but a few steps in was the welcoming entrance to the Ma Maison. The reception received was very efficient, warm and helpful. As we had only a few hours, we opted to stay local, and a restaurant was recommended. We were even given our menu preferences written in Vietnamese for us. We were walked to the restaurant just 5 mins away, unlike a previous review stated, there are pavements, but often a little crowded, and the roads are mad but fun. We couldn't have had a better evening! It was a very local restaurant with basic decor and fabulous food, and we were very welcome in this madly popular place. We were lucky to follow this great meal with a fun visit to the family friendly fair on the way back to the hotel. Would imagine it was a temporary event, but not sure. Went back for an early night to our delightful rooms at the Ma Maison, and slept well until our early morning wakeup call. We were given a breakfast picnic of fruit, toast and jam to take with us then walked out to meet our taxi at 05:15 hrs, and waved off! Couldn't have been happier with our choice of hotel. Highly recommend this hotel.

Definitely a must stay! — mk663. Hong Kong, China. April 21, 2014: We are traveling to Vietnam for the first time so we want to find a place away from downtown. Ma Maison was the best choice! We arrived at 6pm and Ha this family home owner's greeting was very nice and friendly. We were immediately served with a cold fresh passion fruit drink! Ha gave us a very useful map and went through what's close by and how to get to downtown. Tom carried our luggage upstairs very quickly into room 201. We booked this deluxe room with balcony at a very reasonable price! The bed was decorated with heart shaped rose petals and the room smelled really nice! The amenities were very as well! We have 3 different breakfast to choose from. You must decide the night before and write it down at the reception... Western, Vietnamese noodles or healthy light all well served. Always comes with huge warm crunchy baguettes and fruits! Wherever we want to go, they would arrange a taxi for us! There's a playground/park across the street you even find a merry go round and some basic rides and games! We walked around there and had a drink by the lake. It's totally worth going to experience the local life! There are other restaurants around the hotel but it's best if you know some basic Vietnamese though. The hotel is not directly on the main street. You do have to walk into an alley where cars cannot drive into. Ladies with handbags please be careful as Ha mentioned there are thousands of motor bikers who will driver by and steal your bags along the street. There's no side walk so do walk with caution. Crossing the street was another challenge but after you have done it a few times, it's manageable. You just needy some guts :) Highly recommended to leave your passports, cash and jewelry in the room safe! The room is very secured and I laid out all my stuff with no worry at all. To summarize, choose Ma Maison if you wanna be treated with very friendly staffs and great services from the heart and leave with a smile! Special thanks to Ha, Tom and Trung. You have spoiled me like a princess and be pampered during my stay from April 18-21! Will definitely recommend friends and family who will come to HCMC!

“Fantastic” — Ramesh D. April 17, 2014: Stayed here two nights and could not be happier. We toom the most basic small rooms available but they were clean, organized and beautifully appointed and had nice views out to the surrounding district from the pretty balconies. The complimentary breakfast was delicious (we had pho and bun no one day and English breakfast the next, both were great). We made ample use of the unlimited Free coffee (just ask or hang out in the lobby and they make you a fresh cup). The owner was very friendly and warm and provided excellent details on where to get food in the area as well as taking care of details like arranging our sleeper bus trip on departure. His English is excellent and we were well taken care of by him and his staff. The location is definitely far from the D1 tourist stuff but it's one direct road and a cheap cab ride at any hour. We actually preferred D3 since it was less touristy and a touch less chaotic than the D1 center. I would have no hesitation staying here again and have already recommended it to another friend visiting in a few months.

“Beautifully boutique” — Robinomayo, Bristol, United Kingdom. April 9, 2014: The most enjoyable aspect of our stay here were the staff, friendly, helpful and full of excellent local advice. On top of that the building and rooms are gorgeous. Stay here, you won't be disappointed!

“Beautiful boutique hotel” — Maddie158, London, United Kingdom. March 26, 2014: We stayed here at the start of a Vietnam tour. The service was excellent, the decor, design and build of the property was lovely. The rooms have lovely shuttered windows and all the little details and extras are taken care of; water is always in your room and after a hectic day exiting the city this is a little oasis to come back to where you are made fresh tea or coffee and fresh juice at no extra cost. Breakfast is well made and generous it didn't seem to matter which menu choice you chose; eggs/healthy or typical Vietnamese you were still offered all 3 when taking breakfast either in their very pretty garden or restaurant - worth every penny, don't miss this place you won't regret it!

“Beautiful boutique haven” — CWDilworth, March 21, 2014: My wife and I stayed initially for two nights near the end of our 3 week trip touring the wonderful Vietnam. We booked following a recommendation from the owner, Natasha's, father Long Thanh, who we met in Nha Trang at his gallery. He is a famous Vietnamese photographer. We weren't disappointed. It is a beautiful boutique hotel set in District 3 which is about a 20 minute cab ride from the main District 1.
The rooms are spotless and modern. The staff are so helpful. It is reasonably expensive by Vietnamese standards but worth it for an oasis of luxury in a mad city! We booked a 1 night trip to the Mekong River while there then returned for our final night. We also did the Cu Chi tunnels. Natasha helped with these bookings along with other advice and help with the buses. We felt comfortable there throughout. It is outside the main area but cabs are around 100000VND and a bus 50000! We used both. It wasn't an issue for us. We would recommend this hotel to anyone.

“Fantastic Find” — Verity H, London, United Kingdom. March 3, 2014: This is a great little hotel with a lot of character and individuality. Set in a quiet back street a short distance from the city centre, it was a little haven away from the chaos of the city. We were so well looked after- the owners are super welcoming and made us fell so at home. Our room was beautiful and the little court yard is a beautiful place to have breakfast.

“This was just right for us!” — SaraPhilip39, Chichester, UK. February 25, 2014: What a lot of varying opinions about this place. We arrived late evening to be greeted by the delightful owner, a retired teacher, a respectable and gentle soul. We were welcomed and asked to leave our shoes at the door which reminded me of entering a temple and not an issue for us. We were given a refreshing glass of passion fruit juice and our bags were taken to our room on level 3. Everything about the hotel has been thought through with love and care. Our room was beautifully decorated and furnished. Yes, the location at first may come across as a little daunting but if you can embrace the fact that this is a family home that has been lovingly restored to a hotel which is located in a non tourist area of Saigon you will start to feel more comfortable. In the surrounding alleys the local people are just going about their every day lives. If you want the Vietnamese breakfast the owners do like to know the night before so that fresh produce can be brought in and that it can be prepared ready for you. Philip tried the seafood pho which was the bes the had in Vietnam. I loved the healthy muesli yoghurt and passion fruit then beautiful warm baguettes with butter and jam. Coffee and tea are available at any time of the day/night and can be brought to your room. Mr Ha came with a map and explained the area to us and where to eat and visit in both district 1 and 3.

We decided to travel by bus into district 1 which was an adventure and really easy. One of the hotel staff escorted us to the bus stop which was really helpful. After a busy day exploring we returned again by bus. We ate at one of the local open air restaurants,Sy Phu where we were the only westerners. The menu was extensive and quite different. We had a curry cooked at the table and plenty of cold beers. We really loved the whole experience. One evening we went to the local park which has a small fun fair for locals and an outdoor theatre. There was a small circus performing. Again we were the only westerners and everyone welcomed us and we felt comfortable there. Philip went to the local barbers and had a shave (the best one he'd had) and his ears cleaned! He also went to the local Spa and had a massage which was recommended by Natasha the manager of the hotel. The Spa was clean, respectable and a fraction of the cost of the big hotels. So overall, if you want a different experience, with a sense of adventure mixing with local people and supporting local enterprise then consider Ma Maison. If you like the security of being in an international hotel in the middle of the tourist area then perhaps Ma Maison is not the right choice for you. We would certainly go back and think that the owners have created something quite special.

“A peaceful sanctuary in HCMC” — E-H-Apple, February 24, 2014: We started our South East Asia trip at Ma Maison and after a long flight, it was definitely worth the treat. The hotel's certainly on the expensive side compared to city prices elsewhere, but it was very clean, comfortable and classy. Excellent, kind, attentive service - we especially appreciated the complimentary drinks whenever we returned from an excursion. Location is approximately 20 mins taxi from city centre but we really enjoyed the authentic neighbourhood feel of surrounding alleys and streets. Iced coffee and local massage parlour come highly recommended.

“Cute and peaceful hotel!” — Boutzie, Baltimore. February 17, 2014: We arrived late last night, and are very happy with our room. It spacious, very clean and the air conditioning works well. We met with the owner at the breakfast, and he was very helpful with the map. Breakfast was delicious. I chose the Vietnamese breakfast while my husband selected the American one. They have three different choices for breakfast, and I like that. I also like the owner's advice to take a cab for the first three kilometers. The hotel is in district 3, and walking is not always easy as many merchants sell from the sidewalk. Ho Chi Minh is a vibrant, colorful and loud city. The hotel is in a quiet alley, and that adds to the charm.

“Great hotel/B&B but not a great location” – Chickenhopack, Sydney. February 8, 2014: We really enjoyed staying at Ma Maison. We stayed there for 4 nights and used it as out base for seeing HCMC and a day trip to Mekong Delta & Cu Chi Tunnels. The service was very very high standard and very helpful. Long and her team were always on hand to help. The breakfasts were also substantial and tasty. The rooms were great, beds comfy and all was very clean and quiet and we did not hear noise from the back street. The location however was a little too far from District 1 and the interesting areas of District 3. It took about 20 minutes each time to go into and back from the main part of town (which we went everyday). The area of Ma Maison itself seemed like the locals had never seen foreigners before and my wife (Asian) was always getting heavily stared at by men and women. I don’t mind being in areas anywhere in the world where we stand out as foreigners but this was a little over the top and my wife was not comfortable at all. We have been to many Asian cities and never had the heavy heavy stare treatment like this. Although there was lots of clothes and food shops where Ma Maison was located the roads were always far too hectic with no to minimal footpaths and major pollution from motor bikes made it very uncomfortable to want to look around for a second time. Again we loved Ma Maison, the staff and the service was first class.... if you are only in HCM for 1 or 2 nights then it will be fine to stay there... but not for 4 nights like us..... next time we will stay in district 1 or in the more interesting parts/less hectic part of district 3.

“Charming find in a hectic city” – Lifes4living, Sydney. February 6, 2014: This gorgeous boutique hotel is a real charmer! Located 15 minutes from the city centre in a residential area the hotel offers delightful french styled rooms over 4 levels. There is no lift but it wasn't an issue as the doorman carried our bags up – and when required tea can be delivered to your room. We were warmly welcomed by the owner with a refreshing drink, an overview of the hotel and its history and an insight into the surrounds. We loved the location amongst ordinary people going about their lives and we always felt safe and secure even at night walking back down the alley. Our group had 3 single rooms but by far the best are the double rooms at the front of the hotel. Showers were hot and plentiful, bed and linen wonderful and breakfast pleasant. We would stay again.

“Unique!” — JulesMain, West Sussex. February 5, 2014: We had one night here as the last part of our trip to Vietnam. The room we were upgraded too was up 8 flights of stairs - good for the thighs! The staff are ultra welcoming and during our brief stay we had a lovely time. The location is full-on Ho Chi Minh - which is great if you're up for it! The hotel recommended a local restaurant called Su-Phi - what an amazing experience! We were the only westerners in a huge open air restaurant and were quite a spectacle but made to feel really welcome with helpful staff who spoke little or no English. The fish hot pot we had was delicious and we had lots of cold beers delivered constantly to our table throughout! It is a hectic part of town but safe and friendly - westerners stand out here unlike the main city but we didn't feel uncomfortable. Our breakfast was great in the hotel and it was a shame to rush off for our flight.

“A Secret peaceful place in a Chaotic City” – Childoftheplanet, January 25, 2014: What is wonderful about this place is that the owners make you feel like one of their family as soon as you walk in the door greeting you with a welcome drink. Which is refreshing after a long flight. This fully renovated multi story family home is now a guest house still family owned and operated. All staff are very friendly and hospitable and cater for your every need and are always willing to help. The room we had was spacious, very clean with tasteful décor. Little treats can be found in the room as well as many additional items you may need. The building is renovated in a French style as the current Vietnamese family purchased it from a French family about 70 years ago. There is also still the everyday touches of everyday Vietnamese life. It is also great that everyday life goes on right outside your door. You can overlook the lives of the local people by opening your window. Breakfast is fresh with a choice including Vietnamese options which are worth trying, the Pho is like having a meal. There is a nice outside courtyard for breakfast. If you don't like stairs ask for a room on a lower floor. The ally from the main road may seem a little daunting for first time travellers. But a good taxi driver (which we found can be rare in Vietnam) will get you there. Make sure you have a map with you with Ma Maison and know the number of the alley Ma Maison can be found on. We enjoyed our stay here. Room Tip: We had a larger room with a king size bed. We stayed twice and it was easier staying on a lower floor.

“Unbeatable service, spotless rooms, funky location” — Tony W, Sydney, Australia. January 24, 2014: We have just got back from a two-day stay in Ma Maison and we can assure tripadvisor readers that the hotel is not at all overrated as the previous contributor misleadingly asserted. Remember that this hotel is located in District 3, which is a far cry from the touristy and expensive District 1 (we also stayed at the Caravelle for five days, which is a great hotel). You can also visit the website so that you know what to expect. A boutique hotel like Ma Maison ($85 for a deluxe room) should not be compared with a five star one ($200). The street felt perfectly safe and the local people, going about their daily business, either just let the tourists be or went out of their way to be helpful. We were invited to have coffee in a cafe on the street by a friendly local (which was delicious!) and the local eateries, all within five minutes' walk from the hotel, served the most amazing food we've had in Vietnam at a ridiculously cheap price. For top class food without having to pay for it, you can't do better than the recommendations of Miss Long of (Manager of Ma Maison) in District 3. If you want a gym, swimming pool, mini bar, and a nasty shock on your bill at checkout, go to District 1. The design of the hotel is really impressive, with some lovely details in the lobby and the rooms. It's the most charming place we've stayed at in Ho Chi Minh. Above all, the staff were incredibly helpful and friendly and made our stay a memorable and pleasant one. We're coming back!

“A Boutique Hotel Paradise” — Julie M, Hartlepool, United Kingdom. January 4, 2014: This beautiful gem of a place we found via trip advisor, the majority of the comments are spot on. True this place is positioned in a back alley, in a less than desirable location, but the building has stood since the '30s and everything else has sprung up around it. The locals were friendly and the children in the street waved and smiled. The building itself has been lovingly and beautifully restored, in a pseudo French style, the room we had (on the 4th floor) was beautifully appointed, a real home from home in terms of decor and furnishings, comfy bed with beautifully fresh linens. If you have difficulty walking I suggest a low floor, but we found being at the top of the building a bonus as it was quiet. The staff couldn't be more welcoming, providing a lovely welcome drink and a smile! Staff are also very knowledgeable and helpful, heartily recommended, enjoy your stay!

“So Happy We Found This Gem” — Anonomous154982, Brampton, Canada. January 4, 2014: As everyone has said before me this hotel was fabulous. It had been a home for this French family for 70 years and then they made it into a grand hotel. Huge bouquets of fresh flowers adorned the main floor. The garden was nice for breakfast or you could sit inside. All the furniture was of French design. Mr. Ha and the others couldn't have done enough for us. Everyone always had a smile and genuinely seemed to care. Because the motorbikes are so many the young man helped get to the restaurant. It was our first lesson in crossing a street with hundreds of bikes coming at you. There was lots of food and choices for breakfast. Hair blower, safe, tv, frig in our deluxe room. Room Tip: The second floor still has you climb 4 short flights of stairs. Choose second floor. No rooms on first floor.''

“Sweet place” — Harriet2463, London, United Kingdom. January 3, 2014: Stayed on our arrival from the UK. Rooms were just delightful with lovely little touches such as jars of crackers and sweets, amenities tray in bathroom and free coffee, tea and juices on request. All the staff were just delightful and it was a lovely introduction to Vietnam. The only downside was there is no lift and lots of stairs to climb with heavy bags and jet lagged legs!

“Fabulous” — Thesambos, Brisbane, Australia. January 1, 2014: Booked directly stayed here 5 nights with another couple for our 25th wedding anniversary. No issue getting a taxi from the airport to here, I showed the driver the map/address I printed off, yes its down an alley and the families living down there are extremely friendly. The property itself is amazing, away from district 1. We all opted for deluxe rooms and happy with did a little bigger. Brekki you have 3 options, we were lucky enough to have homemade spring rolls and Pho for dinner amazing. If you require coffee, tea or juice it will be bought to your room. The coffee was the best we had during our 2 week stay in Vietnam. I can not thank John, Natasha and staff enough for their hospitality during our stay, assisting us in getting sim cards, the local bus (highly recommend)and John's maps with things to do see and eat. We were also very spoilt with flowers on our anniversary. If you do have difficulty with stairs ask for a lower floor when you book. Can not recommend this property enough, we will be back.

“A Gem amidst the Chaos” — abanb76, Singapore, Singapore. December 29, 2013: I booked this hotel through Agoda after reading the positive reviews on Trip Advisor. Having worked for the hospitality industry for over 15 years, this small charming hotel has got it right on so many fronts that would put the best 5-star chains second. The owner, Uncle Ha is present each day during breakfast and the entire team seem to embody his temperament, patience, gentle nature and genuine concern and warmth towards their guests. This lovely haven was a welcome respite from the noise and chaos of the city and I would definitely love to go back to Saigon, only if it were to stay at Ma Maison.

“An absolute gem” — CanuckGB, Harrogate, United Kingdom. December 28, 2013: We cannot praise this lovely little boutique hotel/B&B highly enough! Although located a taxi (or bus) ride out of the centre in District 3 (in an alley just off Cach Mang Thang Tam St.) on the way to the airport, the hotel is quiet, beautifully kept and with all the bits you could possibly have forgotten (and more!) in any of the 12 exceedingly comfortable rooms. The service is second to none! As other reviewers have said - it is like being invited to stay in their home, as a valued friend. We stayed here for several nights as we toured in and around HCMC. The owner and/or his relatives were always on-hand, warm, friendly and extremely helpful (including writing our destinations down in Vietnamese for us to help with directions etc). We were guided to the local bus-stop on our first excursion, and it was easy to manage after that. Tea/coffee/water/juice was always offered to us on returning (all included, often brought to our room) and the breakfasts are terrific - with local or Western options! Definitely good value and booking directly with the hotel for the best deals - they can get busy in high season (only 12 rooms!). We will definitely be going back next time we're in or passing through HCMC!

“Very friendly and helpful owner” — Albertsson. December 27, 2013: We came without reservation and the hotel was unfortunately fully booked. We had a look at one of the single rooms and this is certainly a very nice hotel. The owner was very helpful in helping us to find a place for the night.

“The Most Delightful and Memorable Shock!” — Puneet0911 , Singapore. Stayed December 18, 2013: I didn't know what to expect when I entered the small alley that leads in to the hotel. But it all changed the moment we were grated by "Long". Now Ma Maison is no ordinary hotel. You are treated like guests staying at someone's house and the genuineness that comes along with that. It is like staying at your uncle's house and Uncle Ha the owner of the hotel makes you feel that ways. The best part is that the same spirit of warmth, simplicity and kindness is reflected amongst all members of the Ma Maison. I will never forget the stay at this delightful home away from home. They got everything right so much so that the most luxurious hotels sometimes don't match up to. Highly recommend this hotel that indeed is a delightful shock!

“Like staying with a friend. The owner has lived here all his life, and he is a really great host.” — Cleovix, London. December 15, 2013: We have stayed in some very lovely boutique hotels in both Cambodia and Vietnam, but Ma Maison has an extra quality about it, something money can't buy. If you have ever stayed in an Alistair Sawday in the UK or France, you will understand what I'm writing about. Mr Ha the owner is a very well travelled man with years of experience in the hospitality industry. He welcomed us and treated us like family. It was because of Mr Ha that we decided to spend longer in Vietnam and travel to Danang and Hoi An. Such great advice, and he even suggested where we should stay. Ma Maison is in District 3, in a tiny alley off the main road into the centre, but it is so easy to get a bus or taxi into town, District 1 for little money, and of course it's much cleaner where the hotel is. Our room was as comfortable and well kitted out as any of the top hotels we stayed in, and breakfast was delicious.

“Fantastic Place to Stay!” — Beth W, Washington DC. December 12, 2013: Like the reviewer ahead of me I was also a little worried about the location being off a busy and very local (not the traditional tourist zone) street. I could not have been happier with my experience at Ma Maison! The staff is so helpful and friendly! With each return an offer of tea, juice or coffee. The rooms are lovely and bright and the bathrooms big with fantastic amenities! Breakfast was a delight and I cannot say enough good things about this hotel! The nightlife on Cach Mang Thang Tam Street was really amazing! Tremendous energy as shops, restaurants hummed and the road was full of people on motor bikes! I enjoyed it much more than the traditional "tourist" areas. Room Tip: Only stairs - so if you have trouble with stairs may want to request a lower floor.

“Ma Maison - an absolute gem” — Alistair S, Harrogate, United Kingdom. December 3, 2013: In spite of the brilliant reviews I had read before our trip, I was slightly concerned that the location of Ma Maison was too remote from the centre of Saigon. How wrong I was. True it was a fifteen minute taxi ride to (for example) the Ben Thanh market...but the taxi rides are such fun (and so cheap) ! Seriously - this is a brilliant place to stop. We had three nights at the end of a three week trip to Vietnam and Cambodia, and it was perfect. Beautifully clean, quiet, peaceful, comfortable... the superlatives are endless. And everyone was so helpful: brilliant recommendations for restaurants, organising a car for the trip to the Cu Chi tunnels, even escorting us to the taxi each time we went out so that there was no mistake as to our destination. Even after we had checked out (our flight was not until the evening) we were offered a room in the afternoon to have a shower before we left for the airport. This place is superb! I can not recommend it highly enough. If we do go back to Vietnam, and I hope we do, then this will be the first place I book.

“Our first trip” — Punto A, Rome, Italy. December 3, 2013: This was our first trip to Ho Chi Minh city, we stayed in Ma Maison Boutique hotel that was recommended by friend, even though, it is small but is nice and cozy atmosphere. Rooms are beautiful, clean and well decorated. All staffs are attentive and helpful. We had a great time here that was relaxing and peaceful.

“Wonderful peaceful stay” — Efvet. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. October 27, 2013: We stayed at Ma Maison our first night in Vietnam. We were treated amazingly from the minute we stepped in the door. The breakfasts were spectacular--fresh baked bread, fresh fruit and we opted for the Vietnamese breakfast options but there were Western breakfast choices as well. Our room was very charming (although did smell a bit mildewy--didn't bother us too much) and the hotel was very quiet. The alley is very typical of much of Vietnam and we found it interesting to wander down. We also felt safe, although we were warned to remove jewelry and not take valuables after dark. A local us runs right into the center of Ho Chi Minh City and we were escorted to the bus stop to make sure we got there safely! We highly recommend this hotel and hope to be back some day!

“French elegance felt like home” — idlavelle, Manchester, United Kingdom. November 24, 2013: We stayed here for one night en route to Mui Ne. The hospitality was so warm and welcoming. The room felt like we were in Paris. The staff couldn't do enough to help you. Perfectly set away from the hustle and bustle of the noisy main streets but in easy reach of everything.

“Calm amidst the chaos” — Hippiechick88, Singapore, Singapore. November 8, 2013: What a fantastic stay! Booked based on the trip advisor reviews and was most definitely not disappointed… We stayed here for 2 nights, arrived late evening and the entrance is daunting being dropped in a lane in the middle of the night but the welcome was fantastic and put all fears to rest. The staff are great so helpfully and friendly. The breakfast was great more than enough, you can choose from 3 options. The rooms are great nice decor, great showers, loved the homely feeling the place had. The cleanliness and upkeep put many larger and more prominent hotel chains to shame, immaculate. We took the recommendations and headed off to town, it is a bit far out but a quick taxi and your there. We also used the spa just around from the hotel, great value for money - I had a facial and my boyfriend a body massage - fantastic. Would definitely stay here again quiet, homey and friendly.

“Wonderful hotel with wonderful service” — Scon07, Dublin. October 30, 2013: My boyfriend and I stayed here for our first three nights in Vietnam. The service from the moment we arrived was exceptional - they were really wonderful and hospitable. You couldn't walk past them without an offering of a drink! the breakfast came in courses and both the Vietnamese and Western option was delicious. They recommended a great massage place around the corner and walked us to a taxi whenever we needed one. One day I needed to go to the pharamacy and rather than draw me a map, they actually walked me to and from it, which I thought great above and beyond! I would recommend this to anyone looking for a relaxing break.

“The ideal introduction to Viet Nam Ho Chi Minh City” — MervynMorris, Birmingham, United Kingdom. October 30, 2013: Loved everything, a home from home, felt welcome as though amongst friends. Close to the airport - about 12$ is acceptable and remember to have address to show driver. (Much cheaper return journey). I chose the longish walk to the central market - though need to be on the ball with the traffic - with so much to see along the way. Passed by the French quarter and the French patisseries. Cannot imagine anywhere better to return to after a hot day out with the rooms air conditioned. Staying at Ma Maison is in itself a good enough reason to return.

