Through an unfortunate series of events, we found ourselves unable to stay at a cute boutique property we booked in Ho Chi Minh and wound up at the tallest tower in the city, home to Landmark 81. Ultimately, we ended up having a great time at this pretty central property and can’t wait to tell you everything you need to know before you book!

Location: 4.5/5

Landmark 81 is currently the tallest building in Vietnam, coming in at over 140,000 square meters in space that includes a mall, hotel, offices and residences. The hotel operates under the Marriott Autograph Collection flag and features 223 rooms. It’s located in the Binh Thanh district and has unobstructed views in every direction. In terms of access, the location is fantastic overall for business and leisure travelers. That being said, most of the tourist sites are a taxi ride away in District 1, for example the famous markets, war museum and opera house. While taxis are extremely reasonable and easy to access, it’s worth noting that during rush hour, it can take over 30 minutes to go just a few short miles. If I were to book a property in Ho Chi Minh for the shopping and exploring of dense tourist areas, I would probably stick to District 1, though having the opportunity to stay at the tallest building in the country is worth the trip in itself.

Lobby & Check in experience: 4.5/5

We checked in around 9pm on the 47th floor lobby. The lobby is absolutely gorgeous with stunning floor to ceiling windows that face out over the city. When you arrive in the ground floor lobby, a bellman escorts you to the 47th floor check in desk where you are greeted with an iced tea and friendly front desk agent. The check in is fairly standard and efficient and feels like an elevated business arrival experience. We were checked into a standard king room and quickly escorted up the elevators. The bellman showed us all the features of the room, placed our luggage on the luggage racks and quickly left us. The experience was quite seamless, friendly and helpful.

The property is bustling at all hours with both hotel guests and guests to the hotel bar. If you’re looking for a relaxing, laid back experience, Landmark 81 is not the best choice for you. However, if you’re looking for a bustling, vibrant experience in a remarkable architectural wonder, this is a fantastic choice.

Rooms: 4/5

We were checked into a Premier King, 5706, which is their standard room on property. The room is about 380 square feet and features a separate bathroom, with a window to the bedroom that does have a blind for privacy, king bed, desk and floor to ceiling windows. The bathroom features a free standing tub, rain shower, single vanity and toilet in the main bathroom space.

Overall, the room is very comfortable and quiet with excellent sound proofing between the walls. The king bed is comfortable and has a quality duvet. There is a single lounge chair in the room and the room is quite corporate feeling. It’s clearly a popular destination for business travelers looking for a quiet, comfortable experience.

The in-app technology is excellent and the lighting all works off the in-room tablet. They do have complimentary water in the room as well as instant coffee (no nespresso).

One area the room fell short was cleanliness and functioning electronics. The windows, while absolutely stunning, were filthy and covered in fingerprints from ground height to about 6 feet up. It’s very clear the windows had no been cleaned in some time. The television also did not work, and took several tries to get it to even turn on. Vietnam is a very reasonably priced country overall, but luxury comes at a high cost so while the room itself was very comfortable, the lack of cleanliness and functioning amenities really degrades the value of the experience.

Due to our TV not working, we did get access to the club lounge for our last night. The club level rooms are the same as the standard rooms but do include access to a great lounge that has complimentary breakfast, snacks throughout the day, complimentary drinks in the evening as well as evening snacks that were enough to be considered dinner. Personally, this upgrade is worth the price if you plan to be back at the hotel for the evening and don’t want to venture out.

Service: 4/5

Overall, the service was good for a 223 room property that primarily focuses on guests on short stays. The service was efficient and friendly enough but was not bespoke or proactive. The restaurant staff were hit or miss based on how busy the restaurant was but service was always done with a smile.

Housekeeping is one area that really needs improvement at the property as doors, windows and marble tables were constantly dirty with fingerprints and stains. That being said, the management did take feedback seriously and were quick to offer an upgrade to the club lounge floor when we did experience issues that we brought to their attention.

I would consider the service to be solid, but not expect them to go above and beyond for guest needs or requests.

Dining: 4.5/5

The hotel features 3 outlets that are part of the hotel itself: Oriental Pearl on 66 where the breakfast is served, The Cloud which is their main bar and the Pool Bar for snacks and drinks at the pool. The breakfast was fantastic with both western and eastern dishes and I can confidently say the croissants were the best we experienced at any property on our entire trip. There are made to order eggs, pho and more as well as juices, coffees and teas. The restaurant does also serve lunch and dinner for guests looking to stay within the hotel.

The Cloud is the hotel bar located on the lobby level and features both a patio and indoor bar area. The drinks are excellent and the prices are high for the area, but reasonable for a luxury hotel of this caliber. When we were at the bar, they always had musicians which added a great ambiance to the bar.

Since Landmark 81 is connected to the mall, office and residential buildings, there are seemingly endless options within the property. The mall does feature a variety of casual options for ramen, sushi and more.

There are endless options for dining within the complex so you certainly won’t go hungry. Many of the outlets are disconnected from the hotel, however, and can be quite difficult to get reservations for, even as hotel guests so it is worth keeping in mind.

Facilities: 5/5

Landmark81 has a fantastic selection of amenities for guests including a spa, fitness center, outdoor pool and club level lounge. The hotel is also connected to a mall with an ice rink, a variety of restaurants and shops.

The fitness center has the same floor to ceiling windows as the rest of the hotel and makes for a great, open space to work out. The fitness center has a steam and sauna as well as ample cardio and weights machines.

The outdoor pool is small but we never saw it get crowded and they do offer snacks and beverages for those looking to spend the day at the pool instead of in the hectic city.

The mall has over 100 outlets including shops and restaurants as well as amusement focused facilities such as a cinema. There are endless options for wandering and dining if you are looking to stay within the hotel and the prices are much more reasonable for dining than within the property.

Style: 4.5/5

This modern, towering structure is as impressive on the inside as it is on the outside. The light wood tones, natural colors and emphasis on natural light comes through in both the rooms and the facilities. The rooms do border on a bit corporate and it feels like if you close the blinds, you could be anywhere in the world. We do wish they brought more of Vietnam into the design elements of the property, even in subtle ways. That being said, it’s a stunning building with comfortable, quiet rooms and does serve a market looking for a high end property with easy access to the metropolitan city.

Overall: 4.4/5

Overall, we had a very enjoyable stay at Landmark81. While I would likely recommend booking a hotel a bit closer to the main tourist areas of District 1, it was an incredible experience to stay in the tallest building in the country and the second tallest building in Southeast Asia. At the very least, we highly recommend a visit to the Blank Sky Bar for absolutely unparalleled views of the bustling metropolis of Ho Chi Minh.