Landmark 81 is, with 461m (1,513 ft) and 81 stories, the highest building in Vietnam. In 2019, the Vinpearl hotel opened its doors occupying floors 47 till 71. In 2023, the hotel changed management from the Vinpearl group to Marriott International and as such, the hotel was rebranded as an Autograph Collection hotel. This meant you could now also use Marriott points to book a stay at this spectacular hotel. This is exactly what I did during my trip to Vietnam this last April. Please read below my review of the Landmark 81 hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.
Location
The first thing to note about the hotel is its location. The Landmark 81 hotel is located outside of the busy Ho Chi Minh City center. In fact, you don’t really feel you are in Vietnam when staying there; the location could be in any modern Asian city. This feeling is emphasised by the bland, uniform shopping mall next to the hotel.
You would need a taxi ride of roughly 20 minutes to make it into the city center so you’ll need to determine if that makes sense for you. When your main reason to visit HCMC is tourism and you want a hotel right smack in the middle of the center, then there are probably better options.
Check-in procedure
The general check-in area is at the 48th floor, but Marriott elite members can check in at the lounge at the 71st floor. The lounge at the Landmark 81 is probably the nicest lounge of all the Marriott hotels I’ve visited in the past; it’s a big, modern, open space with floor to ceiling windows and 360 views of HCMC. Because of my Marriott titanium status I got an upgrade to the Landmark Panoramic Suite which was of course very welcome!
At 5 o’clock in the afternoon, small snacks and alcoholic drinks are served in the lounge and the selection is actually pretty good. In fact, I considered cancelling my dinner reservation for later that night because the food in the lounge would have been sufficient for me. If you don’t have Marriott elite status which allows you access to the lounge, I think it’s definitely worth getting a room with lounge access.
The Landmark 81 – Panoramic Suite
The Landmark Panoramic Suite doesn’t disappoint. My room was at the 62nd floor so views are amazing especially since I had a corner room. Of course the suite has plenty of space – 72M2 or 775sqft – and everything feels luxurious and new. I especially liked the coffee bar which could be closed. The bed didn’t only look very comfortable but it really was! Bathroom included both a bath – overlooking the city – and a shower. Water pressure in the shower was perfect and the shower kept its temperature – not always a given, even in expensive hotels…
Breakfast – Oriental Pearl Restaurant
Breakfast is served at the Oriental Pearl restaurant, located at the 66th floor. I need to mention the cappuccino; for me the critical element in any breakfast. I truly believe there is a strong relation between the quality of the cappuccino and the overall quality of the breakfast. In this case the cappuccino scored a 9 out of 10! Very impressive! And the relation between the cappuccino and the overall breakfast certainly held up at the Landmark 81 hotel! A good selection of excellent pastries, fresh fruit, juices and Asian breakfast options.
Other notable mentions
The swimming pool is located at the 47th floor, next to the fitness center. Even though it’s not too big, It’s located outside which makes for an interesting swim!
Then there are the elevators. I’ve never seen elevators where, instead of just pressing up or down, you first need to select on a screen – outside of the elevators – the floor you want to go to. The little screen then states which elevator you will need to take. Once inside the elevator, you cannot select the floor anymore. Also, the default selection on the screen is pretty limited. Only after you scan your room key, more options show up such as the lounge – if you have access to that. Definitely a system you need to get used to. It seemed overly complicated to me. But maybe there is a huge efficiency gain to be held here by organising elevators this way?…
Conclusion
The landmark 81 hotel was definitely worth trying out. There is no hotel in Vietnam with better city views than this one. And the lounge is one of the best ones I’ve seen from any hotel of the Marriott group. Breakfast is good and if you rate your cappuccino as high as I do, this one is a winner. The only thing you should consider is its location. If you want to stick to Marriott, Marriott does have 3 other hotels (The Renaissance, Le Meridien, The Sheraton) which are all located in the city center. The Renaissance and Sheraton offer the best location. In the past, I stayed at both Le Meridien and The Renaissance – both are solid alternatives.
Hyatt also has a solid alternative; The Park Hyatt Saigon in the middle of the center next to the Opera. The style and design of the hotel couldn’t be more different than the Landmark 81. Please check out my review of the Park Hyatt Saigon. One of the best luxury hotels in Ho Chi Minh City.
“Hotel.com compensates authors for their writings appearing on this site; such compensation may include travel and other costs. Note: All travel is subject to frequently changing governmental restrictions—please check government advisories before scheduling trips.”
Leave a Reply