“Charming French Style Hotel” — MarkAnnaLondon, Doha, Qatar. October 29, 2013: Ma Maison is a great little hotel with wonderfully friendly and courteous staff and lovely decor. In Ma Maison, Vietnam collides with rural France. The decor is both stylish and rustic French in feel. It's a lovely place to spend a couple of nights. Our room was large, comfortable and the bathroom was excellent. The breakfast was good, the coffee great and the price represented very good value for money. I'd happily stay in Ma Maison again and it deserves its high ranking on TripAdvisor. The only slight negative is location. Districts 1 and 3 are where the action is. Whilst Ma Maison claims to be in District 3 and technically it probably is, it's definitely a taxi or tuk tuk ride to the centre. We walked it once and with the traffic and pollution the hike was horrific. Overall great.

“An oasis of first world comfort and tranquility in the middle of chaotic District 3” — Mongoose1903, Istanbul, Turkey. October 19, 2013: As you walk through the little crooked alley leading up to Ma Maison from the main street, you wonder how good the hotel could really be in this kind of unassuming (at best) neighborhood. However, the moment you step in through the main gate, you breathe a sigh of relief as you are greeted with warm smiles and a welcome drink in a delightfully designed and decorated lobby. The place has a European charm to it, which is not as common in District 3 as it is in more central Saigon, probably due to the manager/owner Ha's having spent a great deal of time in Europe in his youth. He is fluent in both English and German (and maybe other languages?), which should make life very easy for most visitors. We stayed in two different rooms (the first one was an upgrade), as we took a trip down to the Mekong Delta in the middle of our visit and therefore had two separate reservations. Both rooms were very comfortable, designed in the same European style as the lobby, and had all the amenities we were looking for. The beds are comfortable, there is satellite TV with a decent variety of English channels, and the bathrooms are also stocked with many useful items such as toothbrush/toothpaste, sewing kit, bonnets, etc. There is a safe as well, and the bottled water and cookies in a jar are on the house.

Ha and his crew are always very courteous and attentive, and will bend over backwards to make sure your needs are met. They will call you a taxi whenever you need one, draw you a neighborhood map with restaurants, spas, etc, and they even surprised us with procuring (free of charge) two small tins of Vietnamese star balm we had inquired about earlier. The only inconveniences we can think of are that there is no lift in the building, which makes it a bit of a challenge to reach the upper floors (although we took it in a positive attitude as a much-needed cardio exercise) and the fact that you will need to take a taxi or a bus to the main city attractions. All in all, though, this hotel is easily on of the best values for money in Saigon. Staying there would also give you a chance to see a "real," i.e. working class area of Saigon, so it could enhance your experience in that way. We would definitely recommend it to anyone wishing to stay in Saigon.

PS. Do try the Spa nearby (turn right on the main street) - though basic, they offered good massages at very affordable rates. Also worth checking out are the park across the street (it seems impossible but you will be able to cross the street!) and the traditional Vietnamese pancake shack next to it in the corner.

“Very nice hotel run by very hospitable hosts.” — EYEKLIK, England, October 13, 2013: We chose this hotel because it has very good reviews about it. and we felt like being in the old quarter of Nice. So we stayed here for two nights and our room was on the fourth floor. Typical narrow Vietnamese building and no lift. It was good for the waste to climb those stairs after dinner. It’s a family run hotel for the last seventy years. Very friendly and welcoming and everything about this hotel is super. We truly enjoyed staying with you and many thanks for your hospitality. Will give you ten out of ten and I would recommend you to future visitors to your country. Regards, Tony, Natalya and Tetiana. Room Tip: If you cannot manage stairs, book well in advance and ask for room in the first floor.

“Superb!” — Ashton R, Sydney, Australia. October 5, 2013: Ma Maison is a delightfully different hotel from the run of the mill Saigon hotels - it isn't a flash 5 star, and it isn't in the noisy, sweaty part of town; it is in "real" ho Chi Minh, where when you walk out, you don't get harassed by hawkers, and even the locals don't know it is there. Well worth finding, and a great hotel with a lovely personal feel, and a cozy atmosphere. Highly recommended — Room Tip: The higher you go, the more exercise you get (there is no lift) but the better the view!

“Lovely hotel” — Christie_S_004, Sofia, Bulgaria. October 3, 2013: We stayed at Ma Maison Boutique Hotel when we traveled to Ho Chi Minh City, and our stay here was just lovely. This hotel is quite small, having a very intimate and cozy atmosphere to it, and the nice people running this place only increase this vibe. The rooms were also great, very comfortable, and the housekeeping was always perfect. The time we had here was very relaxing and peaceful, and that was exactly what we needed from our trip. This cute little spot is perfect for everyone looking for a nice and comfortable stay.

“Great place to stay” — Pando60, Sydney, Australia. September 29, 2013: This was my first trip to Saigon and after battling with the taxi drivers and later the traffic we arrived at our destination, a small alleyway in district 3. The hotel was amazing and the service was even better. The room was beautiful and the decor was exceptional, down to every last detail. The food was fantastic and plenty to eat if you wanted to eat in.

“Beautiful oasis outside of tourist zone” — Abbytabby, San Francisco. September 15, 2013: My husband, college-age son and I just spent a week in Ho Chi Minh City. We stayed at Ma Maison, a truly lovely, small hotel in District 3. The owner and staff are very helpful and the included breakfast was excellent. Vietnamese coffee served any time of day -- nice when returning exhausted from District 1 sightseeing. The hotel is a converted home and has been remodeled to the highest standards of any hotel I know. My son had his own room on the same floor and also loved the place. Short cab ride into the center of town. Room Tip: No elevator so if you don't like climbing the stairs barefoot request a lower floor.

“Nice spot” — Jokimaki, Phuket Town, Thailand. September 14, 2013: From the moment you arrive at the hotel you are made to feel welcomed. Everyone addresses you by name and everyone is extremely friendly and accommodating. Service is excellent. Rooms are comfortable with clean bathroom. Housekeeping was great and you always had fresh towels. Hotel interior are beautiful. Very quiet and peaceful.

“A Wonderful Little Boutique Botel” — sam1538. September 11, 2013: Absolutely beautiful little hotel in HCMC. Without question the cleanest and most beautifully decorated hotel we've stayed at in a very long time. Staff could not be more helpful and friendly and the complimentary passion fruit juice, tea & coffee were delightful little touches that were very much appreciated after a day spent in the heat and humidity of HCMC. The breakfasts too are just right to set you up for the day. Ma Maison feels very homely and both my husband and I commented that our room felt like our own lovely little apartment in the middle of the city! We also very much liked the fact that it was located slightly out of the way... it allowed us the opportunity to mix with local people, all of whom were so friendly, and we feel this really enhanced our experience in a great city.

“Perfect Boutique Hotel to Return to After a Long Day of Enjoying HCMC” — Dhcbecker. Cerritos, California. September 8, 2013: The hotel is located in a neighborhood off a major thoroughfare, thus helping the traveler to immerse into the Vietnamese culture. Not once did I feel unsafe traveling through the neighborhood. In fact, I felt the residents kept an eye on us to guide us through the maze of streets. The hotel itself is an architectural pleasure with wonderful breakfasts in the dining area or garden to start the day. Everyone down to the bellboy was genuinely interested in making certain that we had a fantastic stay while in their city. The birthday cake waiting for me at the end of a long day out was more than I ever expected!

“If I had a Vietnamese Family I would want them to be like the Staff at Ma Maison” — J_I_D86, New York City, New York. September 6, 2013: I stayed here for 2 nights for work. I was tired of staying in District 1 and feeling like a tourist. While the hotel is a little far away from the main of the city staying here actually makes you feel like you are staying in Vietnam and not some westernized Vietnam. There are hundreds of little shops and street vendors offering everything one can imagine within walking distance and the hotel is located on these hidden side streets behind a maze of locals homes. The staff was incredible and was some of he friendliest I have encountered. They make sure you have everything you need and more. It is genuine friendlessness and not fake hotel friendliness as I think they own the hotel. I would stay here again, a million times.

“A hidden gem” — Adventurefamily2013, Southampton, United Kingdom. August 26, 2013: Without TripAdvisor we would never have found out about this place, we took a taxi from the airport and we arrived in an unassuming side street, we were initially filled with trepidation, however as soon as the manager opened the gates to the hotel, his home, ours fears vanished, it is the most beautiful, calm and tranquil place, which is quite something when in the middle of Ho Chi Minh City! We were greeted with passion fruit juice and passion fruit, then as it had been raining and we were wet we were shown to our rooms to change and then when ready could meet the manager, sort out passports, payment, breakfast etc. the rooms and bathrooms were 5 * quality, nothing too much trouble, biscuits made by his sister in the rooms, amazing photographs by his brother on the walls.

We could choose what type of breakfast we wanted and when, so it was ready for us when we arrived in the morning. We asked about local restaurants, were given a selection and then taken there by one of the members of staff. The meal was so memorable, we still laugh about it now, it was in a huge building, 2 floors, filled with locals, plastic chairs, plastic table cloths and a menu predominantly in Vietnamese, however we had the most amazing meal, sate frog, a whole fish and shrimps (massive prawns), lots of beer and interesting company. I would not hesitate to recommend Ma Maison, my feeling with this hotel is that the owners wanted to do all they could to ensure we had the best experience we could and that they would do all they could to make sure that happened. Excellent.

“Beautiful boutique hotel run by the nicest family” – Miss-b20, Manchester. August 19, 2013: Had such a fabulous time at this wonderful boutique hotel. We had a friendly and warm welcome with delicious passionfruit juice to refresh us on arrival. The room was beautiful, really elegantly decorated. It's situated down a back street where you can see what real life is like in Saigon. Fantastic for the curious traveller. We walked around locally and sampled some yummy street food. We had delicious noodles for breakfast but don't panic eggs and bacon are also available and wonderfully fresh fruit! Our hosts were so helpful organising us transport, drawing maps for us, generally recommending all sorts of great things to us, as well as sharing with us about their country and cultures. For a fabulous stay in a beautiful Vietnamese hotel, I cannot recommend Ma Maison highly enough. We will definitely go back when we are next in Ho Chi Minh City.

“Beautiful boutique hotel in Ho Chi Minh City” – Melbgypsy, Melbourne. August 10, 2013: Staying at Ma Maison is like an upmarket homestay. Mr Ha and his staff are welcoming and thoughtful and did everything they could to make our stay an absolute pleasure. The hotel is around 20 mins by taxi to the main city centre (around US$5) so you need to factor this in to your travel plans but for us, it was a blessing to come back at the end of each day. The alleyway leading to the hotel gives you a taste of the real HCMC which was something we loved. We were given a map on our first day with suggestions of places to visit and staff were very happy to book restaurants and taxis for us. Our room was beautifully appointed and very clean. Beds are firm, linen is good quality and we slept really well. In a city with lots of noise, we were pleasantly surprised at how quiet it was. Windows are double glazed which makes a big difference. Breakfast was delicious. You have a choice of traditional Vietnamese pho, eggs and bacon or muesli and yoghurt (or you can choose more than one option). All are served with fresh baguettes, fruit, tea, coffee and juice. Ma Maison is highly recommended for anyone who prefers a boutique hotel with a personal touch.

“This is one of the finest hotels that we stayed in in all of our trip” – SAM M, Monterey, California. August 10, 2013: This is one of the finest hotels that we stayed in in all of our trip to Viet Nam and Cambodia. Breakfasts were excellent particularly the Vietnamese choice. The only downside is the distance from the city centre. This hotel is a bit more expensive than some other hotels in HCMC but the personal touch that the staff provide is second to none

“Quiet hotel in a crazy city” — RandO3, London, United Kingdom. August 2, 2013: It is rare to find somewhere quiet in HCMC, but Ma Maison was a hidden gem. Rooms were nice and clean, breakfast was delicious, staff friendly and helpful, and the coffee was excellent (this surprised us which is why I'm pointing it out... our favourite coffee in Vietnam). Very nice stay.

“Lovely authentic experience” — Zara23_13, London, United Kingdom. July 29, 2013: We loved our stay at Ma Maison because it was such a lovely authentic experience. The hotel excludes the old French charm but in a family run place. The management and staff could not have been more welcoming and kind. Like in all homes in Vietnam, when you arrive, you take off your shoes and are welcomed warmly. We got fresh juice and our bags were carried up to our room. There are stairs but if you do not like stairs take a room on lower floor. The rooms were lovely, clean and had all the amenities needed. They even called us a taxi so we could go into town and walked us to the taxi. It is a short 10 minute ride from District 1 which is the main touristy area.

We also got a little card in Vietnamese and English with directions to give to the taxi driver when coming back. The hotel is located in District 3 which is not a touristy area but one where normal working and middle class Vietnamese people live. We walked around for an hour at night looking at the shops with no problems. You see life unfolding around you and experience how people live which was so nice. Also, nobody hassles you! The hotel is located off a lively main road with a recreational park with fairground, lots of shops, pagodas, street food but also restaurants like KFC. After you go off the main road you have to walk down an alley to reach the hotel but it is clearly signed - although remember the landmarks or shops near the road that goes off the main road. You can also ask people and they will show you the way if you get lost. If you are not used to Vietnam it may seem a little scary walking down an alley but there are families, businesses and people just sitting outside so you will not be alone and this is also so in the evening. You are a guest and will be treated accordingly. A smile usually helps. If you are a woman and worried about arriving in the evening, you can ask someone to meet you at the main street but we honestly had no problems and enjoyed our stay. We also recommend the healthy breakfast!

“Great stay in HCMC” — Meg S, Athens, Georgia. July 20, 2013: We stayed here for 3 nights and absolutely loved it. We found the French influence in the old colonial to be quite charming. The beef pho was the best breakfast we had in Vietnam. The rooms are clean, spacious, and feel homey. The staff was very attentive and helpful. In fact, we had to check out very early to catch a bus north and the kitchen staff prepared breakfast for us an hour earlier than usual so that we could eat before departing. We didn't mind the location and found the bus to Ben Thanh Market to be easy to use and extremely cheap, and also used taxis in the evenings. We would definitely stay again.

“Great authentic stay.” — Eposthu. June 29, 2013: My girlfriend and I stayed here for three evenings and having lived in South East Asia for over seven years, it was one of the most pleasant and authentic stays I have had. For the most part the reviews you read in here are factually correct, but take any heavily negative review with more than a grain of salt. Yes you walk stairs. If your room is on one of the upper floors, you know that now so if that bothers you. Ask for a room on one of the lower floors.

Yes it's behind an alleyway, families live there and if it disturbs you to have kids playing in the surrounding area just ask someone in the hotel to walk with you and protect you from their smiles and waves. Yes you have to order breakfast the day before. With the small number of rooms this hotel had to choose to specialize and give you an amazing local dish (its considered one of the best pho's in the city) or serve a wealth of choices mediocrely. I for one am glad they picked the former. There is so much good food in HCM, it didn't bother us.

You have to take your shoes off, that's Asia. Deal with it, it's much more hygienic and outs you into relax mode straight away. If you want to have the exact same hotel experience as if you were in any other country pick one of the big chains. Ma Maison has created an immersive, top class, and relaxing Vietnam experience. It is one of the two hotels in Asia I religiously recommend to anyone I know and I can't wait to go back.

“Fantastic Stay” — Dace11, June 25, 2013: My partner and I stayed at Ma Maison for four nights and we absolutely loved it. We loved the French influence of the hotel, its boutique feel and the location. The hotel is based in a residential area, where we were fortunate to witness the daily life of the Vietnamese - often seeing 3 generations sitting outside their family home eating and talking. Whist we didn't see any westerners where we were staying, we never felt unsafe and those living around the hotel were always warm and friendly, constantly saying "hello". The taxi ride to the city centre takes approximately 10 minutes which was never an issue - it's actually quite entertaining watching the crazy traffic!
We were upgraded the last two nights of our stay, which was a lovely and unexpected surprise. Whilst the rooms were clean and comfortable, what really made our stay was the service. The attention given to guests is phenomenal - always seeking to make sure our every need was met and nothing was too much trouble. We highly recommend this hotel. It exceeded our expectations.

“Great Spot” — Wayne R, St George, Australia. June 13, 2013: We spent 3 nights here and absolutely loved it. The rooms are perfect and quiet so you get a great nights sleep. It's out of the main tourist area which is only a $4 cab ride away but we spent a fair bit of our time around the local area and had a ball. Beautiful breakfast and free coffee all day long and the owners go out of their way to help you with whatever you need. I've read on other posts where people haven't felt safe around this area but we never felt threatened at all we even sat and had street food up the alley from the hotel. We'll definitely stay here again if we come back to Ho Chi Minh.

“Little France in Ho Chi Minh City” — Tumfave815, Romanshorn, Switzerland, June 10, 2013: L ocation: Centrally located in the “chaotic” city of Ho Chi Minh, Ma Maison Boutique Hotel was just a 30 minute drive from the Airport by Taxi. This Boutique Hotel was literally hidden in the residential area where you could experience and witness the daily lives of Vietnamese. It was loud and crowded. The surrounding area may not be inviting for everyone. Make sure not to miss the Signboard that will lead you to the hotel. The Streets were so narrow so be ready to carry your luggage for a 2-minute walk,

First Impression: Ma Maison lives up to what a Boutique Hotel should be. With only 12 rooms (3 rooms are already for private use including their office), it is well-maintained, and yes it is small but tastefully renovated up to the very details. You will be asking yourself, “Am I in France?” because of its French-style Architecture and Interiors.

Higlights: The very friendly and lively Ms. Long (General Manager) welcomed us with refreshing Passion Fruit Drinks. Her Insights and Personal Tips were of great help. His Uncle was very helpful and accommodating as well who served and chatted with us in German while having breakfast. Our room was very French (from the bed to the closet, everything! We loved it!) The complimentary freshly-baked “Barquillos” were delish while the All Natural Air Freshener (Lemongrass & Cinnamon) in our room was one of a kind. There were 3 types of small yet nutritious breakfast (English, Vietnamese & Healthy Option) which you have to order at night so they could prepare it fresh in the morning (No wastage, no leftovers). On our second day, we requested breakfast at 6 a.m. and they prepared it without any qualms! (Breakfast is normally served first at 7am)

Lowlights: Our room was quite small but we managed everything during our 4-day stay. Its walls need to be repainted and the bathroom sink has cracks. The shower was too narrow and there were no elevator. The Female Guest from Singapore who had her room next to us complained non-stop. First, she complained because according to her, we were “too noisy” at night with our luggage (we arrived at 10 p.m.). The next morning, it was the “noisy air-conditioning unit” that she was not able to sleep. And the “crème de la crème” of her complaints? THE BILL! She didn’t want to pay anything for her stay. Unbelievable!

My Verdict: Highly Recommended! It’s worth it! Affordable Rooms, Lovely Design, Great Service & Fantastic Breakfast!

“Charming” – Nora L, Nora, Sweden. June 2, 2013: The room is beautifully decorated and was incredibly spacious. The beds were very comfortable. You can get a good night's sleep here! They are so gracious and friendly. Overall, we had a wonderful stay and I would love to go back.

“An unforgettable stay” — Sara A, Copenhagen, Denmark. May 27, 2013: We stayed here for three nights and it was an unforgettable experience. The room was exquisite, clean and beautiful while the whole staff was personal, extremely helpful and pleasant. We loved the location in district 3 away from all the tourist and the center was only a short taxi ride away. We loved how authentic this hotel and its neighbourhoods. For a truly special experience in HCMC, I couldn't recommend this hotel any warmer.

“Couldn't be better!” — Lawchas, Toronto, Canada. 24 May 2013: We stayed two nights, left for the Mekong overnight and then back for another night in HCMC. Without question this is one of the best hotel experiences I've had in my life. The hosts were incredibly gracious, anticipating everything we needed, offering advice without intrusion and helping with travel plans, phone calls etc. The place is beautiful, an oasis in the city. As others have noted it is out of the tourist center and needs a cab or bus ride (if adventurous) to get to the tourist sites, but that only added to the charm of the place as it felt like an escape from the hustle and bustle that is HCMC The food was superb (don't miss the seafood pho) and the rooms well appointed with great beds and everything you would expect in a top flight hotel.

“A Little Gem in District 3” — Ianjacraig, East Midlands, UK. 24 May 2013: This little hotel delivers the "wow" factor. The welcome is extremely friendly and personal and gives a little insight to the history of the hotel, which was originally a two-storey French house but over the years the Vietnamese owners have extended to five-floors, whilst retaining the original French character. The rooms are immaculate with tremendous attention to detail. Breakfast is fresh and of the highest quality. Others have mentioned that it is easy to use a bus to get to the city centre. The hotel encourages the use of the bus and offers the help of a "boy" to cross the main road to get to the bus stop. I would highly recommend that you take up the offer as crossing a road with hundreds of motorcycles going in both directions makes crossing the road a real challenge. However, getting safely to the other side rewards you with a great sense of achievement. The only disappointment we had was that we only had one night in Ma Maison but will make up for that the next time we are in Vietnam.

“Wonderful Hotel with exceptional attention to detail” — Belinda Bramley, Cape Town Central, South Africa. May 5, 2013: Ma Maison is a very special Boutique Hotel providing 5*++ service from check in to check out. The owner Natasha Long is truly living her dream. Nothing is too much effort for her and her staff, each one going out of their way to ensure that all needs are met and so much more. Upon arrival we were welcomed with refreshing passion fruit juice and a wet face cloth. The Hotel is spotlessly clean throughout and tastefully decorated with the scent of fresh flowers filling the air.

Room 201 is lovely, spacious with a large very comfortable bed. The bathroom features a huge shower and luxurious toiletries. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the Hotel. Breakfast offers a variety of delicious options presented with a warm smile. The Hotel is situated in the heart of everyday Vietnamese hustle and bustle, an experience not to be missed but close enough to district 1. Take an inexpensive local bus in close proximity to the Hotel to Ben Thanh market and explore the city or take a short taxi drive. We spent two nights and wish we could of stayed longer. We cannot express how wonderful our stay was and will most certainly be back.

“Perfect in every way!” — MissLotte_83, London, United Kingdom. May 21, 2013: We stayed here for three nights during out trip to Vietnam in a Signature room. This hotel is just lovely, it is immaculately clean and beautifully decorated and furnished. The breakfast is delicious and the people are unbelievable hospitable and helpful - I can't praise them enough, as they really made our time in HCMC easy and enjoyable. Ma Maison is situated in district 3, which is more of a local residential area. The hotel itself is accessed down an alley, which is off a side street, which is itself off the main road. When we were dropped off by a local taxi from the airport he couldn't find it, so we were a little concerned that we had been stranded in the middle of nowhere.

However after a bit of sign language with a local shop keeping we realised we were very close to the hotel and found it without a problem - all the locals will point you in the right direction. It was really interesting staying in district 3, as it gives you a real taste of what it is like in a residential area, with the local shops and numerous street food vendors. It is easy to get into the centre on a local bus (which is only 5000 dong p/p) and takes about 15/20 mins.

“Lovely Boutique Hotel with fantastic service” — Kathryn A, London. May 19, 2013: We stayed at the Ma Maison Boutique hotel for 4 nights in April 2013. The hotel is located in District 3 and therefore either a taxi ride or bus journey to the central area. Taxi's are cheap in Vietnam so this isn't a problem but be aware that it isn't in walking distance to the main area and to consider taxi costs when choosing this hotel. This aside, the hotel was a lovely, warm and friendly place, its most outstanding feature was the people there, the staff are simply fantastic. They go out of their way to be helpful and offer a really personal service. I would definitely consider staying at Ma Maison again and recommend it highly.

“We loved Ma Maison” — CblbLondon, London. May 16, 2013: From the moment we arrived we were greeted with warm friendly smiles and were greeted this way every day until the day we left. The staff at Ma Maison were exceptional! The breakfast was delicious and freshly prepared, the accommodation spotless throughout and the complimentary teas, coffees and juices were most welcome, after a hot day exploring the city. The location in District 3 was not a problem for us at all, just a short taxi OR bus ride into the city centre and I don’t normally do buses!! But it really was pretty easy to get around. We would highly recommend Ma Maison and it’s quaint and quirky style. »Room Tip: Our deluxe room was large, light and airy. There are no lifts and a fairly steep climb, so perhaps ask for a room on a lower level if you have mobility/health problems.

“Really friendly high quality home from home” — Silke C, Belturbet, Ireland. May 9, 2013: Really great location, not far from airport and very easy buslink into the centre. Extremely friendly staff, immaculately clean and everything provided, including toothbrush! The breakfast is excellent, particularly the coffee. Very helpful in every way, we could spend the whole of the last day there with luggage. I will always go back if lucky enough to return to Vietnam.

“Wonderful Hotel with exceptional attention to detail” — Belinda B, Cape Town Central, South Africa. May 5, 2013: Ma Maison is a very special Boutique Hotel providing 5*++ service from check in to check out. The owner Natasha Long is truly living her dream. Nothing is too much effort for her and her staff, each one going out of their way to ensure that all needs are met and so much more. Upon arrival we were welcomed with refreshing passion fruit juice and a wet face cloth. The Hotel is spotlessly clean throughout and tastefully decorated with the scent of fresh flowers filling the air. Room 201 is lovely, spacious with a large very comfortable bed. The bathroom features a huge shower and luxurious toiletries. Free WiFi is available throughout the Hotel. Breakfast offers a variety of delicious options presented with a warm smile. The Hotel is situated in the heart of everyday Vietnamese hustle and bustle, an experience not to be missed but close enough to District 1. Take an inexpensive local bus in close proximity to the Hotel to Ben Thanh market and explore the city or take a short taxi drive. We spent two nights and wish we could of stayed longer. We cannot express how wonderful our stay was and will most certainly be back.

