An Artistic Gem on a budget: Chill Box hotel in HCMC
- AJ Carter
- Jun 27, 2017
- 5 min read
THE DIARIES : VIET NAM
If you are like us, you probably feel like you deserve to treat yourself to a place that is more than your "typical hotel". If you are like us, you also don't have the patience to watch your savings account magically multiply somehow so that you can afford the room at the Hilton you deserve. Meeting these needs can a balancing act much harder than you think. With websites ranging from Agoda to Kayak and every single thing in between, AJ usually volunteers the time needed to find the "perfect" place for our little vacation.
A few hours and a few grey hairs later, we had it narrowed down to a few places. We decided to go with this new place called "Chill Box". It had just opened so didn't have many reviews online, but its location was key and the pictures seemed pretty nice. It had a minimalistic design, with lots of whites, very tastefully done from the pictures we saw, which both of us liked. AJ pointed out a couple reviews that had said the place exceeded people's expectations when they were looking for "Ho Chi Minh hotels on a budget". We both knew that subliminally, the decision had been made. This was just us rationalizing it.
We booked the Chill Box hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.
The lawyer in AJ just HAD to dive deeper and conduct a thorough investigation, he found the place's Facebook profile. He messaged the page, and just a few minutes later, was #FacebookOfficial with the owner and host of Chill Box. A few more minutes later, everything was set up. We had messages guiding us about everything ranging from where to get a Sim Card upon landing at the Ho Chi Minh City airport, how much money to exchange at the Airport as their rates are ridiculous, what cab company to take, directions from the airport to the hotel, to a couple restaurants where we could grab a bite on the go. We both got positive vibes from Chill Box.
Throughout our whole trip, ever since the moment we made the booking with Chill Box, till (even after!) the check out process at this Ho Chi Minh City hotel, the staff never ceased to make sure we were taken care of.
We landed at the Saigon Airport. