Blue River Hotel Saigon

Rooms and decor

We close the list with the cheapest place we surveyed — Blue River Hotel Saigon, a 2-star budget hotel with just 14 rooms tucked down a quiet alley off Pham Ngu Lao Street, in the heart of Saigon's backpacker quarter. The Standard room runs 16 sq m and starts at around $26 (700,000 dong) — the lowest rate on this list. The rooms are small but cover the basics: cold air-con, a double bed with a firm-enough mattress, clean sheets, a flat-screen TV, an in-room safe, and Wi-Fi strong enough for YouTube. The bathroom is compact with a hot-water shower. Nothing fancy, but spotless — and with only 14 rooms it feels more like crashing at a friendly Vietnamese friend's guesthouse than a hotel.

Food and amenities

For a 2-star budget hotel, Blue River covers the essentials well. There's a small in-house restaurant, and daily breakfast runs to Vietnamese bread, a fried egg and Vietnamese coffee. Wi-Fi is free in every room, the front desk is staffed 24 hours by English-speaking staff, and there's luggage storage for your check-out day. They'll park your motorbike, flag a Grab, book Cu Chi and Mekong tours, and arrange an airport transfer on request. Real guest scores sit around 8.4, which is genuinely surprising at this price.

Location and getting there

Location is the whole pitch here. Blue River sits in a side alley off Pham Ngu Lao Street, dead centre of the District 1 backpacker quarter. It's about a 2-minute walk (150 metres) to Bui Vien walking street — Saigon's busiest run of bars, clubs and live music — then another 6 minutes to 23/9 Park and 10 minutes to Ben Thanh Market. Right nearby you'll find Bánh Xèo 46A on Bui Vien, Bia Hơi joints pouring draft beer at 15,000 dong, and roti and ramen stalls running the length of the street.

Things to know before booking

This is a small 14-room hotel with only basic facilities — there's no swimming pool and no spa, so set expectations accordingly. The Bui Vien strip stays lively deep into the night, and that energy carries, so light sleepers should ask for a room set back from the main street. And because there are so few rooms at such a low rate, they book out fast — reserve ahead rather than walking in.

Our take

Blue River Hotel Saigon is at its best for budget travellers, backpackers and solo travellers who want to sleep in the heart of the Bui Vien area for around $26 a night. It's the cheapest option on the list, and it caps off the number 10 spot as the best-value pick for a tight budget.