“A fantastic experience” — VirginiaAG, Hobart, Australia. May 5, 2013: A really interesting location in a great neighbourhood, service was exceptional and accommodation lovely. Staying on the top floor was great for the fitness too! A taxi into town was always under 100,000 but there was some great shopping locally and some decent street food too.

“Exceptional!” — USAinnkeeper, New Hampshire. April 29, 2013: Wonderful service! Well appointed guest rooms! Delicious breakfast! This property was the best experienced during a four week trip around Vietnam. District 3 location affords visitor to explore a part of HCMC not often visited by tourists. Local bus and inexpensive taxi options also available.

“Amazing hotel with amazing service” — JudithSAdelaide, Adelaide. April 28, 2013: This would have to be one of the best hotels I have stayed in. The rooms are big with plenty of room to spread out. It's like stepping back n time. It reminded me of being in France with the beautiful furniture and wooden floors. Everything is so carefully thought out from the fresh flowers in the room to the amenities in the bathroom through to endless availability of iced coffee. The highlight are the family who owns and runs the hotel and the caring staff. Never before have I had such attentive service. Well done Natasha for running such a wonderful place.

“Great alternative to staying in District 1” — Thorpey88, London, United Kingdom. April 24, 2013: We really enjoyed our stay at Ma Maison as part of our honeymoon trip. This is a great choice if you want to stay in a local area and experience what life is like in the real Saigon rather than the touristy district 1. We ate out in a restaurant near the hotel and also visited a few bars... prices were so cheap with a beer costing 10,000 dong (50,000 in district 1). You do not see any tourists around this area which for me is good thing and we felt perfectly safe but as in any big city just need to have your wits about you. The service was exceptional from Natasha (the owner) to her uncle who looks after breakfast as well as a young chap who literally walked us to the bus to make sure we got on okay... nothing was too much. Our room was spacious, clean and comfortable. Complimentary drinks anytime of the day was a nice touch and there was 3 choices for breakfast. Taxi costs approx $5 to city centre and a bus less than $1.

“Couldnt be bettered” — Tounsley, Devon UK. April 19, 2013: My wife and I had already stayed in the District 1 and decided to stay farther out and we were not disappointed. Ma Maison is situated a few minutes out of town with very few tourists so you get a feel of the real Vietnam. The Hotel couldn’t have been better everyone is so welcoming and eager to assist in any way. We caught the bus into the city which was a lot easier than we expected. There is a park across the busy road which we walked around every evening--it was very surprising how many of the locals were out getting some exercise .Because we were the only tourists to be seen it caused some amusement amongst the locals to see some Brits getting some exercise! The Hotel was immaculately maintained and organised with coffee cold drinks on tao being an added bonus. I did take a liking to the iced offees! If you want to experience a bit of local life with being too far away from the chaos of District! Ma Maison cannot be bettered. Thanks everyone at the Hotel for making our stay so special.

“Beautiful hotel, lovely hosts, a lovely retreat from the madness of Saigon” — RobertCanberra, Canberra. April 18, 2013: We stayed here for six nights and we were very happy with our choice. The hotel is located in district 3, it is up an alleyway and it is beautiful. The rooms are lovely, the breakfasts and welcoming drinks and fruit are great but its the welcoming hosts and staff that make this place. Natasha and team are just fantastic, there's nothing that's too much trouble, even locating missing thongs (a private joke). This place isn't in district 1 and that is its charm, it's in the real Saigon, with all its quirks and life. That's my everlasting view of Vietnam, that its people are so alive and happy with all its chaos and life surrounding them. It's like a $4/5 taxi ride to district 1 or a $0.25 bus ride – try the bus trip at least one! I particularly loved the small touches at Ma Maison, the fresh flowers, the fresh fruit and juices anytime, and the rose petals on our bed at night. The hotel did not feel like a hotel it felt like staying with good friends. Thank you Natasha and your wonderful staff who showed us how to catch the bus, who walked us to the taxi and arranged our restaurants and who were always so helpful and polite.

“Spotless Hotel with character” — Wherenextfromhere, Dublin. April 17, 2013: Very nice hotel which has certainly character. Decorated with a lot of attention to detail. Room and bathroom very clean and absolutely spotless. Good value for money. Staff was very help with advice where in the city to go for booking tickets etc. Only point was that the location is not accurately shown on the TripAdvisor map. In fact it is half way from airport to the city center – so a taxi ride to the center will be around 80k one way.

“Excellent Boutique Hotel!” — Lisa W, Portland, Oregon. April 14, 2013: The moment we arrived hot and tired, we were greeted with cool towels and delicious passion fruit juice. EVERY exchange we had with staff was a delightful experience. Long suggested the best places to eat in the evening and our foodie taste buds were satisfied. The room was lovely, large, and equipped with everything we needed. For breakfast, we were given a list to select from that was filled with wide variety of options. Everything was cooked perfectly to order. This is a family run business and their dedication to guest is 100%. Not only were our needs attended too but we were walked out to the taxi, walked across the street to the bus, and walked to the local spa – all to ensure we got to where we were headed. We loved being in a local neighborhood rather than downtown. It was fun to walk around and see daily life in action. Also, it was a breeze to get a taxi or take the bus to the downtown core. What a joy to experience this family business!

“Best Hotel Experience Ever” — Kathyram87, Beijing, China. April 10, 2013: I've been to fancier hotels with customer service that could learn A LOT from this one. Ma Maison is a family-run business so everyone is personally invested taking care of their guests and finding out what they need. They felt almost just like family that even my kids watched their manners around them like they were relatives. The hotel atmosphere is very peaceful and laid back, which is a nice sanctuary from the crazy pace of Ho Chi Minh's streets. The rooms were lovely and impeccably clean. (They hand-wipe their floors everyday!) Breakfast choices were delicious. (I still miss my morning pho and passionfruit juice!) And I enjoyed writing my postcards (which they later mailed for me) in a pretty, little garden outside amid cool breezes and chirping birds. My family and I will never forget our stay there. At the airport on our way home my 6-year old picked out a souvenir bear and named it "Hha Long" after the kindly hotel owner and his cheerful niece, the hotel manager, who had made us a delicious going-away flan to eat before we left.

“The staff are fantastic, friendly, efficient” — Cecilia F, Sao Paulo. April 9, 2013: This was a gorgeous hotel in a beautiful location. The breakfast buffet was excellent with a good variety of food. Lovely breakfast outside and weather cooperated. The staff are wonderful. the bed is amazing, and the bath is HUGE. The staff are fantastic, friendly, efficient and go out of their way to make sure you have everything you need. The breakfast buffet is very good. Thanks so much to all the wonderful staff who helped us enjoy our stay.

“Good Hotel and Staff but not good location” — JJrace2012, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. April 8, 2013: We arrived at Ma Maison at night, and it was not easy to find as it is hidden deep in the alley. But when we enter the hotel, WOW we immediately feel like home! We were told to remove our shoes and stepped in barefooted, which was really a great feeling! And we were immediately served with welcome drinks and fruits while the manager explained to us the surrounding locations and asked for our orders for tomorrow's breakfast so they can prepare in advance. Once we went up to our room, it was like a little suite, nice decoration, and well-provisioned toiletries. And to top of all, they provided fresh cookies as snacks in the room, baked by the auntie of one of the staffs and not sold in the market! Quiet back street we felt part of the community. Sumptuous breakfasts and nothing is too much trouble. Excellent local restaurant within walking distance. Perfect stay! Highly recommended. Great atmosphere in local restaurant within walking distance. Staff will draw a map for directions.

“In amongst it all” — FussyChic, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. April 4, 2013: Ma Maison Hotel is wonderful, it is a boutique style accommodation that is housed in one of the lovely quaint,tall and skinny, buildings of Saigon. You have to walk a very short distance from the main rd as the alleyways are too narrow for cars, which is lovely. People keep asking us why we are staying out here and not in district 1 where all the action is. But it is so much more interesting to be staying in the real and gritty part of HCMC where we can peek into people's lives and houses (as all the double doors are flung open to the alleyways to let in the fresh air), fascinating. Love it. Ps the rooms, staff, food and general atmosphere are wonderful too. Absolutely no complaints from this fussy chic!

“enjoyable stay” — Rachaeldean, Bexhill-on-Sea, United Kingdom. April 2, 2013: We have stayed here twice and were looked after exceptionally well both times. In between our stays they let us leave our suitcases behind which was really helpful. The hotel is decorated lovely and is really clean and comfortable. The breakfast was yummy my favourite in Vietnam , I think I am now addicted to passion fruit! Every time we came through the door we were offered refreshments which was really appreciated with the hot weather in march. The guys work so hard always willing to help, there is no lift and they carried our luggage up and down the stairs. Its a 10 min bus journey into district 1 on bus 65( in the right direction) if not the taxis are cheap and we relied on these for our evening meal.

“Hidden Gem in Saigon” — 920Yeow920, Singapore. March 31, 2013: This is really a hidden gem in Saigon. The location is a bit tricky to find but there are signages placed along the road to lead you to the alleyway. Its located in District 3 and it costs about 100,000 dong to get to District 1 where all the attractions are. Its nice and quiet in the area, very different from all the blaring of horns and cars in District 1. When I entered the hotel, I was served with fresh orange juice and a fresh passion fruit. Everyone was very warm and hospitable. And thank you for acceding to my request as well. The whole atmosphere gives a very warm and cozy vibe.

The whole place is impeccably clean. I had the chance to peek into the other rooms while they were cleaning and saw that they mopped (yes wet wipe and not sweep) the tiles everyday. For those who are not comfortable walking barefoot, slippers are provided in the rooms as well. The rooms smell really nice. Upon further inspection, a bunch of pandan leaves were hanging in the washroom and vases of sandalwood and lemongrass was hidden under the sink. Their attention to detail n the room is greatly appreciated. Amenities included a medium sized toothpaste (not those small puny ones given at other hotels), toothbrush, brown thread, needle, scissors, shower cap, Q-tip, shower gel, shampoo, shower cap and soap. Clean towels are also provided everyday. I was also pleasantly surprised to see that the washroom had a rain shower head. There is also a safe in the room. The pictures do an accurate representation of the rooms minus the fancy covers, cushions and flower petals. I stayed in the single rooms and the double rooms looked really nice.

The breakfast they provide is phenomenal. Do order the Vietnamese breakfast the night before as everything is made to order and if you suddenly decide to want to eat the noodles you won't be able to get it (they do need time to make the soup base). The Pho Bo and Bun Bo was delicious and authentic and is comparable to the stalls that I ate Pho outside on the streets. I loved the baguette as well. Apparently, they do not make the bread but buy it from this lady who has made her wealth making this bread for 10 years. Fresh fruits are also served (watermelon, pineapple, dragon fruit).

Do ask Natasha on the places to go and she will highlight everything on the map for you. She even has the place to go to if you want to do teeth whitening. In my experience, she is very helpful and helps us to do bookings for massages as well and even helped us to changed the timing. She helped us to breach the language barrier. The other down side of this hotel is that you have to walk up quite a few flights of steps to your rooms so don't pack too heavy. The staff will help you carry all your luggage up and down but it doesn't hurt to be a bit mindful of their backs. For those interested, they have this little golden piggy bank for tips that is broken and shared with all the staff after 6 months. Natasha will show it to you if you ask to tip all the staff. I would definitely come back to stay again. Thank you for making my stay wonderful and exactly what I needed.

“Quiet and cool retreat” — Warrickw, Melbourne. March 30, 2013: Okay, this hotel is a little further from the cool inner attractions of District 1 than we thought: about 5k out and not a distance you'd like to walk, in the crazy heat of mid-afternoon Saigon. However, we soon got used to the taxi ride in, which the hotel would happily book for us, and cost about 100,000D ($5AU) each trip, in air-conditioned comfort. Depending on traffic we'd be in town in around 10 - 15 minutes. (The taxis in Saigon have been impressive; just choose the men with the red ties!). The hotel itself is lovely, off the main road, through a lane where locals happily live and work, and quiet and secluded. There is a nice little outside courtyard, and a beautiful lobby/breakfast room, sort of French inspired and a great place to sit with a cool drink at the end of a day exploring town. The rooms are comfortable, and cool, (French) stylish shutters and good wi-fi (our friends on the top floor said the wi-fi was a bit sketchy up there at times). The owners were very friendly and helpful, always welcoming and helpful. They made some restaurant recommendations for us, and they were all good. They helped us with travel arrangements and always had a smile on their faces. This is our second trip to Vietnam, this time exploring the south, Mekong and into Cambodia and this is one of the nicest little city hotels we've seen. We'd recommend it.

“Great hotel; the location is ''different'', but it worked for us.” — LGDLondon, London. March 30, 2013: Most visitors to Saigon stay in District 1 - a polished, developed area full of office blocks and designer boutiques. This hotel is located in District 3 - a workaday residential area, which feels like a different city from District 1. When the taxi drops you off, you walk down a tight, busy alleyway, and the first time you are guaranteed to feel that you have come to the wrong place, but we quickly got used to that. Visiting anything in District 1 (where most of the sites and restaurants are) requires a 10-minute taxi ride, but those are cheap, and the hotel staff help to flag down a trustworthy meter taxi whenever needed. Rooms are very clean and comfortable, the breakfast is delicious, and service is exceptionally helpful, honest and flawless - something we came to appreciate more and more as we travelled to other areas of Vietnam later on. We would not hesitate to recommend Ma Maison to anyone who, like us, is not bothered about not staying in D1.

“A bit like a cream cake, nice to try, but too many would probably make you sick” — Ducksnuts, Sydney. March 29, 2013: Ma Maison is a classic boutique hotel. Although I am wondering what the line between bed and breakfast and boutique hotel lies. The journey out from district one takes you through the swamp like quagmire of mopeds and chaos. Upon arriving at the address, there is little sign of Ma Maison Hotel, until you spot the Ma Maison Hotel sign. You walk down a back alley wondering whether the strong smell of urine comes from the dogs and chickens, or previous guests who are starting to doubt their choice of hotel as they wander past some squalid conditions.

Upon entering You are greeted warmly by Natasha, and quickly made to feel at ease with a glass of juice and some fruit. A delightful welcome. The rooms themselves are clean and well equipped. The stairs are a pain in the bum given the heat. We stayed for two nights, and nothing was too much trouble for the hotel staff, who responded to every request with genuine care.

“A place of beauty” — Matthew S, Sukhothai. March 22, 2013: Well, there isn't much to complain about even if you try, the location is a little tricky when first arriving but it’s truly a great place to stay. Nice rooms, very nice staff and the owner is excellent. They will make sure your happy and safe, a place away from home to call home. I highly recommend this place as a personal get away. Room Tip: If arriving by bus, avoid the local taxi, call the hotel to arrange pick up, otherwise risk being ripped off.

“Fabulous service” — Fiona G, Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand. March 21, 2013: We loved this family run hotel the service was excellent. Advice on where to visit and how to get there and constant personlised attention. Ma Maison may be tucked away but being a little way out from the tourist centre meant we got to see a bit more of the locals and their way of life.

“An oasis in a frantic full on city” — Simongeorgep, brighton. March 19, 2013: We stayed at Ma Maison for three nights in early March when we began a 19 day a holiday in Vietnam and Cambodia. We returned for the last two nights of our holiday in mid March. We liked it a lot. it has a very quiet calming vibe (and barefoot culture) The look and feel is individual and artistic with very nice furniture, photos and flowers. However, the best thing about it are the staff and the people staying in it. As it is a small hotel (12 rooms I think) you get to know all of the staff personally and they are all very helpful. Natasha runs the place and does a very good job. She organised everything for us and did it to a very high standard. She and her colleagues make you very welcome and explain everything you need to know about HCM which can be a very hard city to manage.

We chose to stay there partly because of the reviews and partly because on 4 of the 5 nights we were there we were coming from or going to the airport. Ma Maison is half way between the airport and the City Centre (District 1). Breakfast is very good ranging from excellent pho to more traditional western style. Wi fi is good downstairs in the little bistro where you meet and talk with all of the guests. Ma Maison has a calming influence on everyone – you need it in HCM

“A very comfortable stay, with easy transportation and beautiful surroundings” — BigestiveDiscuit, London. March 19, 2013: There ARE cheaper and more centrally located hotels to stay at in HCMC, but we chose Ma Maison for its beautiful decor and elegant surroundings - we weren't disappointed. Tasteful and chic, the air-conditioned rooms provided us with much comfort after a 12-hour flight and, although we arrived very early for check-in (7 am!), we were offered refreshing juices and a baguette with jam and coffee to enjoy in the courtyard, which was lovely. As a word to some of the reviews below, a lot of people don't understand that taking off your shoes before you enter a house or other premises is a custom in many, if not most, Asian cultures. It's not just a silly "rule" imposed by the hotel owners.

It is true that you have to negotiate an alley to access the hotel, but it isn't intimidating and I didn't once feel unsafe (and I'm the first person to feel a bit uncomfortable about these things). I also feel as though some reviewers have exaggerated the distance between the hotel and the city centre. We took the local bus (which was fun!) twice between the hotel and Ben Thanh market, which took around 20 minutes. We took cabs home from dinner on both nights we dined out and they were very cheap.

The breakfast at Ma Maison is certainly one to be praised. My partner ordered the beef pho but I was foolish enough to order the eggs and bacon (which were delicious, by the way) - I had serious food envy the whole time he was eating! The broth was homemade and mouth-wateringly tasty, giving the local restaurants a serious run for their money. We couldn't finish the fresh baguette but wanted to take it with us on the trip. Ha, who welcomed us to the hotel when we arrived, kindly and carefully wrapped this up in cling film and a paper bag, along with a knife and jam so that we could enjoy it later. I found the staff to be very accommodating and helpful. The price is high for HCMC hotels, but when I reflected upon this during our trip, I wouldn't have preferred to stay anywhere else as Ma Maison was not only comfortable, but a beauty to look at as well.

“I definitely be back!” — Silvia_Souza, Sao Paulo. March 18, 2013: Welcome by passion fruit juice, the all important Wi-Fi password, a huge bottle of ice cold water,bellboy took my luggage up, showed me around my room and all in all made me feel really special and attended to despite the very late hour arrived. The room itself was beautiful and such a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of HCMC streets. The bathroom particularly was gorgeous, with a very powerful rain shower and beautiful and bespoke toiletries tray. Every little detail in this hotel is thought through and design-led. Water replenished every day and a lovely snack jar we raided constantly. The bed was the most comfortable i stayed in for the whole trip and the room had great lighting, a cheap and very good laundry service and was very quiet at night. ABF all delicious and with baguettes and lovely cold, fresh cut fruit. it was genuine and heartfelt good service and we can’t recommend this place enough. I absolutely loved HCMC and will definitely be back.

“charming and great service” — KeetieR, Brighton, United Kingdom. March 16, 2013: Ma Maison hotel is tucked away in one of HCMC's alleys, which makes it a great hideaway from the chaos of the big city. It is well sign-posted so although it is hidden away, it is no problem to find upon arrival from the airport. The staff are super-friendly, the rooms are stylish (although not very big), clean and fresh and breakfast is absolutely great. It is a delight to stay in this hotel. Its location is its only downside. Although in district 3, it is on the far end and so about a 20-minute (no traffic) or 30-minute taxi ride away from the centre. There are a few nice places to eat around the hotel but it is not area that lends itself for a stroll or a walk around, so you really need a taxi to get to nice places that are not the hotel. If you have no problem with that, stay at Ma Maison!

“Fantastic” — TrevJ61, Mandurah. March 14, 2013: Ms Long & Mr Ha were fantastic hosts. Great advice on where to eat & how to get around. Rooms are superb. They even packed us breakfast for the early morning train. Distance from the hub can be a bit of a pain but you’re better off staying out of there anyway. Do yourself a favour & don't stay anywhere else.

“Real Saigon” — Chippering, Sussex. March 8, 2013: The tourist area in District 1, with its five* hotels and all the luxury brands on sale in any large city in the world, is another city. Ma Maison both lets you see real Saigon through its situation and is also a cool, friendly refuge from the fumes, heat and crowds. The rooms are charmingly and simply furnished. Natasha is most welcoming and helpful. Her uncle manages the breakfasts. The short walk back through the alleys lets you see the lives of those inhabiting this teeming city: eating, sleeping, worshipping, mending their motorcycles, with doors open and life very communal.

“Lovely hotel. Staff couldn't have been nicer.” — ts010199, Kansas City, Missouri. March 8, 2013: Great stay. Highly recommend. A little off the beaten path tucked down an alley but nice for getting away from the rush of the city. I arrived on an early morning flight and the staff were super accommodating about letting me in to the room early. Rooms themselves were very nice as was the rest of the hotel.

“Charming, Comfortable. Home away from home.” — JPBM85. March 4, 2013: I work in the hospitality business and visit more than 50 hotels every year. This is my first review on Trip Advisor. I usually don't take the time. This is a way to say thank you to the family managed property Ma Maison and in particular Ms. Natasha Long. The property is an old renovated colonial house, I believe, which has belonged to the same family for generations. Charming, new, clean.

Service was great, professional and mindful which is so lacking in Asia usually. As we arrived we were welcomed with drinks and fruits while we were sat down and explained what we could do in the city, where to take buses, cab rides etc. it was like having a travel agent right at home suggesting what to do. All time spent with us and advices were from the heart. Since My Maison means My house in French - I wanted to go in the kitchen to chit chat with the staff/family. Felt natural staff/family greets you with warm smiles when they see you.

We had booked the top category room and were very satisfied with it. It’s simple, charming and comfortable. No exuberant or conventional chain luxury here, this property has taste. Breakfast was good with 3 options to choose from. Viet, French/English, and healthy. Lastly, we asked for recommendations of hotels in another city. Ms. Natasha knew what to recommend for our tastes and we are so thankful for her advices! Wish Ma Maison all the success it deserve!

“Secret Saigon Sanctuary” — Mark B. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. March 2, 2013: This boutique hotel—more an upscale bed & breakfast really—offers everything the standard tourist hotels in Ho Chi Minh City don't. Located in or near the District 1 tourist area? Why do people think this is a good thing? As "convenient" as it is to be able to walk to the tourist attractions and crowded streets that cater to backpackers and unimaginative Westerners looking for safe meal options, Ma Maison is tucked into a quiet residential neighbourhood a short cab or bus ride away from the city centre. For those interested in being among real Vietnamese people—who are warm, friendly, and helpful—this is where you want to be.

A clean room with a window? Of course, but why stop there? Ma Maison was built in 1938, so it harkens to the French Colonial era, but it was completely renovated in 2009 and rooms are spacious, modern, spotless, have big, comfortable beds, efficient/quiet air conditioners, and are filled with more little extras than most expensive hotels. Most importantly, the rooms are quiet—we slept like babies every night. Note: beautiful old homes like this don't have elevators, so if you have trouble with stairs, just ask for a lower room.

Acceptable customer service? Is that enough anymore? Ma Maison is operated by a friendly Vietnamese family who have owned the property for generations. Their English is great and have a world-class approach to hospitality, offering guidance on points of interest, help coordinate activities (without pumping companies that pay them kickbacks), and offer tips on how to avoid typical tourist hassles (like how to ride the bus that takes you directly into the centre of town for 25 cents). There are friendly doormen on duty 24hrs/day who is happy to carry your bags up/down the stairs, bring you a complimentary iced coffee, fresh juice, or fruit any time of day, or help make sure you get a taxi that understands precisely where you need to go (avoiding the scams some drivers play on tourists at hotels in the city core). So while some may find the location off the beaten path inconvenient (it's only a $4 cab ride from the action), or find the short walk through a real Vietnamese residential alley unusual, we found these added flavour and authenticity to our experience. We wouldn't event consider staying anywhere but this secret sanctuary on our next visit to Saigon.

“Good choice” — DaveDee. Brighton. March 3, 2013: As we arrived, one of the guests who was leaving said "You've made a good choice staying here". This was reassuring, because it was a little off-putting walking down a couple of alleyways until you find some locked gates and ring the doorbell. It may not seem so when you first arrive, but it's actually a nice area, where people are exceptionally friendly. It costs 75-100K dong to get to the city centre by taxi, depending on the traffic. It did cost 120K dong on one occasion, when the driver got a bit lost. It's 5 or 6K dong by bus.
Our room was fine, as was the breakfast (a choice of Vietnamese, English or "Healthy").

But what's exceptional is the way they look after you here. I don't think I've known a hotel where so much trouble is taken to look after you. They don't just order a taxi for you, they work out what time you need one, and write it all down, including taxi details, in case there's a problem. On the way to the airport, our driver got a call from the hotel to make sure he was taking us to the right terminal. Tea, coffee and fruit juice are offered whenever you want them, and everything is done to ensure your stay is successful. A good choice indeed.

“Great services” — Gina P. Milan, Italy. February 6, 2013: We liked the location, not many tourists and everything is a short taxi or bus ride away. The rooms are beautiful and clean. Breakfast is included. The staff are all absolutely charming, giving very good advice on restaurants, assisting with bookings/ordering taxis.

“A haven in the crazyness of HCMC” — LondonLucyLu. London. January 21, 2013: This is probably the easiest review ever to do on a hotel, Ma Maison is simply perfect and is a proper find in this chaotic city. It is tucked down a side street and on first arrival you do tend to think what on earth have I done here! On the gate being opened and the smile you receive all those fears disappear. Where the taxi drops you off (by the massive Ma Maison sign) you then walk down that alley way and the arrows point you to the hotel - it is very easy and can't be missed.

The look of the place when entering is fantastic and you truly leave the city behind as you are transported into an oasis of calm, the rooms are so individual and no tiny detail has been overlooked. Breakfast is adequate and very tasty and you do need to book a sitting time purely because of the size of the breakfast room. The owners and staff are super friendly and will go out of there way to assist you in anyway they can. The only draw back is that it is out of the main city, this however is also its greatest asset, it is out of the main city! This is certainly no disadvantage as a taxi into district one is only about 75,000 VND and only takes 20 mins top in rush hour... Something to behold.

Simply put if you can get into Ma Maison why on earth would you go anywhere else. I firmly recommend this hotel for anyone wishing to stay in Ho Chi Minh City.

Other tips:
1. Go to the Saigon Square market for fake polo shirts etc. 2. Go to the Chill Bar at night - stunning views of city. But beware... no shorts or vest tops and very expensive – but still a must. 3. Do the Saigon Express speedboat to the Cu Chi tunnels – best thing we have done by far. 4. Eat at the bbq restaurant above The Temple Club and Fanny ice cream! Have the fish, it is out of this world!

“Oasis in the midst of Ho Chi Minh” — Sue c. East Horsley, United Kingdom. January 29, 2013: This hotel is unique, it's tucked away in a side street, away from the centre of the City and it's a real oasis of calm. The staff are exceptional, so friendly and helpful. The rooms were spotless and the breakfast delicious. It was by far our best hotel, don't change anything!

“Fantastic!” — Hamo81. January 24, 2013: We stayed here in January 2013. The room we stayed in was very comfortable and the staff were so friendly and professional. It's not located in the heart of the city but its only a 10 minute taxi ride away. Highly recommended.

“An exception hotel in an authentic part of Saigon.” — Jo7966. Bungendore, Australia. January 21, 2013: My daughter and I based ourselves at Ma Maison during our ten night trip, leaving for a few days here and there to travel around. Natasha and her staff really are truly fabulous... Actually they are better than fabulous! The Hotel itself is definitely 'boutique' - really lovely, the rooms are spotless, and furnished beautifully. The artwork and photos (by Natasha's father a photographic artist) compliment the overall decor. The photos on Trip Advisor are a true representation.

From the moment you arrive you are spoiled... Fresh juices each time you arrive, the best breakfast I have ever had in any hotel anywhere in the world. The Pho Ga (chicken and noodle soup) is superb as are the omelets, fresh baguettes (still warm from the bakery) and fruit straight from the market. The hotel is located in a side street/lane off busy CMT8. Reviews that mention the 'alley' are not really describing the area. Don't be put off... the lane is 50 meters long, it's clean and the people who live along it are friendly and kind. It's suburban Saigon at it's best. Try the Bun Bo and the rice paper 'pizzas' from the local street cafes... Yum!

This gorgeous hotel gets all the big things right, however it's all of the little things Natasha and her team do that make this hotel a real gem. Exceptional! And just one last thing.... District 3 is so much fun. You're in the REAL Saigon and the shopping is a fraction of the price in more touristy areas. The people are genuine, the bus is an easy trip and costs 5000 dong (25 cents), or a taxi is $5 if you really feel the need to hit District 1. Thank you Natasha, our stay could not have been more perfect, and thank you for minding our big bags while we ducked away for a night here and there, the really late check out (5:30pm so we could have a shower before departing on our night flights) and the present you gave my daughter... She has absolutely fallen in love with Saigon.

“What a gem!” — Caro T. Bath, England, United Kingdom. 14 January 2013: Absolutely loved this place. We had to get the taxi driver to ring them to find it, but once in the alley John was there to meet us with a big smile, and from then on it was smiles all round. I realised on arrival that I had left my iPad on the plane, and lucky John accompanied me to the airport immediately where it had been handed in. Says a lot for the hotel and the people generally. Room was good-sized, had exactly the right amount of furniture, comfy bed, good shower. Beautifully-appointed. Suggestions for eating out were excellent, probably the most helpful people in any hotel I have stayed in. Just hope they have a room free when we come back, which we will.

“Lovely Place” — MTMTravellers. Brisbane. January 15, 2013: We stayed at Ma Maison over the New Year and enjoyed it very much. The location didn’t prove a problem for us in either finding it or getting taxis’ to and from District 1. It is a very comfortable and very quiet place to stay the lovely rooms and just the whole experience proved to be everything we had hoped for. Great family/staff eager to help and they took great care of us. As stated by other travellers Ma Maison is definitely in the real living/working area of Saigon where very little English is spoken and everyone is busy with their own lives. If you like rubbing shoulders with the locals and exploring the alley ways you would be in heaven.

“Hidden Treasure” — Brett S. Darwin. January 11, 2013: This being my first trip to Vietnam and Saigon, I was a bit unsure of the District set up and the actual distance to travel within the areas. We booked into Ma Maison which is indeed smack bag in the middle of District 3, which I believe turned out to be the smartest thing we did... Yes its approx 4kms away from downtown District 1 but as the crow flies. Ma Maison is hidden down an alley but very easy to find, with the helpful direction from the locals along the way. It is a family run business and the most happiest, friendliest people I have yet to meet on my travels. They dedicate their whole time to your safety and ensure you have the most comfortable time, while staying under their roof. The manager Natasha is a gem and she has great grasp of the English language even if you don’t know much Vietnamese. It is a wonderful old building and kept in great condition too. I am a fan of the Boutique style hotels and this is right up there with the best of them. So if you want to get off the tourist track and get amongst the locals, then this is the place for you. Room Tip: All I can say is be prepared to walk up some stairs, worth the walk once you get to your room though...

“Lovely Staff, Beautiful Hotel, Inconvenient Location” — Jonno S. Melbourne.January 1, 2013: The receptionist (or owner) was so lovely, providing us with fruits and fresh juice whenever we desired. The hotel rooms were very nice and clean with a great french feel. The location was slightly inconvenient but was a fairly short cab ride to all the main sights and district one so it wasn't a huge issue or expense. The breakfast was amazing, one of the best bowls of Pho I had in Saigon (and I ate a lot of Pho from a lot of places) Thank you for a great stay!

“Don't be put off that this hotel is not in District One” — ChilliLOUNGE. Sydney, Australia. December 28, 2012: What a find this Hotel was. If you're prepared to jump in a taxi for a short ride to the main tourist area you will love this hotel. It is tucked away down a small alley which has you worried for a second but once you're at the hotel it is perfect. All the staff are super friendly and could not do enough for you no matter what time of day it was. Breakfast was awesome every time and the food just kept coming. You MUST try their Pho Bo it was the best I've had on this trip. The Park Hyatt's was not as good as Ma Maison's. The hotel is super clean and the rooms are just perfect, we even got rose petals on our bed EVERY NIGHT in the shape of a heart.

“Fabulous” — James A. London, England, United Kingdom. December 20, 2012: Tucked away in a rather dubious street, you find this little oasis. I cannot speak highly enough of the staff. They go above and beyond to help you out. The rooms are lovely and it is amazing you can feel so relaxed amidst the chaos that is Saigon traffic.

“Ma Maison Hotel” — activeguy88. San Jose, California. December 2, 2012: We (two couples) vacationed in Vietnam and Cambodia in Oct-Nov 2012. We booked an AMA Waterways Mekong River cruise and a pre and post cruise tour thru Trails of Indochina. We stayed at the Ma Maison Hotel for two nights prior to flying to Hue to start our pre cruise tour. We chose the Ma Maison primarily based on Tripadvisor reviews. I feel the positive reviews are accurate and we were not disappointed. If you are concerned about cleanliness, the Ma Maison is the perfect boutique hotel. We booked Ma Maison directly via email and arranged for an airport transfer thru the hotel. When we departed the baggage claim area at approx 2300 hrs, a driver and van was waiting for us. The hotel is located down an alley, perhaps 20 yards from the main street. This location was an initial concern, but as it turns out, it was not an issue. A person from the hotel was waiting on the main street. He carried (not rolled) our luggage to the hotel. We took off our shoes and used hotel supplied slippers prior to entering the small hotel lobby. Our (signature double) rooms were very clean and more than adequate. Breakfast was included. We had the choice of a western or Vietnamese breakfast. If I were to return to Saigon, I would not hesitate using Ma Maison again. I would recommend this hotel to a friend. ATM's are available in town near the luxury stores and hotels. Special note on Saigon taxis. If we did not use the airport transfer, the Ma Maison recommend that we only use Mai Linh (tel. 38 38 38 38) or Vinasun taxi (tel 38 27 27 27). This advice was repeated by our (river cruise) tour director. Beware of knock offs, i.e., taxis with very similar names...

“The real good place to Saigon” — James252. Auckland Region, New Zealand. November 27, 2012: I return to Saigon where we spent 3 nights... We were greeted with a smile from the staff. The staff is always fussing over you, you will not miss anything (which tangerine juice!) And will advise you for your displacement in Saigon or any other service, and with a big smile! The location is ideal: a small rial away from the noise and when you come to spend a day in Saigon, it's relaxing! Breakfast varied according to your wishes (French, English or Vietnamese). Finally the hotel, former home of a French installed during the 19th century is like new. The decor is classic and very good taste.

“Beautiful Hotel with Great Service” — Helga_Andrew. New York City, New York. November 26, 2012: The hotel is run well and the owners and staff are so generous, warm and helpful. It is slightly outside of the city center (District 3) but that's because it's a converted house that has been in the family for many years. We liked the location--not many tourists and everything is a short taxi or bus ride away. The rooms are beautiful and clean. Breakfast is included... and filling! Hotel booking sites showed no availability but we contacted the hotel directly and they were able to accommodate us.

“Beautiful Oasis in manic city” — GaryCrook. Winchester. November 25, 2012: Stayed for 2 nights at Ma Maison this week.. Hotel was as described and was a beautiful calm oasis in an otherwise very busy and sprawling city. First things first, please ensure that you pay a max of 100,000 vnd (£3/$5) from airport. In fact use a proper metered taxi such as the green Mai Linh or the white Vinasun.. Do not do as we did and accept a quote ($18) regardless of his logic about how far it is. Because of these scams hotel will allways call a taxi for you. Hotel is a bit far away from the centre (approx 90,000 vnd) but this allows you a good view of the real Saigon and was not an issue for us. Welcomed with a refreshing drink and fruit while cases were delivered to our 2nd floor room. With the fragment aroma and the soft Vietnamese background music we were instantly soothed from our journey. Room was on the small side but perfectly formed with plenty of character.. Staff were lovely and could not do more for us. A couple of Very minor negatives were the somewhat disorganised and limited choice breakfasts, if you did not want Pho or omelette and their annoying habit of going to your room after you had left for the evening and removing the card so the power was switched off which meant returning to a very hot bedroom that took a while to cool.

“Lovely family run hotel.” — shoelover009. Leeds, UK. November 24, 2012: We stayed here at the beginning of our holiday before flying to Cambodia. We needed somewhere close to the airport. Location wise it's perfect for an airport stopover - a taxi ride to get to any attractions. After a long flight we found the reception lovely. Refreshing drink and cold towel served while they scattered fresh petals on the bed. The room was quiet and clean. Breakfast was substantial. They were very friendly and polite and couldn't do enough for us. The alleyway to get to the hotel is a bit dark but didn't feel threatening to us. It's worth bearing in mind that this is also a family home and as is the custom in Asia taking your shoes off before entering someone's home is just basic good manners. If this upsets you, you might want to consider not visiting Asia at all as to keep your shoes on in many places is just plain offensive. Personally, taking account of different countries cultures and beliefs is part of travelling and I have no problem with either removing my shoes or covering my shoulders in other places.

“Mamma Mia Ma Maison” — Osh_12. Israel. November 23, 2012: I stayed at this hotel for four non consecutive nights. Many hotels add to their names the word "boutique", often regardless of their character or the services they provide. However this hotel, for my opinion, had really and truly, earned this word, or shall I say, description. The uniqueness of this small and hidden hotel is in the personal service and attention given to small details. Staff here packed with useful information and eager to advise and assist in any matter, in a way I didn't find elsewhere. It is also possible to use the generous offer of the hotel and leave the luggage, as I did, while self touring the Mekong delta for two nights. The hotel is located approximately 4 kilometers from Ben Thanh market, and the translation in terms of time is about 50 minutes of walking, or about 20 minutes of very slow, and sometimes crowded (depending on time of travel), bus driving. The bus stop (line 65) is located on the main street, a distance of about 3 minutes walk from the hotel. Hotel discomfort distance from the center may well be considered a major drawback, however, it can also be considered as an advantage.

The hotel setting is not something worth telling about in terms of tourist attractions. In this context, there is no question that the best idea is to stay in the city center, however, those who want to live around authentic residential area (hotel is located in a typical narrow alley departing from the main street, next to local residences), and not next to restaurants and tourist shops can turn this lemon into lemonade. In order to reach the center and back, I used taxi ($ 4-5), or bus ($ 0.25), or walking (for free...). Walking revealed to me a branch of a local bakery with a French fragrance and a variety of delicious pastries, sweet and savory, and far fewer scruples about eating them ..;-). In addition, I saw masses of motorbikes during rush hours, making their way through the streets of Saigon, and turning the sidewalks to an extra road lane... During the two periods of my stay at the Mamaison, I was staying at two different types of rooms. Both rooms were modern, very cozy and comfortable with a personal touch. A box full of delicious traditional homemade cookies, as well as a bottle of drinking water had been waited in both rooms, which have no coffee or tea making facilities - for that it would be necessary to call to the front desk, and you'll be served immediately, including cold passion fruit juice if you like. Breakfast, including in the room price, is from a set menu, which has three choices: health, Vietnamese and European. For my opinion, based on comparison to other similar places I've been to, the meal was not rich, but saying that, it was quite sufficient. Person leaving the hotel before 7 am can have a disappointing packed breakfast (small baguette, butter and jam).

True, the policy here is a little bit tougher than, perhaps, at other hotels. That is why knowing the policy of the hotel in advance is a good idea, in order to avoid possible inconvenience (I was not comfortable with the demand for deposit the passport at the front desk, but with goodwill, we found that a solution). Finally, is this hotel suit everyone? This question I am not sure that I have a definitive answer. Room Tip: No lift in the hotel, so if you find it difficulty, book a room in the first floor (hotel has four).

“Outstanding value” — Greg S. Victoria, Canada. November 23, 2012: After arriving in Vietnam at 2am, Ma Maison was a wonderful start to begin our 3 week holiday. Sure, you can find cheaper hotels in more central locations, but this was a short $5 cab ride from the airport and about the same to get to District 1 (downtown HCM city). The staff goes out of its way to make you feel welcome and to assist you in any way they can to orient you to the City. For folks like us, that was well appreciated as ones first exposure to HCM city can be a bit daunting. The hotel is in a beautifully restored building, the rooms well appointed and the staff can't do enough for you. I will say that the location throws one off a bit as it isn't the easiest place to find but the staff will ensure you get proper directions in Vietnamese so that the cabbies can find it. Trust me, it is well worth it. We stayed here twice...once to start our trip and the other to finish it. Although we checked out at noon on our last day, our flight didn't leave until 2am the next morning so the staff was very gracious allowing us to return to the hotel at 9pm that evening, serving us a drink, arranging our cab and sending us off on our way. I can't see any of the budget hotels doing that. For us, it was the most expensive hotel on our trip but it was well worth spending the extra money to begin and end our journey.

“Peaceful oasis in busy City” — Annie P. London, United Kingdom. November 19, 2012: We stayed here from 31 Oct for three nights during a trip around Vietnam. The hotel is very comfortable, rooms smallish but well decorated and with everything necessary including wifi. The staff are all absolutely charming, giving very good advice on restaurants, assisting with bookings/ordering taxis and offering the most delicious and restorative cool juices whenever you want any. The breakfasts were excellent. The first time you arrive at Ma Maison the alleyway entrance is slightly alarming but it is not a problem, and in the evening a staff member escorts you to the taxi when it arrives. Ma Maison is definitely a taxi ride - or in our case also twice on the local bus (which out of the busy times in the day is fine) - from the centre of the city. However being on the airport side of town the journey back to catch our plane was very quick and convenient. It does provide comfortable quiet in a very hectic city, and we would recommend it.

“We adored this hotel and can't rate it highly enough!” — lycheewaves. London, United Kingdom. October 31, 2012: We arrived very late at night and the walk down quiet deserted alleys was a bit disturbing but the moment we walked up to the gates, the doorman Trung, rushed out to greet us and ushered us into this beautiful hotel which we loved every part of. Trung sat us down, gave us Passion Fruit juice, the all important Wi-Fi password, a huge bottle of ice cold water, took our luggage up, showed us around our room and all in all made us feel really special and attended to despite the very late hour we arrived. The room itself (we went for a deluxe) was beautiful and such a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of HCMC streets. The bathroom particularly was gorgeous, with a very powerful rain shower and beautiful and bespoke toiletries tray. Every little detail in this hotel is thought through and design-led. Water replenished every day and a lovely snack jar we raided constantly. The bed was the most comfortable we stayed in for the whole trip and the room had great lighting, a cheap and very good laundry service and was very quiet at night. Our only minor grip is the Air Con unit is situated over the wardrobe in the corner of the room, so didn’t always make the room super cold, even at the lowest setting. Mr Ha, the owner welcomed us to breakfast each morning, giving us personal but not over-bearing service and we tried each of the different noodle soups for breakfast on each of our 3 mornings – all delicious and with baguettes and lovely cold, fresh cut fruit. My other half thought the Beef Pho was the best he had in the entire trip!

They also treated us as real guests, warning us which taxis to take, how to spot fakes, ensuring we kept our valuables in sight, escorting us to each taxi, making sure the taxi driver knew where we wanted to go – it was genuine and heartfelt good service and we can’t recommend this place enough. We never had a problem with taxis (always taking a Mai Linh or a Vinasun) finding the hotels. We absolutely loved HCMC and will definitely be back and we’ll choose Ma Maison again, our favourite hotel of the entire trip.

“Beautifully boutique but Taxis needed.” — Rooster1986. October 20, 2012: We stayed in Ma Maison for three nights in mid OCT 12 and we thought it was a very nice place to rest our heads in the chaos that is Ho Chi Minh. The hotel only does breakfast, everyone walks around in bare feet ( hotel rules ) but the old man who runs it is very welcoming and generous. The location is poor, but taxis are cheap to the city $5, so u won't mind too much. Highly recommend it if ur looking for something unique that won’t break the bank.

“A lovely friendly hotel, an oasis” — AnnaF1234. Market Harborough, United Kingdom. October 21, 2012: We stayed here for 3 nights in mid October, and loved it. The room was small, but had everything in that you needed. It was peaceful (well, as peaceful as you can get in Saigon), as we were on the 4th floor. The staff are so very helpful, as mentioned by other people, they get you taxis (and walk you to the taxi) carry your bags, bring you tea and juice in your room, plus anything else you might want. You get a bottle of water each day in your room (and there is a fridge in the room). There is also a safe in the room. Plenty of storage, rooms are clean. Great place, we will be back!

“Welcoming Haven” — MickandLucy. Kenilworth, United Kingdom. October 16, 2012: This hotel is a comfortable haven in a manic city - the staff simply cannot do enough to help you and make this a veritable "home from home". We had a beautiful room and perfect service during our three night stay - three fantastic restaurant recommendations and reservations with accompanying taxi - plus hand written instructions for driver and escorted to taxi on every occasion (with brollies when necessary - when it rains in Vietnam, it really rains!!). Don't be put off by the approach down an alley - it is perfectly safe. Only negatives would be the less than central location (a positive for us as we appreciated the peace and downtown was only a twenty minute £3 taxi ride away) and the lack of a lift (we were on the fifth floor, but our bags were willingly carried by the staff for us) which would present problems for anybody with mobility issues. Thank You Ha for being a wonderful host.

“Amazing!! But it's not for everyone...”— Scuderia_gal. London, United Kingdom. October 8, 2012: I stayed there for 3 nights and absolutely loved it. No one can doubt that the hotel set up, staff, decor and overall experience is first class. It does however come with a huge bite of Saigon reality which is not for all...Ma Maison is located in District 3 which is a short taxi ride away from District 1 where all the tourist spots are. The travel is no issue in terms of time or money if you take the two reputable taxi companies or even try the local bus as I did. The location however is in the middle of a typical Saigon residential alley - it's not pretty, or quaint, it's an alley. I loved walking down it every day and getting a sense of living in Saigon rather than travelling through, but that's the part not everyone will like.

Be warned, it might shock you. The hotel itself however is done up in top class standards in every way and the service to go with it. But if you don't want such a dose of reality you won't enjoy this. I can't imagine staying anywhere else but here when I return!! There are only 10 rooms so each guest is really well taken care of and you do genuinely feel like a house guest in a magnificent French Vietnamese house. I loved my daily breakfasts with fresh fruits, eggs, bacon and brioche.

PS: on the main road there is a little shack that sells the best Banh Xeo in the evenings. Wait till you see the crowd that gathers around for this.

“Beautiful hotel, nice staff” — coquelle. Colorado. October 5, 2012: My husband and I stayed here for one night. The hotel is located tucked off a main road amongst a very local environment. If you enjoy local southeast Asia environments, you won't think anything of it. If you aren't quite used to it, it might be a bit different for you. The staff is always available to help you navigate your way out. It is located away from the city center, but still well within reach to pretty much anything in the mid-part of the city.

An inexpensive taxi ride to most places in nearby quarters. The hotel itself is very well-maintained. If you have been traveling around Vietnam, this hotel may seem less friendly and accommodating than others. For example, we had been traveling for two weeks from the north to south and had stayed in 4 other hotels prior to this one. We had been taking train travel, which means arriving early in the morning. All other hotels but this one allowed us to check-in early and have breakfast at no charge with pleasure. This one charges $25 for early check-in and $10 per person for breakfast. So this is a perfectly standard policy, just not what we had experienced elsewhere for the same price or less.

HCM seems a bit more expensive than other areas such as Hanoi. We had a similar hotel in Hanoi with outstanding service for $45 - not sure you can get that here. They did provide us with unlimited coffee and baguettes with butter complimentary and did upgrade us to a deluxe room (and made sure we knew the value), both of which were nice treats. They will bring you coffee or juice anytime you ask, complimentary and are extremely helpful with any arrangements. The breakfast included after check-in :) is a choice of three different options: western (eggs, bacon, etc.), Vietnamese (noodles, etc.); and healthy (muesli, yogurt). They did offer to bring us anything else we wanted, but didn't take part as this was plenty.

Our flight didn't leave until 1:00am the next day, so they offered us a neighboring single room for $30. This was perfect, the bed was big enough for us both to relax in and contained all the amenities of a regular room for the time before we left for the airport. The owners do keep tight control on their business, which does somewhat translate into the experience, but does not deter from a very enjoyable stay.

“Perfect and easy on the traveller” — Iechyd. October 5, 2012: Situated 7kms from the airport. Walk out of customs doors and straight to the taxi stands directly opposite inside the airport. The two reputable companies that always charge the metre price is VINASUN and MAI LINH. It cost a standard fare of 160,000/$7 US to Ma Maison. Pay the man at the desk and he will take you outside and put you in the taxi. Have the address ready. Taxi is 80,000 from MM to the city but the local #65 bus will take you there for 4,000 each and leaves from outside the park. Very easy. Ask anything and Natasha will give you all the advice you need at MM. The rooms are beautiful, breakfast filling and fresh and they can not do enough for you. Pure quality. It's a perfect place to stay as it's out of the hustle and bustle of the city down a winding alley 3 mins from the Main Street. On-suites bathroom, TV, free wifi, breakfast included, water in your room and fresh tea and fabulous coffee brought to your room anytime.

“Charming boutique hotel - exquisite” — Bhavzk. October 2, 2012: This was a last minute booking made for me from a colleague in Danang, as I had a few hours before an international flight. It is the perfect stopover for me. A quaint charming French villa turned into a boutique hotel... Location is also great as you get to experience the alleys before this welcome surprise. I loved it this is where I will come to in Saigon :-)

“Great Little Hotel in HCMC” — BnPAB. Airlie Beach, Australia. September 25, 2012: My Wife and I Loved this little gem of a hotel. Upon our late arrival (around 9pm due to flights), we were greeted by two lovely people, who served us a refreshing welcoming drink, which was most needed by us! We were shown to our room which was very plush and homely. The facilities provided were spotless, and the bed very comfortable. The included breakfast in our room rate was one of the best we enjoyed while in Vietnam, we definitely recommend the Beef Pho that they make up in their little kitchen. While the location is a little outside of District 1, we felt that this place was a little oasis away from all the action.

“A warm and welcoming hotel!” — Sophia_Bks. melbourne. September 21, 2012: From the moment you arrive (at any hour of the day) you are wrapped in warmth, genuine care and hospitality. Small room but clean and air conditioned, standard toiletries provided also has hot water. Our room was cleaned well by the staff daily as they mopped the floors daily. The buffet breakfast spread was generous and the food was changed variety daily which was a plus point since we ate there 3 mornings in a row. Booking tours through this hotel was very easy and for a decent price. I recommend the Cu Chi Tunnels half-day tour. We also did the dinner cruise which was just alright. All can be booked at the front desk. I'll be back.

“A hidden Gem!” — paris28. Singapore, Singapore. September 21, 2012: We loved this hotel. The owners, Mr. Ha and Natasha, and entire staff are so attentive and caring. We highly recommend it and will definitively stay on our next visit to HCM City. It is located in a very interesting, local neighborhood. DO NOT let the reviews about the alley way deter you from staying here. You will really be missing out if you do. Yes, you go down an unusual alleyway to get to the hotel, but we found it to be fascinating. You truly get to see how the locals live. It is next to a school and the local students are friendly and try to practice their English with you. We enjoyed the neighborhood around the hotel more than the downtown areas we visited. You get a much more authentic experience of HCM, and you won’t be harassed to buy trinkets in this district. In fact, it is a great neighborhood to visit if you are staying elsewhere.

The hotel is spotlessly clean and very bright both during the day and at night. We had a heart made of rose petals on our bed when we arrived. And yes you take your shoes off at the door but this is part of why it stays so clean. And you ARE in Asia where taking your shoes off at the door is common practice. We liked that we got to walk round the hotel barefooted! They remodeled the family home and turned it into a beautiful hotel, really more like a B&B. It took them three years to remodel it and it shows. The decor is done in country French and is to the highest standard. They paid attention to so many little details in the rooms and the breakfast area.

We also enjoyed our breakfasts – a nice selection with three options. Pho from around the country, a healthy option of yogurt and cereal, or bacon eggs and toast. We were there for 4 nights so we got to try a little of everything. And you must have a cup or two of the Vietnamese coffee – hot or iced. Both are delicious! And they serve you complementary coffee, tea, or juice any time of the day. This is a very special hotel that you must see for yourself!

“Fantastic!” — Bruno_Buggalugs, Melbourne, Australia. September 16, 2012: This is one of the finest hotels that we stayed in all of our trip to Viet Nam and Cambodia. Natasha and the two gentlemen on staff were extremely polite and helpful. Breakfasts were excellent particularly the Vietnamese choice. The only downside is the distance from the city centre. We actually walked there when we went to check it out but took taxis later (about US$5 to the city centre). This hotel is a bit more expensive than some other hotels in HCMC but the personal touch that Natasha and her staff provide is second to none.

“Hotel itself exceeds all my expectations. Location lacking though.” — m_vaderloo, Singapore. September 13, 2012: Pros: The entire hotel experience exceeded all my expectations given the cost of the room (US$60 per night via agoda). Everything was beyond first class, from the welcome drink to the spotless floor and room, rain shower to the choice of delicious English and Vietnamese breakfast with authentic Vietnamese coffee and free Wi-Fi all included in the price. The management truly extends a personalized service that exceeds even the service standards of 5-stars hotel.

The receptionist provided a map of the vicinity and clearly indicted the locations of the hotel and various important landmarks (airport, Ben Thanh market), recommended reputable taxi companies plus the estimated cost from hotel to destinations. Cons: My only gripe was the actual location of the hotel. The address of the hotel is not the actual location of the hotel. The actual hotel is a short walk in one of the small dark alleys. I arrived at the hotel at 10 pm and was lost in the alley for a frightening 5-10 mins. There was no hotel name on the gate of the hotel. Fortunately, the porter opened the gates and the receptionist welcomed me by name even before I identified myself. All said, I will definitely stay here again if I am around the area.

“Feel like home” — Monkey_Lup. Rome. August 17, 2012: We simply adored this hotel: we decided to book this hotel thanks to Tripadvisor suggestions and we didn't regret it! The hotel is a little pearl, all the staff are very attentive but we did appreciated in particular Ha: he is so sweet, kind and helping... he made feel us like home! The hotel is situated between the airport and the city centre: I believe it's a good position to visit the city thus you can experience real life in Ho Chi Minh City. For the breakfast there are 3 choices (English, Vietnamese and Healthy): we chose the healthy one and it was great! If you go to Ho Chi Minh City try this hotel, you won't regret it!

“A little gem in Saigon” — LucyS S. Muscat, Oman. August 13, 2012: What a fabulous little hotel, although not in district 1 where all the sights are, it is tucked away in a little side street in district 3 which has a much more local flavour. Getting to district 1 is very easy, just a short taxi journey. Make sure you take Natasha's little business card with the extra information about being opposite a park because all the taxi drivers know this park and it really helps. This hotel is so elegant, spotlessly clean with beautifully decorated rooms and heavenly showers. We used this hotel as our Saigon base and it was always so wonderful after each trip away to know that we were coming back to this lovely peaceful place. Excellent staff always very willing to help in every way they can and Natasha the owner is great and full of good advice and bags of energy! The breakfasts were excellent, v well presented and lots of choice. Superb hotel, so much nicer than the big ones in district 1!! Thanks Natasha and keep up the good work! Lucy and family xx p.s. because we stayed more than one night we got upgraded to an even bigger room, lovely surprise!

“A little bit of Provence in the heart of HCMC” — Alex H. Lille. August 8, 2012: We just spent one night at Ma Maison Boutique Hotel but we wished we could stay longer. The staff is agreeable and so welcoming. The rooms are very well decorated you would think you are in south of France. It is not located in the touristic area, you have to walk in between alley ways to get there, so you get to see a bit more of Saigon life. A truly great experience. We were sad we had to go so soon! Room Tip: Ask for a room with a window.

“GREAT STAY!” — jjjJati.Seminyak, Indonesia. August 3, 2012: Following Tripadvisor recomendatin we booked a room in this hotel and we were very satisfied and happy to stay here. The owner Natasha was VERY friendly and helpful during our stay. and if you are a foodie, DO NOT miss the pho for breakfast! I promise you it'll be the best pho you'll ever eat in Saigon! The location is a bit funky but taxi is aplenty and this place is relatively easy to find (I mean from the taxy, not for me as a tourist). Located just a few minutes away from the airport and the city. The room was pretty the decor is charming. We'd comeback for more!!

“Lovely; recommend highly” — Globehooper. July 29, 2012: Took TripAdvisor recommendations and stayed here on an unexpected layover. Lovely hotel; professional, warm and caring staff; spotless, good breakfast. Location not far from airport, so great for my short stay. (Paid $50 incl. tax - figure $4 taxi each way to downtown, so $58 effectively.) excellent value. An oasis in a less-than-scenic neighborhood. Will stay again if back in town. Recommend highly.

“Really a nice place.” — Colonel_Kilgore. Bremen, Germany. July 30, 2012: Very friendly and helpful staff. The hotel gives a very good overall appearance. The owner was trained in Germany therefore is service-minded and has a great sense for details of the interieur. The breakfast was excellent, we tried the English breakfast as well as the Vietnamese breakfast. Our room was well designed and cosy. No noise from the streets could be heard. The hotel is a little far away from the city centre. in the nearer area one can hardly find a good place for having dinner or a snack unless one does not fear trying the food stalls along the main road. Unfortunately the hotel did not offer any lunch or dinner menu. Though, we enjoyed our stay very much and would definitely recommend it to everybody.

“Wonderful Hotel” — deathkitty. Glasgow. July 31, 2012: I really enjoyed staying at Ma Maison, the hotel is spotless, air conditioning cold and bed very comfy - what more does anyone need! the breakfast, both the French and Vietnamese versions, were great. I would have no hesitation on recommending this hotel to friends or family, indeed, I would insist that they spend some time here to escape the non-stop bustle of the city. Finding the hotel within district 3 is a bit tricky, and the taxi drivers very keen to take the long way round. It should cost around 80 dong from district one (depending on traffic and honesty of the driver we found it cost anything from 64 dong to 91 dong ). The staff, particularly Ha, were very helpful with booking taxis, giving recommendations etc. One slight niggle was that not all the TV channels worked, and the complimentary soft drinks are kept downstairs and not in the room fridge.

“Boutique and Cozy” — Eloise D. Paris, France. July 11, 2012: You forget you're in Vietnam when staying at Ma Maison. The hotel is beautifully decorated with many nice details. The rooms were small but intimate. The staff were very professional and everyone knew our names which made us feel at home. The only negative comment is the location. It is not close to city centre, and when traveling during rush hour in the morning and evening - it can take up to 30minutes to reach the destination. So the best plan is to go out for the entire day because it is too time consuming to go back and forth. Otherwise, we very much enjoyed our stay here.

“Second time's a charm!” — Jared1127. Kansas City, Missouri. June 28, 2012. This was our second visit to this wonderful hidden gem in HCMC! The service, the amenities, the staff - just as excellent as our last stay there two years ago. Natasha and and the other staff were, once again, fabulous hosts. This may be a little jaunt from the city's center (the cab fare is inexpensive), but you won't be disappointed.

“Tu es magnifique” — by MelCraigSingapore. June 21, 2012. We staying in Saigon last weekend for three nights. Absolutely gorgeous ! Natasha and Ha were very welcoming and helpful with any requests or questions. Our room was a delux room.... Very clean and very pretty. Bed was extremely comfortable. It was my birthday on one of the days, and I was delivered two dozen long stemmed red roses from Ha. So surprised. I would never stay anywhere else if I ever travel there again. Just fabulous. The photography hanging on the walls is spectacular.

“Tranquility in Chaos” — NatnDave, Perth, Australia. June 20, 2012. We stayed for 5 nights at this wonderful little oasis in the madness that is Ho Chi Minh city. If you are looking for somewhere to return to where you are offered peace and tranquility after the adventure of crossing the road in Ho Chi Minh this beautiful little hotel is for you. Yes, it is in district 3, away from most of the touristy restaurants and other hotels in district 1, but to us that was a positive. It is a very short, cheap taxi ride to district 1 where you again see other western faces and can eat in more tourist patronised restaurants. The staff are wonderful and can not do enough to help you. A huge thank you to the lovely Natasha and Uncle Ha who really made our stay very special. The rooms are immaculate and well furnished and you must try the pho for breakfast. For first time Vietnam visitors I would highly recommend this hotel.

“Pricey but shiny” — Schmaxx. Adelaide. June 13, 2012. I stayed for 1 night. It is tricky to find but your taxi driver will work it out from the address. Mine took a rather roundabout way it seemed. Working your way from the road, through small alleyways and past little openings, you come upon this plush looking house set apart from everything around it. Very welcoming service, a little drink on arrival, in a very nice environment. My room was US$50/night. It was small but very nice. Good bathroom. Breakfast was nice. It is in District 3, which is a quiet area. District 1 is the backpacker tourist area which is about 5-10min taxi drive away. This place is for couples and people wanting some solace from the craziness of Saigon. Enjoy

“A wonderful place to relax and stay if you dont mind the seclusive location” — SoloUgz, Singapore. June 11, 2012. This is a nicely decorated hotel where decors are tops. The hotel owner and staff are great, attentive and approachable. The only akwardness will be the first time when you are finding the hotel because it is not located on the main road but it is located after you walk through an alley. Other than that i had a pleasant stay and a pleasant rest on my last night of my trip. They also offer complimentary coffee and tea. I had Vietnamese ice coffee and it was well made indeed — Go for this hotel if you like a personalised service and quietness away from the busy and often noisy streets of Saigon. It will also be perfect to get the best room from here if you are a couple on a honeymoon.

“Best in Ho Chi Minh City” — ahsantern, Sonoma County California. June 7, 2012. Besides having the best service and food we had anywhere in Vietnam, this hotel is a quiet space in a very busy, noisy city. My husband and I truly enjoyed our 3 night stay. Though the hotel is in District 3, it's a short taxi ride to all the attractions in District 1. It was nice to be off the beaten track. The rooms are nice sized and clean. When we go back to Vietnam we will definitely stay at Ma Maison Hotel again.

“Unique Boutique Style Hotel” — Pinbarren. Queensland. May 20, 2012. We stayed for 3 nights in a deluxe room and were so happy to have chosen Ma Maison. Our initial concerns were the location, not ideal to walk to the sights of Ho Chi Minh, but after hearing and seeing the "organised" traffic chaos and noise, we were relieved to retreat to Ma Maison each evening. The alleys around the hotel are safe to wander around and show you part of the real Saigon. People go about their daily business, but quick to smile and acknowledge you. It is next to a school that emits no noise, screams, shouts etc (how do the teachers manage that miracle?) Getting taxis are no problem as you clutch the Ma Maison card with the address written in Vietnamese.

Make sure you get in a Mai Linh or Sun (something) taxi with the proper company colours, correct phone numbers on the side and with the drivers wearing ties, the others are usually very naughty! Ma Maison was the owners home before he turned it into a hotel and he does expect you to treat it with the same respect that you would show on entering a home. Shoes to be removed before entering (a good thing when you see the dirt on the streets), slippers are supplied if desired. We didn't bother, as the floors were so clean that you could eat of them! Teas of all kinds, coffee and juices are served in the most elegant manner at any time, day or night, whenever you desire.

Nice choice of freshly cooked breakfasts BUT this is truly HAND ON HEART, the very best Pho that you will get anywhere in Vietnam. The stock that is used, is a closely guarded secret and I don’t blame them! We were particularity bowled over by the afternoon receptionist (much more than just a receptionist!) called Yan (hope the spelling is reasonable!), who cannot do enough for you, above and beyond the call of duty! Thank you so much for all your kindness Yan. If you don’t want to spend nights in a boring, ubiquitous hotel room, then Ma Maison is for you, don’t worry about its location, experience hospitality at its best! Room Tip: Go for the Deluxe!

“An oasis of quality in Saigon” — AndrewCole. Cape Town. May 7, 2012. Located in District 3, Ma Maison is a well-run establishment that I would highly recommend. While much of the site-seeing is to be done in District 1, in retrospect, I'd say stay in District 3 and take a cab into District 1 (ideally walking around). Quality is at the heart of everything at this hotel. It starts with the welcome from Ms Natasha Long (the owner, I think). We had just arrived from a 4-day motorcycle trip and were tired, dirty and in need of some quickly turned-around laundry, which they dutifully did in less than 24-hours. After being served a delightful welcome drink, my wife and I checked in and enjoyed a luxurious, long-awaited shower.

Toiletries in the room were of great quality and they even included a beautiful set of scissors (exclusive to the hotel) and a silk travel kit (both for purchase from reception). Breakfast was a wonderful experience (large baguette and some delicious fruit & yoghurt, one of three options), together with complimentary coffee/tea. Internet was available throughout the hotel, but worked best on the ground floor, a pleasantly quiet place to research and chat with the helpful staff.

NOTE: The hotel does not have an elevator and if staying on the upper floors (we were on the fourth, the penultimate floor, I think), I would advise that you be relatively fit. The entrance is tucked away down a couple allies, so don't think you're lost if you don't find it straight away. TIP: If taking a cab, meet them on the side of the street heading toward downtown (south), as it is quite irritating having to make a u-turn on the street.

"Super service" — Travellingduku. Singapore. May 2, 2012. Tucked away in an alley along CMT 8, District 3, lies a gem of a hotel. Ma Maison is an excellent hotel with exemplery service. My wife and I enjoyed our 2 night stay in the Deluxe room with breakfast included. Breakfast is a choice of Western, Vietnamese or Healthy. We chose Vietnamese. We really enjoyed the Vietnamese breakfast a lot. And after we were done with the Vietnamese breakfast, we were offered more food such as more baguette. Free of charge! The baguette was one of the crispiest that I've ever had. I'm a bread lover and I truly enjoyed it.

The room was also great. It was pretty big and the beds were just nice. Not too hard or soft. The toilets were also very clean and neat. Our only inconveniences (would not even call it a complain) of the stay is the toothpaste provided, and the evening jam along CMT 8. My wife and I forgot our toothbrush and we decided to use the hotel's. However, the toothpaste was a funky green colour and it tasted funny to us. Also, we opened both tubes of the toothpaste and the second tube was basically almost empty. We overcame our toothpaste problem by buying toothpaste ourselves, which somehow was green as well! The other inconvenience of the trip was the evening traffic congestion along CMT8. Traffic is bad enough in HCM but with the evening congestion, it just takes that bit longer to get to and from the hotel.

Nonetheless, my wife and I truly enjoyed our stay in Ma Maison. We would definitely recommend this great little boutique hotel to any traveller who visits HCMC.

"Off The Beaten Track" — BarbaraElizabeth. Gibsons, B.C. April 30, 2012. Ma Maison is about half way between the airport and the area of downtown frequented by tourists. We stayed there based on so many positive reviews, and because it was in a more typical neighbourhood. There is nothing intimidating about walking down the alley, day or night, to reach the hotel. This location, away from the very busy main road ("CMT8"), makes it quiet at night. The hotel itself is very, very clean, attractive in every way. Breakfasts are lovely and the service is way above excellent. To reach the downtown, you have the choice of taxi, local bus, or even walking (4 km.). We used taxis, and staff from the hotel will call one, then escort you to the road when it arrives (so you know you are getting into the right taxi - from a recommended firm). We had a very late night flight when we left, so arranged a late check-out (6:00 pm). This worked well for us. This was the last four nights of a five week trip, and it was a perfect ending.

"Deluxe room very nice" — Zenduende. Brisbane. April 28, 2012. We stayed in a Deluxe room at Ma Maison. While we were booked for two nights, unfortunately, because of a missed flight we only stayed one night. I say unfortunately because this is a very charming establishment. So much so that three of the five other guests we encountered were repeat visitors. While I am loathe to broadcast the existence of a secret gem like this one, it is only fair to give credit when due. It is true it's a bit far from the madding crowd but that can be a very attractive feature in a city that is crazy hectic like Saigon. It was, however, one of the most expensive hotels we stayed in during our trip; not a deal-breaker but, on reflection, a minor downside.

The service here is exceptional, as others have mentioned. An example of this is on the day we were to leave (my birthday) I asked the concierge if he could negotiate my having a wash and blow-dry at a hairdressing salon near the hotel. He not only organized this but then sent me a note during the treatment to say not to pay, that the hotel would fix up the bill. All the staff we met there were delightful and we left very impressed with their outstanding service. Had the best pho here in my entire trip in Vietnam, too. We sat out in the lovely garden setting to have our peaceful breakfast in a very pretty setting. One of the most attractive aspects of this hotel is the back lane glimpse you get into the lives of the locals – a fascinating bonus. Room Tip: Deluxe room is large with a pretty bathroom and a Juliette balcony.

"Wonderful hotel" — Holiday_Claire. London, United Kingdom. April 23, 2012. We had such a great time at Ma Maison and would definitely stay there again. The staff are very helpful and do everything they can to ensure you enjoy your stay. Our room was also lovely and the breakfast very good. It was a nice touch to have free tea/coffee/juice included in the room price and we enjoyed a few Vietnamese ice coffees during our stay. Highly recommended. Two things to note: the location is a little out of the centre of town and a taxi to the heart of District 1 costs about 80-100,000 VND (the staff will hail down a reputable taxi for you). There is no lift and the stairs are quite steep so if you will struggle with 5 storeys, ask for a lower floor.

"Lovely place" — mbloechi. March 24, 2012. Ma Maison is a wonderful and peaceful place to stay in Saigon, located in a backyard it's comparable quite. The hotel is very lovely furnished and has just a couple of rooms, which makes it really nice. The staff is amazing and very helpful. Tea, coffee and fruit juice is served for free as often you like. For breakfast you can choose between three settings and some more options in between, they have no elevator and rooms are from the second to the fifth floor. To the city center it's about 20 minutes and 90.000 VND, in rush hour it could take a bit longer.

"We were delighted by charming hotel and the excellent staff." — Norbert F, Cologne, Germany. March 22, 2012. We were delighted by charming hotel and the excellent staff. Our room was large and very comfortable. The staff was knowledgeable, professional and always helpful. The breakfast was the perfect start into the day. Thanks for all. We will come again. The little garden was go to relax after our daytrips. O.k. the little small hotel is located in district 2, but only 20 min. by taxi or bus from the city centre. But you will enjoy it, it´s so peaceful and quiet.

"Tired of Saigon's chaos?" — Thamyres, London, United Kingdom. March 21, 2012. I had an amazing experience at Ma Maison and would definitely recommend it to fellow travellers. If you don't mind staying a bit out of town this is your hotel. Friendly staff, full equipped nice clean rooms, delicious tropical breakfast in the outside garden. What else do you need? Room Tip: No elevator, so if you have heavy bags go for the lower floors

"More than a boutique hotel..." — mossil58, Singapore. March 19, 2012. We were surprised that the hotel was situated in a back alley. But after a short walk past a few local homes, we found Ma Maison and stepping into Ma Maison is like stepping into your friend's home. We were warmly greeted by Natasha - the owner of the hotel. We were ushered into the cafe-reception area of this quaint little hotel-home, where we were served with fresh, icy cold passionfruit juice while checking-in. Natasha promptly settled our check-in and planned a day tour for us around HCM city since we were only there for a day. It is so rare to be greeted with such hospitality these days.

Our room was absolutely lovely and so clean you've got to book a stay here to see it for yourself. We stayed in the deluxe room and it definitely provided me with a restful, peaceful night's sleep away from the bustle of HCM city. One thing to note though, there are no elevators in this little hotel so be prepared to climb 4 floors up to the deluxe room. But the room is worth every bit of energy you put into climbing those stairs. Make sure you start your day with the breakfast they serve at the cafe. There's a choice of vietnamese or european breakfast. We had the vietnamese breakfast and both the noodles (can't remember the exact names of the noodles but the seafood noodle was a saigon dish and the beef noodle was a central vietnam dish) we had were the best we had in Vietnam so far. The additional baguette we were kindly offered had a thin n crispy skin and light and fluffy filling inside. Yum!

Room Tip: Didn't get to see the other rooms in the hotel but the Deluxe room definitely provides a very comfortable stay. Good sized room for 2 pax.

"Excellent choice if you want super friendly/helpful staff" — Drewskya. March 13, 2012. Excellent staff. Very nice room. Lovely breakfast. Sweet decor. High quality fixtures and fit out. They always seem to be offering another glass of free coffee or passion fruit juice. I like that it's tucked away in a real neighborhood rather than just splashed out on the main street downtown; this gives it a more down-home feel.

"A place that feels like home" — jujutan Penang, Malaysia. March 12, 2012. A family run hotel that is quaint and pleasant to stay. Located away from District 1 and hidden in one of the back alleys; from the main streets... it offers a quiet environment away from the bustle of the city. A taxi ride is needed to get to and from the city center. The service offered by the staff/owner was great and they offered all the assistance that we needed during our short stay. I felt it was more like a home stay. So do not expect any kind of facilities like swimming pools or a gym from this hotel. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to experience something different from the usual hotels, for people who enjoy some quiet after a day in the city. Certainly a lot of effort was put into this hotel to make it as comfortable as it is.

“Our favourite hotel in whole of Vietnam!” — Lebu29, Grimsby. March 1, 2012. This quaint B&B is fantastic. I cannot recommend it enough. I am quite picky when it comes to hotels but I couldn't fault it one bit. From the moment we arrived, we walked down the alley towards the hotel and saw local life, children playing in the street all waved and said hello. It is in a very friendly area. The staff were friendly, attentive and very helpful. The room was gorgeous, we got a free upgrade to a deluxe room too. The rooms and entire hotel is immaculately clean. Because we arrived late at night and were too tired to go out to a restaurant they offered to make us some eggs or toast. Breakfast was huge, I could never finish it all. Their noodle soup is a very big portion or you can have eggs with a whole baguette each! Plus you get fruit, yoghurt etc. You will not go hungry here!

When we wanted to book trips the owner told us to go to Sinh Tourist which is the most famous travel agent in town and very cheap. He wrote the name and address in Vietnamese on a piece of paper for us to show to the taxi driver. This makes life easier as the taxi drivers generally cannot understand English. We got a full day trip to Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai temple for about £6 each.

I found the location no problem, just got a taxi into Saigon for only £2 ish and the ride is a fun experience watching all the motorbikes whizzing around. Only took about 15 minutes. Some people moan that there is no lift but this is a bed and breakfast guest house more than a hotel. It is a house so what do you expect, I don't have a lift in my house! I was very impressed by all the help and advice the staff gave us. They told us what we should expect to pay so we didn't get ripped off and gave us unlimited iced tea, coffee etc which was a welcome reward after a long day walking around the city.

“a really cute boutique hotel with a super staff! great value for money” — alexbdv. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. February 25, 2012. Came to this hotel based on all the great reviews on tripadvisor and were so happy we did. cute small hotel with nicest manager ever that can and will help you with every request. Ok ok maybe the location is a bit off the center but hey a cabride is cheap and this hotel is worth it. great service and advise by the staff and a nice clean room. felt like a stay at a family house. Since the hotel is so small had nice conservations with other guests something that doesnt happen so fast at bigger hotels. If we ever have the chance to visit Ho Tsji Minhstad again, we will sleep here again.

P.S: Tried a lot of Pho Bo during our trip in Vietnam and actually loved the one you can get at breakfast here best so a must try!

“Very comfortable hotel in a great location” — 887kasandra. Alesund, Norway. February 13, 2012. It was just perfect! room was very clean nicely furnished, breathtaking view. Beautiful peaceful location and not far from the center. During our 3 day stay, we walked to the City every single day. Such a wonderful experience. The hotel rates are definitely value for money. The room was clean and well kept, good size, well laid out, and well presented,though lacked some of the amenities we have come to expect from 4 star hotels such as toothbrushes and combs. The food was great including the Vietnamese restaurant. In summary a really fantastic hotel with first class service; an oasis in the city. I would definitely recommend this hotel.

“6 star service in a beautifully renovated hotel” — Welltravelled039. Brisbane. January 30, 2012. We arrived quite late and were greeted warmly by Natashia and her uncle (Nu, sorry if the spelling is incorrect). We were given a welcome drink and a local map and advised of the the local attractions. We stayed in two different rooms during our stay and the move was made effortless. Both rooms were absolutly immaculate, (I couldn't fault a single thing) with the use of very good quality bed linen and a high standard of furnishings. The hotel has been beautifully renovated to a very high standard with a distinct french feel.

There was a very good choice for breakfast and everything was made to order, the home made yogurt (made fresh the night before was excellent). All the staff were very, very helpful arranging taxis, dinner reservations etc... one of the ladies even went out to purchase us a sim card for our phone. But here is where the "6 STAR" service comes in. On our way to the airport (flying to Ho An) I accidently left a small cool bag on the bag seat of the taxi containing medication. (which by the way needed to be kept cool). We rang Natashia and explained what had happened, and if she could find the taxi driver (keep the medication cool) and post the bag on to our address in Ho An.

When we arrived in Ho An, I rang and spoke to Natashia, she told me that the driver and been located and one of the staff had travelled by motor bike to collect the bag from the taxi driver, as he was now on another job. The parcel arrived at the post office in Ho An the next day, in a polystyrine box filled with ice and the medication still cool. When I rang to thank Natashia for all her help and to ask the cost of I owed, I was told "NOTHING" and that is was all part of the service. WOW! Thank you once again Natashia for all of your help. Even without this incident I could not recommend highly enough a stay in this beautiful boutique hotel.

“A unique gem!” — francaussi. Perth, Australia. January 29, 2012. We stayed at Ma Maison for our last night in Vietnam after a busy tour with our extended family. My husband and I wanted a romantic hotel by ourselves and this hit the mark. It was a bit disconserting when we first arrived outside an alley way & obviously not in the "hotel district" but this made sense once Ha (our host) explained that the hotel has been his family home. With gorgeous fixtures and furnishings it is impeccable and the breakfast was exquisite. Agree that the WiFi is slow & it is a trek from the centre of town. Perfect for a couple who want to be spend time with each other & stay in a historic Vietnamese home.

As we arrived in the evening and didn't want to take a taxi to the main tourist area to eat, Uncle Ha recommended a local place, just a 5 min. walk, which specialized in seafood/fish. We had a great dinner, ordered by sign language and pointing, with 5-6 members of the staff offering to help us. The breakfasts at Ma Maison were fresh and good. We especially enjoyed the pho and delicious Trung Nguyen coffee from Dalat. (We even packed 2 kilos in our bags to return to Italy!). We found the area very authentically Vietnamese and after spending an afternoon in the backpacker area of frenetic Pham Ngu Lao, we were happy to arrive back at the oasis of Ma Maison in the evening.

Exceptional service--the day before we were leaving for Phu Quoc Island and on to Cambodia, we discovered that in our plane reservation to the island we had been charged for 2 seats, but actually only had one seat/ticket reservation. Natasha and her Uncle went out of their way and spent quite a bit of time helping us straighten this out with Vietnam Airlines. In addition, the morning we had to leave for a tour of the Cu Chi tunels half an hour before the kitchen officially opened, we were served an early breakfast anyway and given bananas and bottles of water to take on our trip. Highly recommended--take the taxi rides into the central district--see if you can count the motorbikes or cell phone shops on the way!

“Your home abroad in a very busy city” — Juledan Diemen, The Netherlands. January 22, 2012. We got a very warm welcome by Natasha. Straight away we felt at home. Nothing is too much the staff is extremely friendly. The hotel resides in a colonial style building similar you can find in Malaga Malaysia (nyonya style). The interior is designed by a French architect and that is something you can certainly see. Breakfast is included in the room rate (just like coffee, tea and fruit juice delivered to your room at any time of the day ) and it is very tasty. Ask for their home made yogurt or their Pho (all of them are home cooked and really good). At the end of breakfast Mr Ha always came by with extremely fresh local fruit. Try the dragon fruit it is so much better than you can get in f.e. Singapore or Malaysia.

Any drawbacks ? Perhaps the fact there is no elevator. For us this didn't matter so much but elderly people might first want to enquire how many stairs they have to climb to get to their room and might opt for a room on the first or second floor. Besides this we feel the hotel should offer lunch too so we could eat more of their lovely food ;-) (although then you might just stay in the hotel and doesn't give you the opportunity to experience some of the local food and life just outside the hotel). Regarding arranging tickets and tours the hotel was very helpful. We wanted to eat local food and one staff member brought us to one of the best noodle places in town. As the staff all worked a long time in the Vietnamese hospitality industry they can easily help finding the best places for you.

The hotel really takes care of you as they make sure you will always have a good honest taxi when you want to go to District 1 (tourist area); important as there are quite a few of dishonest drivers around the city. A one way trip to district 1 (where most tourists stay) will cost you around 70000 dong or around 3 USD and takes about 5 to 10 minutes.
They sincerely care about you like you belong to their family and they even took time to waive us goodbye. Our stay in the hotel is one of the highlights of our time in Vietnam and we highly recommend it to anyone. Early reservations are needed as more people seem to discover this gem :-) — Room Tip: The higher the first number of your room the higher you are in the building. If you have problem walking stairs try to get a room on the first floor.

“Home Away From Home in HCM City” — Yvonne L, Long Beach, California. January 14, 2012. We found Ma Maison from an article on Yahoo Travel as one of the best boutique Hotels in the world at the time we planned our trip to HCM city. We decided to do some more research and the comments we found were all positive so we decided to give it a try. We stayed here in December 2011 for a total of 7 nights. The hotel is beautifully decorated with French country theme and it is very well maintained. Our room was a deluxe room so it was very spacious. The bed was very comfortable (it reminded us of our own bed at home) and spotlessly clean. We got served a delicious breakfast every morning with choice of American or Vietnamese food, passion fruit juice, coffee or tea, and fruits for dessert.

Ms. Natasha Long and Uncle Ha were very nice and always went out of their ways to help us in any way they can. The hotel is not in business district (district one). It is in the heart of HCM city where you can actually experience everyday life of Vietnamese people. It was not a problem for us at all as the taxi fare to business district or any other places was only a few dollars and the hotel staff always had transportation ready for us. Like Natasha and Uncle Ha, the rest of the staff was wonderful and very helpful. We love this hotel and would definitely stay here again on our next visit to VN. We highly recommend this hotel. Room Tip: Hotel doesn't have escalator so if you have trouble going up the stair, make sure you request lower floors.

“Superb boutique hotel” — MaryG100, Ireland. January 14, 2012. We stayed at this hotel for 3 nights and can't find fault with either the hotel or the staff. The hotel rooms are spacious and very well designed as per the web site pictures. Shower, bed, pillows and other room furniture are all to an excellent standard. The hotel is somewhat out of town and down a pedestrian passage, but as a result the rooms are quiet. It costs about 4$ to get a 20 min taxi into district one so the distance out isn't too bad. The breakfast is superb, and the best we had in Vietnam. Good selection of western and Vietnamese food, prepared specially for each individual guest. Customer service is excellent, staff are always available, with good suggestions especially for places to eat which in our experience is so often the test of a good boutique hotel. I would have no hesitation comparing this hotel to a western Europe 4 star property.

“In the heart of real Saigon” — Janeonhertravels. Manchester, United Kingdom. January 11, 2012. What a pleasure to be away from the tourist district and get to experience a little bit of real Saigon. Stand by an open window and listen to the calls of the street vendors, the children playing in the alleyways below, the exotic music blaring out from neighbouring houses. It might not be peaceful but it still manages to be an oasis of calm in one of the most chaotic cities in the world. This is an absolutely beautiful hotel, thoughtfully and tastefully renovated and run by a team of charming people who go out of their way to make your stay comfortable.

“Great hosts!” — Isabelle W Shanghai, China. December 31, 2011. The hotel is located in a small lane in busy district 3. This allows it to be in a quiet setting but it also makes it hard to get to. Granted you are only a cab away from everything (around 90k won ~ $4) but sometimes you just want to walk around and this area doesn't really allow for it. Natasha and her uncle were the best assets of the hotel; they were very personable and attentive to our needs. They remember when we liked something and made sure we had it the next day. However, I wish there was more variety in the breakfast. On the other hand, we enjoyed the complimentary day-long supply of fruits, teas and coffee. The hotel itself is absolutely gorgeous and every detail matches perfectly the French country style. Unfortunately, the rooms are a little tiny for a family with kids. But they are perfect for a couple.

“Great service friendly staff” — Cjury. Brisbane, Australia. December 28, 2011. We stayed for two nights in December 2011. The hotel is very clean and well maintained. Breakfast is included and is excellent. However there is no main kitchen so make other arrangements for main meals although staff will always make you a snack. The hotel is a little off the beaten track but $4 of taxi fares will get you to district 1. The main attraction is how it is run. The staff will help you in anyway possible. Make sure you ask Natasha plenty of questions about where to go and what to see as she is a wealth of knowledge. In summary a very pleasant, great value and family friendly hotel. Room Tip: There are four levels and no lifts so choose a lower level if you don't like stairs.

“Stay here!” — VarnPotts. Yorkshire, UK. November 15, 2011. Spent two nights at Ma Maison. Wonderful hotel that is an 'Oasis' in the midst of hectic HCMC. Excellent breakfasts! Mr Ha and Natasha were very friendly and informative hosts that were always on hand - and their recommendations for places to eat were equally superb. Check out Temple Club and Quan An Ngon. They also helped us arrange our half day trip to Cu Chi Tunnels - and I would recommend that too. If you are prepared to take a taxi ride to the sights [about $4], this hotel is ideally located in a quiet location, [although you're unlikely to find it by yourself]! Thoroughly recommended! Room Tip: We stayed in Signature Rooms. The hotel is on four floors but be aware, there is no lift.

“Excellent, like having your own parents looking after you.” — knowledgeseeker. November 7, 2011. This hotel is quiet, spotlessly clean, nicely fitted out, possibly the best shower in Vietnam but the truly excellent thing is the incredible level of service and care your receive. The owner (Natasha) greets you each morning, asks about your plans, gives advise and recommendations - which you can safely rely on - and meets you each evening on your return to enquire how things went. Taxis are booked, restaurants reserved for you, etc, etc. Six star service. The breakfast is superb, just the location is slightly less than optimum in that car (read taxi) access is only possible to the end of an alleyway but the way your welfare is looked after is just so good you'd be mad to stay anywhere else. All the staff are the same. A genuine, caring hotelier, one of a dying breed. I highly, strongly, recommend.

“Oasis in Saigon” — JEQC, Canberra, Australia. November 4, 2011. This hotel is a gem with the most helpful management I have encountered in a long time. We were greeted at the door on our arrival and the service just continued to excel. Ma Maison is a little out of the action in district 3 but a $4.00 taxi ride will get you anywhere. The hotel is a little difficult to locate at first, but once there it is fine. The doorman will escort you to the street for taxis at all times. My husband was unwell when we arrived, Natasha and Ha arranged a doctor's appointment, looked after him with their wonderful ginger tea and were generally were very caring. Great breakfast, continuous tea,coffee drinks in a most beautiful setting. Certainly a chance to stay out of the craziness of district 1 and experience ordinary Saigon life. We will definitely stay again in future.

“This is 'home' - away from home” — Koko1aust... Canberra, Australia. November 5, 2011. Natasha and her uncle, Ha, the co-owners of this hotel, have been excellent hosts. I cannot recommend this place highly enough. We have been treated so well I don't want to leave, but unfortunately we must. The rooms, as others have said, are well appointed, very clean and the beds comfortable.

Complimentary tea, coffee and juice are served all day. Breakfasts are good, and, if you order in advance, you can have 'Pho'. The hotel is not in District 1, but is about 4 kilometers away - $4US in a taxi. The hotel is reached through a narrow pathway. We had no difficulties with taxis finding it. Ma Maison's business card with directions to the hotel in Vietnamese worked very well. Ha gave us excellent advice on getting around Saigon, which taxis to use and the best restaurants to go to. His recommendations did not let him or us down. I would definitely put this one on my 'favourite' hotel list. Room Tip: There is no lift, so if you have any physical impairment, you may need to ask for the first floor.

“Excellent Choice” — OBBEY, Bangkok. November 2, 2011. Ma Maison is an ideal hotel from which to base a trip to Saigon. Natasha and her uncle are very friendly and helpful. The rooms are extremely well appointed and the standard of cleanliness high. The complimentary tea, juice and coffee is just that and flows without any prompting! I would recommend this hotel without hesitation and intend to return there on my next trips to Saigon.

“Beautiful hotel with wonderful service” — Curlykayt. Singapore. October 30, 2011. The staff at this hotel can not help you enough. They are friendly, polite and go out of there way to make sure you stay is hassle free. The rooms are beautiful and the bathrooms are spotless. A true gem in a hectic city.

“Ho Chi Minh GEM!!!” — BostonEsa, Boston. October 22, 2011. It has taken me way too long to come back and thank the wonderful owners of Ma Maison for such a wonderful stay! I don't know what we would have done without Natasha and her uncle. You can truly tell that they love what they do and if it wasn't for their top notch recommendations on where to eat and places to go our experience in Ho Chi Minh wouldn't have been the same.

In fact we liked it so much that over the course of our trip in Vietnam we stayed there three times! If you are looking for something a bit different from the regular cookie cuter hotel, tucked away down a quiet neighborhood street and away from the hustle and bustle of D1 this is your place. I know I wouldn't chose anywhere else to stay and next time I am in HCMC I'll be giving you a call to book our fourth stay. After all, we still need to get Natasha's famous handmade yogurt recipe. Thank you once again for such a wonderful experience! Room Tip: I stayed in three different rooms on three different floors. If you don't mind a little exercise up the stairs I recommend the top floor with the balcony.

“One of the highlights of our trip to Vietnam!” — Gina B. San Francisco. September 26, 2011. Ma Maison was truly one of the highlights of our three week adventure in Vietnam. While Ma Maison is not in the tourist part of the city, it provides a much more unique and authentic experience. Our room was clean and comfortable and the service was INCREDIBLE. Honestly, Ms. Long and Mr. Ha are willing to do whatever they can for each of their guests. We can't wait for an excuse to go back!

“Little France in HCMC” — Daggiem. Melbourne, Australia. September 25, 2011. We loved our stay at "Ma Maison" very much. As soon we step through that big gate we felt that we entered "Little France". Hostess Natasha made us feel comfortable instantly. Everything was just perfect, super clean and the owner and staff took great care of us and other guests. Our room was lovely and large with a balcony. Since we had informed our self about the position of the Hotel via Google earth it was not a surprise to us that "Ma Maison" was located in a "real suburb of Saigon" In Vietnam and also in Quan 3 we never felt unsafe anywhere. The bus stop (bus No.65 will take you to the market in quan 1) was near the Hotel. There was also a very big park, cafes and restaurants near the hotel and the Airport is close by. The breakfast was "A la Card" for example: Omlette, pancakes, Toast, jam, fruitjuices, delicious home-made yoghurt with Vietnamese honey, muesli, tasty strong coffee, etc. Would stay at Ma Maison anytime again!

“Small Friendly Hotel” — AJPKK. Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. August 15, 2011. Have stayed at this hotel on a number of occasions. It is not located in the central business district but offers very clean and recently furnished good accommodation. The breakfast and indeed evening meals are all good. For first time visitors to HCMC they may find this hotel not located centrally enough however the owners do put themselves out to assist guests with travel and tour assistance. Natasha was especially helpful during my stays there.

“A gem!” — jakarta_expat_10. Singapore. August 15, 2011. Stayed here for 4 nights with my husband, 2 children and my parents and we loved our time here. Ma Maison is beautiful, stayed in the deluxe rooms which had internet, international TV channels, bar fridge and comfy hard beds. Bedrooms and bathrooms were spotless and there was plenty of hot water. We didn't mind the stairs, good exercise and even a couple in their early 80's never complained, nor did my parents in their 70's! Ma Maison is tucked away in D3 but never cost us more than US$ 5 for a taxi to D1 where the main shopping area is. Natasha and Mr Han did everything possible for us eg. organising tours, advising best places to shop / eat. We did not feel like going out one night for dinner, so baguette sandwiches and noodles were made for us, just perfect. In the 4 days there, all taxis were able to find the hotel on returning, not like other reviews I have read, perhaps we were fortunate. We would stay here again, so much more personal than a 5 star hotel!

“Like home, away from home” — barve. Mumbai (Bombay), India. August 1, 2011. I decided to stay at Ma Maison after reading the overwhelmingly positive reviews about the hotel on this site. And my husband and I weren't disappointed in the least bit. I liked the fact that it was not located in District 1, but in the more residential District 3 giving us a glimpse of everyday life. Including being chased by a mischievous neighbourhood boy :) Ms. Natasha and Mr. Ha who manage the place jointly are the most charming and helpful hosts you could ever hope to come across. Not so forthcoming is the resident cat, Mr. Sushi. The rooms were comfortable, the breakfast options were satifying and tasty, especially if you decided to opt for the local fare. And there was always a glass of beer to be had, if you wanted. The hotel is not too far from District 1 by cab, making sightseeing fairly easy to achieve. Although ensure you carry very clear directions, as it is difficult to locate the hotel yourself and most cabs are not always sure of its location. A very homely and welcome change to a regular hotel in bustling Ho Chi Minh city.

“The Best Kept Secret in Saigon” — Maxiner86. Havelock North, New Zealand. July 29, 2011. Having just stayed at Ma Maison, we can't speak more highly of this smaller family run hotel. We decided on the arrival pickup from previous recommendations - good idea though we knew would be more expensive than do it yourself. The friendly, helpful advice received throughout our stay was the best I have had. Nothing was too much trouble, from ensuring our taxi's knew where we wanted to go, early breakfasts no problem, a drink on arrival back from our touring was always welcome and a meal which was prepared by Madame Natasha was superb.

In District 3 was not a problem as taxi's were approx $5. We felt that if we had stayed in District 1 we would not have seen the real Saigon. Rooms were tastefully decorated (we stayed in the Dlxe room ie top grade) large room and they look just like the pictures. Very quiet location. We couldn't get in to the hotel on the dates we wanted as hotel was closed for refurbishment. They emailed us about a month later to say the hotel would be available on our dates - we are glad we decided to change to Ma Maison. Room Tip: Dlxe room larger and has terrace and window view. The next grade down just slightly small size.

“French elegance but a bit far away” — Chrisfromcanberra. Canberra, Australia. July 30, 2011. I am a finicky traveller - I prefer to pay a little more for elegance, comfort and quiet - although this doesn't mean I like3the 5 star chains with westenr foods - far from it, Having established what sort of reviewer I am, the rooms are tastefully furnished in the french provincial or shabby chic style, with shutters, warm hues and thy are of course spotless. The ensuites are modern, the tv has cable and it definitely is comfortable. To get there you need to go down an alley off the main road. This makes it quiet from traffic noise and provides some insight into how the local people live, as they are out and about, sitting and eating outside their homes. I got lost on a regular basis, taking the wrong turn in the alley. The locals wre gracious and offered gestures about which way to go.

Mr Ha at the hotel is a dean of language and has travelled in Europe. A delightful host to share conversakion s and he is happy to provide advice. The downside for me was location. I like to be able to walk to restaurants and cafes. There is certainly lots of street food, but good cafes and restaurants require a taxi. If that doesn't bother you, thn this won't be a minus. There is a bus on the main road which takes you straight to Ben Thanh and District 1 and for 4,000 VND (20c au) it's good. There were some little glitches for me - i would have likes a kettle and tea in my room rather than having to request a cup of tea be made each time. There are no lifts so if you are on the 3rd floor it is a hike (although the staff will bring your bags for you), shoes must be taken off at the door and the gate is closed, so you need to ring every time to get in.
Finally, if like me you really like a long hot shower after a grimy busy day, then this place might be too environmentally sound for you. There is sufficient, but not enough to luxuriate. Wifi is provided free, but is very weak in the rooms. However a cable is provided. There is also a general use computer in the lobby. All in all, nice - but it didn't quite work for me - maybe the linear set up of tables in the lobby didn't make it congenial, maybe the a la carte (but limited) breakfast - for the price I'm not sure that it's fantastic value compared with what you can get in Vietnam.

“Absolutely beautiful!” — Martfield, Vancouver. July 30, 2011: We had a wonderful stay at Ma Maison. The room was gorgeous, the A/C worked like a charm (unlike many of our other hotels in Vietnam), and the suite's bathroom was nicer than the one we have at home!! It is truly an oasis from the hustle and bustle of Saigon's busy streets and the staff could not be sweeter or more accommodating. My only critique is that it is quite far out of the tourist district. While we didn't mind paying for taxis to get to and fro, we did find that taxi drivers had some difficulty locating the hotel on our return trips. While the taxis called by the hotel to pick us up from the hotel had no troubles, the trips back were always a bit harried and stressful because the taxi drivers usually didn't know of the hotel, didn't know its location, and when we would finally arrive at the small street upon which the hotel is located, the taxis often had trouble navigating that small street. I found the return trips to be a bit stressful, especially late at night. Otherwise, it's a beautiful hotel and well worth the price.

“Beautiful hotel, shame about the stairs!” — owain_taylor. London, United Kingdom. July 10, 2011. The hotel is lovely, a real homely feel. As with most homes though, it's stairs only, with no lift if you're on the third floor! The lemon juice is amazing, and on tap to cool you down. Just adds to the feeling that this hotel is an oasis in the middle of the bustling city. It is some way out of town, but given the cheap cost of a local taxi (which the hotel are only too happy to arrange) don't let this put you off. I was unsure about the location, but the wife and her heart being set on the hotel won through - I'm glad it did. Breakfasts were of a good standard, and set you up for a day out nicely. Well appointed rooms, with nice bathrooms, comfy beds with clean linen and the ubiquitous flat screen TV with more channels than you can shake a stick at.

“Outstanding Hotel” — BaliHaiBrightonSA. Adelaide, Australia. July 1, 2011. I have just completed a fabulous one month journey through Vietnam and the final leg of 4 nights was spent at Ma Maison. I could not fault this charming French Provincial Boutique hotel, which is an oasis from the chaos of HCMC and sterile tourist enclaves. The beautiful French decor and furnishings create a lovely ambience. The attentive staff are extremely polite, efficient most obliging. Breakfast is excellent with a variety of choices and the entire property is spotlessly clean. The local area is full of interest and very safe to wander around. Credit must go to Natasha for creating such a wonderful and unique environment. The hotel is a little gem and the warm hospitality that I received from everyone at Ma Maison was much appreciated at the end of a long solo journey.

“Fantastic, amazing, astonishing service” — isitabird. London, United Kingdom. June 27, 2011. We arrived very late but the driver more than happy to wait for us. He couldn’t speak English but that was no problem. The staff are all very sweet, laid back and bend over backwards for you to enjoy your stay, even though many of them didn’t speak English. Uncle Ha spoke excellent English and was very kind and considerate and explained everything to us about where to go, what to see etc. I became very, very sick and they were so kind. Despite not serving dinner at the hotel, they made a delicious sandwich for me because I couldn’t go out. Seeing that I couldn’t walk downstairs they allowed me to eat in my room and brought it all up for me, gave me home-made lemonade and passion fruit juice, and didn’t let me lift a finger. Breakfast was delicious and they love to chat to you and explain how they made the food. The rooms were clean and beautiful, and such a haven from the craziness outside (my boyfriend and I both had our money stolen). We were going to stay there for two nights then go travelling in Vietnam and then stay in a different hotel in Saigon for our return flight. But we loved it so much that we decided to come back to Ma Maison.

“A lovely hotel admits the chaos of Saigon” — joro16. Los Angeles, California. June 8, 2011. The Ma Maison hotel is a calm. tranquil, quiet and lovely peace of heaven in the middle of Saigon which is no small feat. The staff is incredibly kind and accommodating. The rooms are lovely, quiet and very nicely appointed. The breakfast was downright delicious. In sum, everything about this hotel is designed to make you feel at ease and relaxed. It is clear the staff likes what they do and want to make sure you are comfortable. We, like others on this site, we a bit worried when we learned that the hotel is not in the tourist center. But trust me, that not a bad thing in Saigon. First, the taxi ride to the tourist sites is extremely cheap. Second, staying outside of the tourist center means that we got to see the real Saigon. I would recommend Ma Maison to anyone. The only concern I could see is for those who may be a bit older or be physically impaired as there is no elevator and all the rooms are up one or more flights of stairs.

“Just as beautiful and hospitable as ever!” — WellingtonKiwi77. Wellington. June 7, 2011. This was our 3rd visit to Ma Maison and it is just as beautiful and hospitable as ever. Natasha and her staff are literally the nicest people we have ever stayed with in the whole of Vietnam and that's saying a lot because the Vietnamese we have met have always been so welcoming. We love the oasis that Ma Maison provides - it's the perfect place to come back to after the hustle and bustle that is Saigon. We don't often return to hotels for a 2nd let along a 3rd visit as we like to try somewhere new but we really can't go past this hotel whenever we are in Saigon. Can't recommend enough.

“Classy, Calming, Beautifully Restored French Boutique Style Hotel” — Toniwithani. Brisbane, Australia. May 30, 2011. Mr Ha and Natasha, love their hotel and so do my husband and I. We stayed 2 nights. Spotless and full of charm. Great breakfast. Great Service. Beautifully restored French Boutique Style Hotel. When we realised it was out of the main district area of HCM City, we wondered if we had make a mistake booking there, but you know what, in hindsight, I feel it was a blessing. The reason - we caught taxis to everywhere (cheap as chips), so we didn't have to negiotate crossing the busy, busy, BUSY! streets. Mr Ha gave us the right advice on which taxi's to catch and how much they should be, so we felt very confident.

Mr Ha is such a genuine, nice, nice man, he helped us with advice on the many things we asked him. Away from the touristy areas of HCM, this is a HCM locals area. Best to organise transport to the hotel, with the hotel, if arriving at night as, it is down a couple of short darkish alleyways (once you know them and you get the feel of the alleyways you will realise that they are safe to use them, even at night). You'll get your cardio workout going up the stairs to your room (no lift), but this was absolutely no problem for us and they do carry your bags up to your room for you! Loved the nearby roosters crowing in the morning (not a farm in sight, but there you are!, roosters in the HCM City, city burbs!). In fact we missed their cheery morning call at the other hotels we went to stay at on the rest of our tour of Vietnam.

“An oasis of calm in the craziness of Saigon” — Piccolodog. Brookfield, Illinois. May 25, 2011. Hotel Ma Maison is a gem in the middle of hectic, fast paced Saigon. This was a New Year's Eve splurge for us while on our round-the-world trip, so we also stayed a couple of nights in the tourist district. I really don't see this location as a drawback at all. We used a taxi to make a few short, affordable trips into the heart of the city and in return we were able to enjoy a less frenetic neighborhood (and get a good night's sleep!).

Since most things were closed on New Years Day, we passed a lovely afternoon in the nearby park. I believe there are also better restaurants in this part of town (which they can help recommend) since it is less touristy. French provincial isn't really my style, but the rooms are cozy and comfortable, so we felt right at home. They are also spotlessly clean and have great bathrooms with real shower stalls (a real treat in SE Asia!). Natasha and her entire team couldn't be more accommodating and helpful. When we arrived, the bellman literally ran up the stairs to our room carrying ALL of our luggage before we could stop him. We experienced this kind of incredible service from breakfast (and amazing homemade yogurt!) right on through to the end of the day. We actually didn't want to leave, but they were fully booked when we tried to extend!

“Hidden Gem!” — icantstandbadservice. London. May 13, 2011. Great little Boutique Hotel hidden away in a random side street of District 3. When booking a 4-night stay in HCM I was unsure of spending our budget on a lower-class hotel in the more central District 1 or this boutique hotel with a poorer location. Let me assure you that the location is the ONLY drawback of this lovely family run French-styled hotel. Taxi drivers may struggle to find it, but the service is great - I think they only have 8 or so rooms so make sure you book well in advance.

I chose the middle category room and and wasn't disappointed. Air-con worked well and the bathroom was modern and comfortable, even came with a rain shower. The lady who runs it cannot do enough to help book taxis, recommend restaurants and generally help you out. One night I cricked my neck and her assistant who had generally seemed to run around with luggage, sat me outside and gave me an impromptu neck massage, of course for no charge. That symbolised just how far they will go to make your stay enjoyable and unforgettable. If you don't mind using taxis, I would highly recommend staying here: it's quiet, friendly and a haven in the midst of a crazy city. PS - don't miss a trip to the Vietnamese grill atop Temple Club in District 1 (29-31 Ton That Thiep St). Amazing food and a fabulous atmosphere on a roof terrace. Room Tip: Three room categories available.

“Lovely” — lush76. Los Angeles, California. May 9, 2011. The vibe and decor were lovely. Lots of character hearkening back to an old French colonial style. The breakfasts were fantastic, especially the beef noodle soup (delicious!). I can't say enough about the staff because they treated us so warmly and met our every need from recommending places for dinner to giving us tips on how to navigate the busy streets of Saigon. Unlike the mega 5-star resorts, this place oozes charm and you truly feel like a guest in Natasha and Ha's home. Even though it is quite far from District 1 (about 15-30 min by car) it's well worth it. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a special and memorable experience in Vietnam.

“A great location to be a part of Vietnamese Saigon and very relaxing way to end our trip.” — lisaBorneo. Singapore, May 7, 2011. We ended a holiday in Vietnam with two nights here. We started our trip staying elsewhere in District 1 with all of its tourist hustle and bustle which was fun, went on the Mekong and to the delta, then had a taste of Ma Maison in District 3. It was good to be near the airport when we were leaving and the personal attention and comfort of a small boutique hotel was great. Especially for my parents who are in their seventies and were weary after so much travel (they had a long journey prior to this of some weeks). We walked to nearby restaurants and had some excellent food, including seafood (great prices, very fresh) in noisy crowded environs with very few tourists around (if any). Not being a tourist area the pavements are cracked, narrow, crowded and my father found them somewhat hard to walk on but rose to the challenge.

We all visited the local park which was fun and very interesting for me. I was woken very early both mornings by the speakers playing music at the hotel opposite (quite loud). Also all of Saigon seems to rise and get to work at the crack of dawn in unison which was great to watch from my shutters, the Hondas zip around through the lanes. People are very purposeful and busy. At night it gets very quiet very suddenly too, but late in the evening after people have returned from restaurants and work. I loved getting up early as I discovered the park at 6am onwards is amazing. hundreds of people doing Tai Chi (very advanced with staffs and swords and pushing hands), waltzing, salsa dancing, playing ches
s and mahjong,walking, jogging, exercising (who needs a fitness centre!)their song birds in swinging cages, aerobics, morning tea, or just chatting with friends or sitting in companionable silence. It is one of the most charming sights in the city. The service was very friendly and they helped my father out when he was not well, bringing him food when we went out to eat and Dad wouldn't come. He fell asleep and did not eat it but there was no offense taken. Natasha and the others were helpful and charming. Breakfast was good and fresh. Not huge, just right for us though. If you like buffet or eat like a footballer it is not for you. We had one of the larger rooms and it was big enough for singles on the floor for the kids. All were clean and beautifully made up. The shower room is small and the towels/toiletries are minimal. I would have liked better towels but toiletries are not important to us.

The decor is pretty and has charm but it is not high tech and there is the occasional unfinished detail (one unfixed light fitting) though most of the decoration is of a high standard. The common areas are lovely and the B&W photos by a Saigon artist are excellent. There is a charming garden we would have coffee in too and it is gated. The staff were always there in a moment to let us in if we came back on foot. We had the hotel call taxis for us to go to dinner in D1 and had no problem getting back now that we knew where it was. On our initial arrival we called ahead as we drove in and the staff met us in the adjacent lane or it would have been hard to find. Do put the signs up please Natasha! The advantage of the location is it is away from the main road and the noise but still very close to walk to the restaurants. Also the lanes are largely residential so not much traffic and for once you can stroll freely, at least until you get to the busy roads! We would certainly go again and recommend Ma Maison but if you are a big name hotel/villa/buffet person perhaps it is not for you. It is the definition of a boutique hotel though.

“A charming Oasis” — BronwenNewZealand. New Zealand. May 5, 2011. This hotel cannot be surpassed for service and friendliness. The rooms are beautiful and the staff amazing. One of our party had a birthday while there and were presented with a beautiful personalised cake - they could not do enough for you! It does require a taxi to get to the city centre, a fact we initially thought was a disadvantage, however it was lovely to retreat at the end of a busy day to this peaceful oasis. I thoroughly recommend this hotel.

“Charming” — kmr79. AZ. Apr 27, 2011. Stayed here for only 2 nights and really enjoyed it. The staff were extremely nice and welcoming. The bellman even woke up super early to make us breakfast and get us to the airport in time for our early am flight. He also gave us really cute beaded bracelets he said he made. Breakfast was good. The room we reserved wasn't available so we were downgraded but they refunded the difference. It's a bit off the beaten path, we didn't see any other tourists in the neighborhood and you have to take a cab most places but it's really cheap, like $5 USD or less. Pictures on the Internet are pretty accurate. Charming French cottage style B &B.

“Perfect Boutique Hotel - for the Right Traveler” — mceuro. Spokane, Washington. Apr 23, 2011. My friends and I stayed three nights at Ma Maison and enjoyed every moment. Natasha greeted us with a cold drink when we arrived and our bags were in our rooms by the time we made it upstairs. The hotel is beautifully decorated throughout. Appreciated the laptop in the lobby for guest use. All the hotel staff were very welcoming and helpful - from helping us book tours, to advising us on restaurants, or travel to other regions. Restaurants and hotels they recommended were all modestly priced and good quality.

Breakfasts were just right - the "healthy" was a good option, but also loved the Vietnamese choice. While you could enjoy your meal at your own table, the dining area is conducive to chatting with other guests if you like, and we enjoyed visiting with fellow travelers. As mentioned before, this is not the hotel for you if you want to be in the center of the city or if it will bother you walking past homes of where actual Vietnamese people live. I enjoyed being away from the center, the cab ride into town was very inexpensive, and it was great to experience a part of town not saturated with tourists.

“Boutique Hotel With A Difference” — Jackchee11. Singapore. Apr 20, 2011. Being the last leg of our Indo-China trip (After Siem Reap and Phnom Penh), my wife and I had chosen to stay at the Ma Maison Boutique Hotel, located in District 3 during the last week of February. In our opinion, most of the Ho Chi Minh City hotels of this category do not possess much character, but the Ma Maison Boutique Hotel is exceptional. This property was designed with a French theme in mind, from the façade to the interior and its rooms, thus creating a boutique hotel feel experience. It also functions as a miniature art gallery, where you can view Vietnamese themed photographs displayed along the guest room corridors.

The 2 hotel owners, Ms Natasha and Mr Ha both run and manage the hotel together with the rest of the staff. What really won us over is the wonderful hospitality displayed by the staff of Ma Maison. The moment you step into the property, you would feel right at home. The staff will ask for your preferred breakfast time and enquired about your day. Their genuine display of care and concern makes you really feel like part of their family. Among the staff, Ms Natasha is the most proficient in her English. While Mr Ha can converse in English, there are times when he could not really understand our requests and needs. However, we can feel that he is always showing his eagerness and ready to help. Hence, by showing a little bit of patience, we managed to strike and engage a good conversation with him.

The other plus point is that being located in a neighbourhood, we actually caught an interesting glimpse of the Vietnamese way of living. To get to the hotel from the main road, we would need to walk through an alley. Out of curiousity, we would always peep into these Vietnamese homes every time we walked past them. On one occasion, we were also greeted with the sounds and smiles of the children playing outside their homes while standing at the main hotel entrance waiting to get in. Having said, this is part of the travel experience which you would not get if you stay in the District 1 hotels. When leaving the hotel, the staff will also gladly ask whether there is a need for a taxi pickup arrangement. On our departure date, they had even walked us through the alley, out to the main road for the taxi. Although it was a short 2 days stay, we left Ma Maison feeling satisfied. The wonderful experience of our stay there will continue to remain in our memories for the many years to come.

“beautiful retreat from a chaotic city” — Jenisonholiday. Melbourne. Apr 18, 2011. We stayed at Ma Maison for 2 nights at the start of a 10 day trip around Vietnam. We arranged for a pick up from the airport and it was all done efficiently and easily. Natasha met us on arrival and made us feel welcome. They do keep your passports and room keys (when you go out) here which I found a little disconcerting but we did not have any issues. The next morning Ha met us for breakfast, you have a choice between Western and Vietnamese breakfast choices and the food was lovely, especially the warm bagettes. Ha was very helpful and arranged taxis and gave us detailed maps and directions of were to explore around HCMC. The rooms are average size for Vietnam, spotlessly clean. The bathrooms likewise are spotless and modern. The beds were very comfortable and WIFI is available in the lobby area. The only downside (which was a upside for us) is that the Hotel is in the outer suburbs not in the main district so you have to taxi everywhere, but we enjoyed the local experiences of watching how people live in Vietnam.

“Might not suit square pegs who like round holes but we loved it!” — UkChristine. Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom. Apr 9, 2011. We liked being in this district away from noise and bustle of centre. A taxi journey in (abut 5$) was an amazing and memorable experience of what the real Saigon is like. Our room on 3rd floor might not suit everyone (66 steps) but we decided it was good exercise and helped off-set the great local beer we were drinking... Room lovely and cool (air con worked beautifully and quietly) Bathroom and shower effective and modern. Bed large and comfortable. 3 choices of breakfast option A a full cooked, meal option B a "local type food mix" and Option C a healthy option which we chose on all 3 mornings. Yes we did have to order the previous night but that was Ok with us - Ha then went out i think to buy the cereal which was lovely and fresh.

Good quality muesli type cereal with milk and wonderful home-made yoghurt by Natasha. Fresh crusty baguette with butter + jams and fresh fruit as well as orange juice. On te first night we had walked miles in HCM so decided we wanted to be lazy and stay local. Ha recommended a local restaurant where we were minor celebrities; lots of staff interested in helping us and looking at out travel book on Vietnam. Menu had some English translations but on the first night i pointed at 2 choices in food section of guide book - stir fried beef with peppers and spring rolls, both were good especially the beef. We also drank 5 local beers between us and the bill was about 4 pounds 50 pence. Lots of noise and locals all eating at the gingham checked tables sitting on plastic chairs.

Cloths were not pristine but we saw them changed at the end of the evening and observed floor being mopped as each group left their eating area.. We loved it so much we went again the 2nd night -not so lucky this time as chicken dish was rough chopped pieces BUT chilli and lemongrass flavour was great. Again a small bill. Natasha is a delight and a lovely well-groomed lady so i asked her if there was a local place i could use for a re-paint of nails both hands and feet. I went where she suggested and for 30 mins 2 girls worked on my cuticles and nails and filed and painted them beautifully... 60,000 VND + my tip. A bargain anywhere! Also complimentary tea and coffee on demand. The green tea with lots of fresh lime was a favourite.

“Beautiful Hotel...” — Fifi083. Belfast, United Kingdom. Apr 7, 2011. The description "boutique hotel" often gets badly manhandled, not so in Ma Maison - wonderfully friendly staff who could not have been more helpful, beautifully designed, elegant rooms which were spotless, and a very elegant setting in what can be a crazy city... Thoroughly recommended! I have friends coming to Saigon soon and will tell them to stay here without hesitation...

“Elegant Sanctuary” — from_SouthAustralia, Australia. Mar 29, 2011. I loved Ma Maison - for so many reasons! Ma Maison has the feel of a elegant. calm sanctuary about it. Ms Natasha & Mr Ha (those I had most contact with) are warm and welcoming people and you have the sense that nothing is too much trouble. The 12 rooms are gorgeously furnished, with beautiful touches of artwork & ornaments. And, absolutely, unbelievably spotlessly clean. Some say the location is an issue - for me it wasn't at all. It suited me perfectly. It is down alley ways which means it has a sense of being a secret haven, and away from the crazy, exciting hustle & bustle of HCMC. It was approx VND 50,000 from central Saigon - and the taxi ride is fascinating to sit back and watch all the passing sites. Breakfast is included, with 3 options and beautifully served and prepared and is substantial. Dinner can be had but must be by prior arrangement. I am looking forward to staying at Ma Maison again - such a lovely way to have started & ended my 16 night trip to Vietnam.

“Nice place” — Hilde65. Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Mar 28, 2011. My husband and I spend 3 nights in Ma Maison. We orginally booked for 2 nights but stayed on anonther night because my husband got sick and was not able to travel. We really liked the hotel although its a bit far away from district 1. But we took bus or taxi and it did not bother us. The hotel is very homely and the staff is friendly. One of the staff members walked me to the pharmacy to get medication for my husband. The hotel is very clean. The room is nicely decorated but a bit on the small side. The breakfast is not so much but you can ask for more if needed. I spend a lot of time during the day in the hotel and drank a lot of coffee which was the better one in Vietnam for me. Big bonus for an European coffee drinker. The wifi worked perfect aswell. So I would really recommend this hotel although the price was maybe a bit high we will stay again in Ma Maison when we visit HCMC again.

“Even More Beautiful Than the Photos. The Staff is Amazing. Thank you, Natasha!” — Lorified. Manila, Philippines. Mar 24, 2011. My Mom & I enjoyed a wonderful stay at Ma Maison. I love boutique hotels & Ma Maison exceeded expectations. Amazing style with a warm welcome. The staff were very friendly, the food was excellent, the rooms were gorgeous, & Ms. Natasha made our stay feel like home. I would definitely recommend Ma Maison to creative travelers. This was my Mom's first stay at a boutique hotel & she loved it. Thank you, Ma Maison.

“A lovely little gem hidden away in Saigon!” — Ehdailey New York City, New York. Mar 11, 2011. This hotel is everything everyone says it is and more! Ms. Long and her wonderful staff make every visitor feel like family. I arrived very early in the morning and the driver met me at the airport and called the hotel from the car when he arrived on the street outside. The hotel is on a back street that cars can't fit down. A sweet young man came to take my suitcase and lead me to the hotel itself and once inside, I was immediately calmed and soothed by the generous and friendly houseman. The entire hotel was fast asleep and very quiet and while my room was being made ready, he seated me in the restaurant and brought me a plate of lovely fruit and a cup of tea -- just what I needed after a 12 hour flight!

I was upgraded to the larger suite because I was staying several days and I highly recommend booking one of the large rooms on the front garden. It was deliciously cool, spacious and very well-appointed. The windows opened out onto the garden and the street and the view was actually of the school across the way which was so typical and real and very Saigon! The entire hotel is spotless and lovely but the staff and Ms. Long are really what makes it so perfect. They attended to my every need, brought me little refreshing drinks and snacks and made sure I was well taken care of. My first day there I actually wasn't feeling well and had jet lag and promptly fell asleep on top of the bed while the rain poured down outside and I didn't leave the room again until the following morning! Ms. Long was worried that she hadn't seen me so she called to check and make sure I was okay!

Everything about this hotel was perfection. Even the distance from the city center isn't a big deal. I will say that as I'd never been to Vietnam before, I was initially disappointed that it was a 30-minute cab ride to District 1, but after I had to move to the business hotel to meet my colleagues, I can honestly say that I would rather stay in District 3 at Ma Maison in the quiet neighborhood than in the chaos and clatter of downtown Saigon any day. When I return, I will absolutely choose to stay at Ma Maison instead of downtown Saigon. Even my business needs were met -- the wifi in the hotel was even more reliable than at the official "business" hotel I had to move to later! And I'm sure that if I'd needed laundry or had stayed long enough to want to spend time in the surrounding neighborhood, Ms. Long would have taken care of me. And the one night I had dinner it was absolutely DELICIOUS and lovingly prepared by Ms. Long herself! My only regret is that I had to leave to meet my colleagues earlier than expected. I hope to return to Vietnam again this year and when I do, I will be spending any of my non-business time at Ma Maison and enjoying the gracious hospitality of Ms. Long and her staff. And the house cat! I cannot recommend this hotel enough! It's worth a visit!

“A Haven of Peace” — AmbercatEngland, England. Mar 6, 2011. We really liked this hotel. First arrival is a little frightening due to the traffic and location, but you soon learn to value it for the peace and quiet, and the efficient service from Natasha and her staff. Taxis are abundant and cheap and she will always recommend restaurants. It is good to see Ma Maison getting the good reviews it deserves. In Vietnam one has to make allowances but the people ae charming and gracious.

“Fantastic hotel away from all the craziness!” — Marycamden2, New York City, Feb 12, 2011. From the moment my friends and I stepped barefoot into the lobby, and were greeting by Natasha, the owner, I knew we would have a great stay! The hotel itself was spotless, the decor was beautifully french, yet tropical. It was far just far enough from the crazy streets to be very quiet at night. Every evening you place your order for breakfast and they have it served when you come down and everything was delicious! I can't say enough about the maid service! Never found anything like that in the states. I tend to be a bathroom snob and they were certainly up to par and much much better than European ones!!! My one and only complaint would be the somewhat hard beds, but I found that to be true throughout Asia and I can sleep anywhere so it didn't bother me. Overall, if I went back to Saigon, I would stay there in a heartbeat. Just a hint though, at night, it's about a 20 minute ride to the city center, but it can get so noisy there that I wouldn't want to stay nearby. Happy travels!

“Home away from home” — OnthetrailCanada. Feb 10, 2011. Staying at Ma Maison is like staying with friends in their home. We arrived in the evening during Tet when most restaurants close by were closed . The proprietress promptly offered to make us a bowl of Pho. The hotel itself is very French in decor with very modern amenities. What sets it apart though is the very personal service. Though the location is a little out of the way, taxis are cheap to go places and the staff are more than willing to do the arranging for you.

“First rate hotel in Saigon” — CLC_2011. New York City. Feb 2, 2011. I stayed at Ma Maison with some friends in mid-January 2011. It was an impeccably clean, beautiful boutique hotel. It is decorated and maintained perfectly, and Natasha, the owner, is wonderful. The rooms are nice-sized with western style bathrooms. The breakfast was delicious, and I've never had better coffee. The staff was extremely helpful and kind- fixing breakfast, carrying our bags, making phone calls for us, and always ensuring that we had a cab to take us where we needed to go. I highly, highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Ho Chi Minh City. You won't be disappointed.

“Wonderful hotel away from the noise” — Emdeme. Sydney, Australia. Jan 13, 2011. This is a litle oasis in Saigon, beautiful stylish hotel with lovely touches of French style. It is a distance from city centre and markets, but taxi is only 70,000 dong. Taxi from airport about 80,000 dong. No tea or coffee making in room, but Natasha and her great staff will bring you drinks (free) to your room at any time. It is located up a lane and some taxi drivers don't know where it is, but it is quite safe and we never felt uncomfortable walking around the area. Highly recommended instead of the big hotels in town, we stayed in 2 of those last trip and this is far superior.

“Felt like I was visiting family” — Shaffery. Bel Air, Maryland. Jan 5, 2011. This is a gem in Saigon. The service is excellent and the host and hostess, especially Ms. Natasha Long is extremely accommodating. She just squeezed me fresh mandarin orange juice. The entire place is extremely clean and I felt completely safe. It feels like you have to whole place to yourself with personal assistants waiting on your every step- they have a good working knowledge of the attractions and have excellent recommendations. This hotel is also located in the middle of town among everyday life and will allow you to see the real Saigon.

“It's like staying with family...” — martinSinSyd. Dec 31, 2010. This is a great little hotel. The rooms are stylishly decorated, very clean and comfortable. But the best part is that the owners look after you like family. Nothing is too much trouble and everything can be explained, advised and organized. We only had two nights but we would certainly come back again and stay longer. The hotel is a bit our from the center of HCMC so if you want to be right in the action the this is not ideal. But it only takes 15 mins and 70k Dong to get to downtown so it was not an issue for us.

“Lovely” — gellyshed. Preston, UK. Dec 30, 2010. A gorgeous boutique hotel with a beautiful homely feel. Yes, it's not centrally located but if you know that before you stay then you can't be disappointed! Saying that, it's only 20 mins from the airport and similar time to central Saigon. It has a lovely little area outside to enjoy a glass of Chardonnay or four! A 'laura ashley' feel breakfast room where a good but limited breakfast is served with free tea, coffee and water available all day. The service by the dedicated and passionate staff is second to none ( if a little too much sometimes!) the place is spotlessly clean and the decor is lovely. Any negatives? If we had to be picky, no hair dryers in the rooms. Would stay here every time which says it all.

“An unexpected pleasure” — Kengmack. Zurich, Switzerland. Dec 29, 2010. When we booked this hotel, we read the reviews and expected good service in a friendly little hotel. We got this and more, the staff were incredibly helpful and went out of their way to make our stay one of the highlights of our holiday. True; to get to this oasis it a very local walk through narrow lanes, but this adds to the charm, we would recommend this hotel to any traveler, couples, singles or those with teenagers, young children would be more of a challenge.

“Great hotel, fantastic hosts!” — HC_Chua, Singapore. Dec 20, 2010. My wife and I stayed at Ma Maison for the final 2 nights of our week-long trip in Vietnam. It gave us the experience that we sought for: a charming hotel to get away from the streets and wonderful hosts. The service is top-notch and most importantly, personal. The dining area is beautifully done up and the rooms are very comfortable. A lot has been said about the alley leading to the hotel. It is off-putting initially but is definitely safe. Location is not the most convenient in terms of city attractions and shopping. Getting caught in a traffic jam along Cách Mạng Tháng 8 is almost a certainty, so do factor in spare time for commute to and from city centre. However, the area does offer a more local flavour. Finally, we want to thank Natasha and Mr. Ha for being such great hosts. We enjoyed all our conversations and wish them all the best!

“Fantastic gem in District 3” — Cindy2171. Melbourne, Australia. Dec 8, 2010. My partner and I arrived at Ma Maison hotel late one evening after two long days in the Mekong Delta. We were tired, filthy and looking forward to a shower and a comfortable bed. When we arrived, the manager welcomed us warmly and quickly showed us to our rooms. We were pleasantly surprised with the beautiful room we were given. The bathroom was spacious and clean. We had a great night's sleep despite it being located in busy District 3. It remains one of our favourite places that we stayed in during our trip of Vietnam. We were sorry to have to leave so early in morning (to catch a flight)!

As an aside, the travel time from our accommodation to District 1 took us about 25 minutes as it was peak hour and part of main road was flooded... it took much less time to drive back into District 3 after dinner. It wasn't an issue for us but it seems to be an issue for some other people (as seen in past reviews). It really does depend on the traffic flow on how long it will take to travel between the districts. Be patient - it's a huge city!

“Elegance in a crazy city!” — OzziTrev. Australia. Nov 17, 2010. Believe the others... Ma Maison is a quality establishment. From the welcome fresh juices, the deluxe breakfasts and the cosy interior, Ma Maison is a welcome change from stock standard hotels. Natasha, Han and her team really go that extra step to make your stay comfortable and I think with our two little ones, they went that extra bit further. The location is great, in District 3, in a quiet street off the main road so it is less noisy than most places. There are many local banh mi, pho and com vendors so you can get your cheap fix of local Vietnamese street food as well! Their restaurant serves great meals as well and they have a good range of beer and international wines. There is a local park across the road which is fun at night - lots going on! And an amusement area for kids too! Big recommendations!

“Good one to stop!” — SunShiningin. France. Oct 31, 2010. What a nice hotel! The staff was great to make a warm welcoming at our arrived and fast checking-in. We stayed at Ma Maison for four nights and nothing was remarkable problem. The staff did their best when we needed assistance, also well English speaking. Comfortable and friendly is all I need in a hotel, Ma Maison is a good one for my stop of the next time coming back to HCM.

“Best Hotel Experience EVER” — LibbieT. Oct 29, 2010. Such bespoke and impeccable service! No other hotel has ever made me feel so well taken care of. The hotel took note of the little details and habits my partner and i had and made sure we had everything we needed. We were meant to stay only 4 nights but we extended our stay to 6 nights. We would have never enjoyed our trip so much if not for the staff at Ma Maison. It's a home away from home.

“Perfectto! Hidden gem in Saigon City...” — eileen0110. Malaysia. Oct 25, 2010. One of the best experience I had with hotel. Ms Natasha & team gave a very personalized hospitality, making us feel at home in her palace. The rooms are nicely decorated with a lot of French influenced. It is also very very clean. She, together with Mr Nha (her partner) and their team tried to make our trip comfortable - from the day we reached till the day we got back. Mr Nha even sent us off personally. :) Natasha is our hotelier, our money exchanger, our tour guide, our transporter, and most of all our new friend.... Definately missing them, will definately go back to them, It is a very great experience with them. Thanks Ma Maison....

“Its a lovely, stylish, relaxing and friendly small hotel in a quiet area” — readmaria. Sheffield, United Kingdom. Oct 24, 2010. We intended to stay for 2 nights, and ended up staying for 4. The hosts were very helpful informative, and nothing was too much trouble for them and the staff. They speak English, French and German. The hotel is beautifully decorated in French style, the food is very good, and the atmosphere is relaxing and welcoming. It is situated in a residential part of the city, away from the tourist areas which was a pleasant relief at the end of the day, and easy to get to by taxi. We felt safe and enjoyed being in an area amongst people living their everyday lives. There is no lift which may put off people with mobility problems, but we would certainly recommend it for anyone else.

“A little gem in the middle of a busy city” — KathyO79. Gold Coast Australia. Oct 8, 2010. What a wonderful way to start a first visit to Vietnam. Natasha and her fantastic staff made our stay unforgettable. we were looked after so well. Every time we were going out or coming back someone was there to make sure we had everything we needed. The food was lovely and the hotel was fist class and I felt very safe and secure. Nothing was too much trouble and they arranged tours etc. for us. They also welcomed our friend who met us at the hotel on occasion. I would love to go back and wouldn't bother to look for accommodation anywhere. We did not have any trouble getting anywhere and taxis were not a problem.

“Luxury with a homey touch” — TonyPNY. Canaan, NY. Sep 18, 2010. If you want to step from a marble lobby directly into Gucci, this place isn't for you. But in that case, what are you doing in Vietnam? Here, you'll get the friendliest, most attentive care in any hotel in Vietnam, plus a first-rate, modern and comfortable accommodation. But you'll also be in a REAL Vietnamese neighborhood, not the Ferragamo-Vuitton-Prada complex in the center of the city.
All of that glamor (which is fun for an afternoon) is easily reachable via taxi, which the staff at Ma Maison will arrange for you immediately whenever you want to go anywhere. It's actually much easier (and safer) to take a taxi from District 3 than to walk more than a couple of blocks around the center of Saigon. Plus it's cheap. Most of all, BE SURE to eat dinner at Ma Maison - it was one of the 2 best meals we had anywhere in Vietnam. This place is our favorite memory of the whole trip.

“Slice of heaven” — WellingtonKiwi77. Sep 18, 2010. We arrived in Ho Chi Minh City at "home time" so went through the madness of peak time traffic to turn down a little lane and find our wee piece of paradise. Natasha and the team at Ma Maison look after you so well you just feel so relaxed everytime you walk in the door you have the feeling that sigh.... "you're at home". The rooms have views over a cute school and you're within walking distance to a park where you can walk around the lake and watch people exercising, playing badminton, swimming in the local pool etc... We ate twice at Ma Maison and loved the food there - the tamarind sauce pork was delich. We stayed for 3 nights and having stayed in the centre of Saigon before at hotels like the Rex we would choose to escape the madness just a little and return to Ma Maison. After all it's an easy car ride in to town and so cheap to get there - we'd rather have an oasis of a hotel to return to! Thanks again everyone!

“You must stay here in Saigon” — CanaanTraveler. Brooklyn, New York. Sep 8, 2010. Natasha and her crew make this hotel the place to be in Saigon. Sure, it's a bit out of the way, but it's actually an advantage. You get to experience the real Saigon and stay in an oasis of calm. Don't miss dinner at their Little Bistro either -- it was one of the best meals we had in Vietnam.

“Thank you, Ma Maison!” — Mary_Logan_B, New York. Aug 31, 2010: Must be the most charming place in Saigon! Only wish we could have stayed longer. The artwork (photographs by the hostess's father), tile floors, modern bathrooms and homemade yogurt were wonderful, but best of all was the lovely hostess herself, Natasha! To me, the other options in Saigon I saw were glitter and glam or not up to my standards. Ma Maison was perfect.

“a new home and family in Saigon!” — Graeme-Margaret. Brisbane, Australia, Aug 1, 2010: We are fortunate to have found a new home and family in Saigon. Our 10 days at Ma Maison in late June and early July was our first visit to Saigon (if you discount April 1975, which was not the best time to be there) and it was a marvelous experience, mostly because of the ambiance and wonderful people at Ma Maison. The hotel is just like a comfortable auberge in Provence decorated and furnished in the true provencale style. The manager, Natasha, is a dynamo who gets everything done without fuss and Sang, maitre'd, concierge, waiter, security man, language teacher, food advisor and friend anticipate every need. Ha, the owner, oversees all and provides interesting and sage advice. We have never experienced such generosity of spirit or well informed advice and asistance.

Much has been said about the out of town location. We enjoyed being the only westerners in the streets and at Sy Phu, the local eatery. It was also fun striking up conversations with locals walking in the park over the road each morning. The 15-20 min ($3-4) trip down Catch Mang Thang Tam was always interesting and it was such a relief after the madness of district 1 to see the gate opened with a smiling face and be welcomed into the calm of Ma Maison. Some of the unexpected kindnesses were giving us a mobile phone with direct personal contacts, coming with us in a taxi to find a difficult address in district 5, a cool drink on every arrival at the hotel and a plate of fresh fruit to the room.

“A fabulous boutique hotel that prides itself on service.” — Jared1127, Kansas City, Missouri. July 20, 2010. We loved this hotel. It's hidden on a back street of District 3, but it's a wonderful retreat from the busy city life. The room was gorgeous and the staff went above and beyond to make sure our stay was a wonderful one.

“If you want to see the real Saigon, stay here.” — donaldc09. Denver, Colorado. May 24, 2010: Next time I visit Saigon, I'll be staying at Ma Maison...again. The owner, Natasha, went above and beyond to make sure my stay was relaxing and memorable. The hotel is immaculately kept and in a wonderful, friendly neighborhood in District 3. Yes, as everyone has said, it is a 20 minute cab ride to the city center, but it was just not a problem for me. If you're not on business, stay here. You won't be disappointed.

“Ma Maison... to feel at home!” — 187291Nicky2010. Stuttgart, Germany. May 22, 2010: My boyfriend and I where staying in total 5 nights at Ma Maison. This is a really nice small boutique Hotel situated between the airport and the city. The staff is very helpful with everything. When you enter the Hotel you feel already at home. The decoration from the lobby, restaurant and room are lovely. They have 3 different kinds of rooms. We where staying at the signature room. The food is quite good too. We had breakfast and one time a dinner menu. The service is observing. We definitely can recommend Ma Maison.

“Really nice hotel” — VikramSwami. London, United Kingdom. May 21, 2010. Fair enough to stay that the hotel is situated not directly in the centre, but driving motorbike taxis was really part of fun during the stay in Ho Chi Min City. In any case it is walking distance. Stuff was absolutely helpfull and called me back 5minutes after I submitted my reservation. It was extremely evident that cleanliness was of high priority and the rooms were very comfortable indeed.

“Loved the Ma Maison experience” — FranWgtnNZ. Wellington, New Zealand. May 20, 2010: We stayed a couple of nights at Ma Maison, and had the best time. Not only are the rooms and facilities gorgeous, but it is staffed and run by the friendliest, courteous and interesting people you could wish to meet. Others have already pointed out the location, and all I can add is that, for us, that was what added to it’s charm. You can stay in chain-hotels in the centre of a city any day; you can’t stay in a fabulous hotel and experience day to day life in a foreign city at the same time often. At Ma Maison you can. One of the highlights of our 16 days in Vietnam was visiting the local ‘food shop’ that Natasha recommended to us. This is not a restaurant, nor even a café; just a place where the locals go to have a meal. Sure, we were stared at; but we soon found out that if you smiled back, and indicated that you were enjoying the food, you were rewarded with the friendliest smiles back. It was a great experience, we ate well and it was very, very cheap. To Natasha and the rest of the lovely people at Ma Maison, thank you again – we hope your business continues to flourish and your hard work is rewarded.

“It's a dream...” — Gianni-Lissone. Lissone. May 5, 2010. We used Ma MAISON two times in few weeks. It is like a dream in the noisy and "busy" Saigon. Even if the location it's not central we think that Ma Maison has to be seen. Good and friendly service. Rates are not cheap but it's is woth spending some more money than other hotels. In italian we can say "Molto bello e probabilmente unico".

“The best hotel of our holiday” — goole, East Yorkshire, Apr 8, 2010: Having always done big 5* hotels on previous holidays we decided to try small boutique hotels this time to save a bit of money and see if the experience was worth it - Ma Maison surpassed our expectations. Admittedly my husband gave me a murderous look when the taxi pulled up at the entrance to a dark and murky looking alley with kids running around barefoot and women sat doing their cooking and passing the time of day. But we got used to the alley really quickly, it wasn't at all scary as one previous report said, it leads to a school opposite the hotel so the area is full of young very smartly dressed and polite students. The hotel is one of the cleanest I've ever stopped in, including some world class hotels. It was spotless, you really could eat your dinner off the floor, especially as you have to leave your shoes at the front door!

Our room was the deluxe one on the first floor, just big enough, big wardrobe but not really any cupboard space. Subtly decorated, lovely shower, very colonial feel. Drawbacks were no tea/coffee making facilities and it was very noisy early in the morning. I didn't mind the rooster but the school opposite means scooters and shouting from around 6am, which was too early for us on holiday to be waking up! It is a fair way out of the city but the taxi drive was all part of the entertainment for us, we like to go out drinking at night and never had a problem getting back or with getting lost - Natasha gives you a card with directions in Vietnamese on it. She was friendly and sat with my husband for a good hour chatting about running her own business etc. The other lady who looks after you reminded me of a doting granny, she was a bit fussy but lovely with it. I felt a bit sad when we left and she stood waving us off! The food is excellent, we had tea there a couple of nights and both times it was really tasty, fresh and nicely presented. We did walk around the local area one night but couldn't find anywhere to have something to eat or drink - plenty if you aren't fussy but we are!! On reflection, definately the best hotel of our stay, and comparable to 5*.

“Geschmacksvolle Oase im hektischen Saigon” — Ursinak, Zürich, Apr 6, 2010: Das Ma Maison ist ein äusserst geschmackvoll eingerichtetes Boutique Hotel. Doch eigentlich fühlt man sich nicht wie in einem Hotel sondern als willkommener Gast. So was haben wir während unserer ganzen Reise durch Vietnam nie erlebt. Zudem sind die Hotelmanager sehr hilfsbereit. Da sie selbst viel in der Welt rumgekommen sind (der Hotelmanager spricht auch sehr gut Deutsch!!), kennen Sie die Bedürfnisse von Touristen sehr gut. Mein Freund war krank und die Hotelmanagerin hatte alles organisiert: Spital inklusive Krankenverpflegung. Es ist wirklich sehr zu empfehlen!!!

“The highlight of our visit to HCM--Wonderful Service, Lovely Rooms.” — Emerywhale, Bay Area, CA, USA, Apr 7, 2010: Ma Maison is truly a hidden gem in the midst of Ho Chi Minh's notoriously riotous chaos. Admittedly, it's a little tough to find the first time around, as the hotel is removed from the main street and taxis can only drop you off in a local side street (make sure to ask for the meter from the airport and pay NO MORE than 80,000 dong/$4 USD). From there, you snake through an alleyway onto another side street and will see a sign pointing the way. Also, the locals know by your luggage where you're headed and can also direct you. Some might be turned off by the mini side trip it takes to get to Ma Maison, but we found the very short walk a very interesting one; glances into the neighborhood windows as you pass by yield fascinating portraits of daily life and there are always children scuttling about playing with grandparents looking on. At night, families gather outside and chat or scoot up to alleyway eateries furnished with the tiniest chairs and tables I've ever seen for spicy noodles.

The staff at Ma Maison is superb and rivals even the most polished 4-star experiences. Owner Natasha speaks very good English and cheerily provides assistance on everything from arranging tours and booking tickets to taxi wrangling and day trip recommendations. We know because she happily sat down with us for a good 25 minutes to answer all of our questions. Aside from Natasha, her support staff is very professional, considerate and experienced. When I mentioned I was 2 months pregnant, they offered us a first floor room to make it easier on me (there are only stairs so a room on 4th floor will get you heaving in this heat). Lastly, the rooms. My husband and I stayed here twice: once for two nights before a longer side trip to Phu Quoc and then back for a night before heading to the airport.

Both times, the room was well appointed, immaculate (we had a Deluxe room the first round, a Standard the second) and very sweet in it's French Colonial decorative touches. The only two notable minuses on both occasions was the shower, as they leak a bit out onto the tile floor (but it was no big deal) and the spotty wi-fi. There's fast, wired internet in each room though, so plan accordingly. Oh, and there are roosters in the neighborhood. The crowing starts up around 5 am but it's not ear piercing nor is it that bothersome for the average sleeper. If anything, it was a pleasant and charming reminder that we were getting a much more local experience. Though we normally favor larger, more established brands (Four Seasons, St. Regis, Westin, etc.) for our lodging, we're thrilled that we decided to go the "boutique" route this time. We'd absolutely stay at Ma Maison in future travels to HCM.

"Gorgeous!" — maleee, Oslo, Feb 16, 2010: We had high expectations when we arrived at Ma Maison, and we were not disappointed. The hotel is hidden in a small quiet neighborhood, and when you pass through the gates to the hotel it's like entering a different, quiet and gorgeous world. The hotel is immaculate, elegantly furnished and extremely comfortable. Ms Natasha and her staff are very sweet and eager to help with anything you require. The breakfast was also very good. I would recommend this place to anyone! I see some people here don't like the location - I don't really understand how it's a problem. The thing about HCMC, as I see it, is that it isn't really a city that is great for walking. There is a lot of traffic, everywhere, all the time - except outside Ma Maison. We used taxis frequently anyway, and it was no bother to get to and from the hotel. I hope to go back some day!

"Escape from hectic HCMC" — ChapSoonKing, Köln, Feb 5, 2010: We spent three nights in this hotel, despite some trouble we had when checking in. We weren't too happy with our hotel in central Saigon, so I found this hotel, which looks very nice on the website. I first emailed them about a vacancy, then called in the morning to tell them we were coming the same day. No problem, they said, just check out of your hotel, leave the luggage, have a great day and come to our hotel the same evening. As confirmation they took my credit card number. When arriving there in the evening we were greeted with a rather spectacular "so who are you? we are fully booked".

Then the owner offered to pay the taxi ride to another hotel. We were furious. They had mingled the names and some othe guy had snatched our room. After some discussion and a short lesson in "problem awareness" we were given a single room for that night (free of charge) and invited to a dinner and a glass of wine. Everything turned out fine in the end. The single rooms' bed was large about 1,20 across, breakfast was excellent, and the room we took for the next two nights was probably one of the best we had in Southeast Asia. Staff were very kind and helpful, and Ma Maison ist really a retreat in a quiet back alley in Saigon. Its only setback is the location, which is some 20 minutes from the centre, so be prepared for quite a lot of taxi rides to all the attractions or pickup locations for tourist busses. Plus there are none of Saigons fancier restaurants in the vicinity. We found it was worth it.

"Quiet oasis in a chaotic city" — VoyageurOregon, Oregon, Jan 29, 2010: We stayed at this super clean and comfortable boutique hotel in December 2009. We were originally booked for 2 nights but extended it by another night after we did our day trip to District 1. We needed to get away from all the chaos of the city! It is in a quiet residential area in District 3. As we walked through the alleys to get to the hotel, we could peak into the homes of the locals and get a glimpse of what daily life is like for them. The children were often playing out in the courtyard and they would wave to us or say 'hello'. Across the main street, there is a park where the locals go for their exercise. We went there late one afternoon and found them doing tai chi, jogging, etc. There was a concrete area where some couples where practicing their ballroom dance routines so we joined in wearing our sneakers.

That was quite memorable for us. The staff is terrific and Natasha couldn't be more helpful. We loved the special treat she gave us with our breakfast. As for the taxi ride to town, it only took around 20 minutes and it didn't cost very much so that wasn't a problem for us at all. Natasha sent her driver to pick us up at the airport when we arrived and the staff ordered the taxi when we needed it. If you are adventurous enough to try a really good authentic restaurant, ask Natasha and she will ask the taxi driver to take you. There were no tourists in this huge restaurant and the food was outstanding and authentic. We had to use sign language but one of the waiters did speak a little English.

"Mind the location" — rosangelaLondon, London, Jan 11, 2010: Ma Maison is a beautiful hotel no question about this but you have to be aware of the location. You need a taxi every time to go to the centre and with the traffic in Ho Chi Minh at every time of the day it means spending hours in a taxi, this is the only downside but a big downside for us. It is convenient for the airport and the train station but for the rest is a NO NO. The stuff is very helpful and nice, the building and the rooms are brand new, beautiful decor but I am afraid for a tourist the location is not the best. Up to you...

“A beautiful oasis in Saigon” — karenlsanders, London, Jan 10, 2010: We had a fantastic few days in Ma Maison. The owner was really hospitable and went to a lot of effort to help us organise our stay. The hotel is in District 3 but it is only a 15/20 min cab ride to the centre of town. It really is an oasis in the middle of a crazy city! The rooms are really comfortable and immaculate, and the staff go out of their way to help you. The breakfast was nice and they also offer evening meals if you book in advance. Overall, we really recommend this hotel - it's a really nice alternative to modern multistorey hotels.

“Unbelievable attention to detail an personal service at this hotel - a must stay place” — Kencarr, Glasgow, Jan 6, 2010: My wife and I stayed at the Ma Maison Boutique hotel in Ho Chi Minh and I cannot talk highly enough of how friendly and helpful the staff were for us and how lovely the hotel was as a whole. The hotel is slightly out of the way, but getting into and back from the centre of Ho Chi Minh is no problem at all and costing very little in a taxi. The actual building is down a less than appealing side street but then you are greated to the site of the beautifully restored French architecture building which houses the hotel. The reception is open and clean and it feels as if you have walked into someones stunning house. The rooms are light a airy and furnished to a very high standard with great en-suites and a comfortable bed. If I go back to Ho Chi Minh I will be staying here again without a doubt, so much better than an impersonnal big hotel.

“Fabulous service, great rooms, great value.” — Shangheye, Shanghai, Jan 2, 2010: We only stayed here one night and were disappointed not to be able to stay more. I really can't fault this hotel- the staff were amazing, our rooms were lovely and the level of service delivered was phenomenal considering the price we paid for our rooms. Our plane was delayed and we didn't get to HCMC until 2am in the morning yet the driver we had ordered was there waiting for us at the airport, and Natasha was waiting up for us at the hotel when we checked in. The following morning after a great breakfast Natasha lent us Dong for the taxi into town as we hadn't had chance to get to the bank and armed with with a map and guidelines of places to see and agreed to a late check-out for us so we could shower before our onward flight. All service above and beyond what we would of expected!

“Beautiful respite” — Jewel099, Singapore, Dec 28, 2009: Just like its name, this place feels more like a home than a hotel. The room was big and comfortable with wooden flooring that was so clean we had no qualms sitting on it (and I don't usually do that even in 5-star hotels). The bathroom was rather small, but beautifully designed with a rain shower which has endless hot water and good water pressure. This is a beautiful place we looked forward to return to from the hustle and bustle of HCM. Service at the hotel is fabulous and very customised due to the small number of rooms (less than 10 it seems). When we came back hungry one night, they helped us order food in so we can take a shower first.

The food they recommended was very yummy and priced just right. We were really impressed that even though the food was order-in, they laid the table for us and laid out the food properly on porcelain plates. We felt like we were dining in a restaurant. Best, after the meal, they brought out a plate of fruits and offered it absolutely free of charge. The only minus with this hotel is its distance from the centre of HCM. Without a traffic jam, it is just 10-15min by cab which is not an issue. The problem was that we could never quite predict the traffic. Therefore we had to leave the hotel one morning at 7am even though our tour was leaving centre HCM only at 8am.

“Luxury for a small price” — Dave4UK. London, Oct 28, 2009: I have been to Vietnam a few times and I would say this boutique hotel last on the last trip would be the best in Vietnam for the price. The place is clean and the people are friendly. The restaurant was small but the food amazing! Natasha was extremely helpful and she could speak fluent english which is a big bonus for me. Definitely booking this place for next year!

“Pleasant Surprise in Saigon” — MNEAustin: Oct 22, 2009: From arrival until departure we found Natasha Long and her staff to be gracious and beyond helpful. We arrived Saigon late and in a rainstorm after an arduous day to find Natasha and asst waiting as agreed with taxi to take us to the hotel. Ma Maison is tucked into an out of the way alley in District 3. It is a true boutique hotel in the middle of the madness that is Saigon. Upon arrival the staff had prepared a light and delicious meal of lean beefsteak and veggies to tide us over until the next morning. Next morning we left very early for Hue and Quang Tri to revisit battlefields of the late war and Natasha herself made the 4am wake up calls and saw us off to the airport with hotel car and driver.

She also stored our golf clubs and baggage gratis for our return the next night as we traveled light for the day and a half excursion. The return flt was very late and again Natasha and the hotel car were ready and waiting. Natasha directed us to an excellent and inexpensive Vietnamese restaurant. On our return Natasha had obtained some Vietnamese cinnamon for the fella I was traveling with based on his earlier question as to where it could be obtained for his wife back home! This was typical of the thoughtfulness of everyone associated with Ma Maison. Again Natasha made the 4am wakeup call to get us up and out to our 6 am United flt to Hong Kong. The hotel itself is tastefully decorated and the rooms comfortable. The rooms could use an extra mirror besides the one in the bath and the showers could be a bit larger to accommodate non-Vietnamese sized people ... but all in all the experience and the value is outstanding! The hotel is difficult to find and I'd suggest using the hotel car service to and from the airport to avoid any hassles. It was a true pleasure to be welcomed so warmly!

“A little bit of France in the middle of Saigon” — flyingkiwiguy: Sep 28, 2009: Ma Maison is a wonderful oasis of artistic calm in the middle of the energetic and fast-paced life of Saigon. Located in District 3, it is a short taxi ride (around $3-4) to most of the tourist places in Saigon. Outside your window you will see and experience Saigonese going about their daily lives. Inside is a tastefully decorated boutique hotel with an elegant bistro-style restaurant and clean, comfortable rooms. As the hotel just opened in 2009 it is wonderfully modern, including furnishings and bathrooms. The only small issue is that there was no bath in the bathroom, but the great shower more than made up for this, especially after a long hot day trekking around Saigon.

Natasha, the hotel manager, and her staff provided excellent service throughout my stay. The hotel is a small distance from the main Cach Mang Thang Street, and quite hard to find. Ma Maison offers a complementary pick-up from the airport and the hotel can arrange for inexpensive taxis pick-up from the hotel for getting out and seeing Saigon. Or you can be a little adventurous and take a wander to Cach Mang Thang Street and experience real street life and great food. Crossing the street is sort of like surfing through waves of motorcycles, just keep on walking at a steady pace and they will ride around you.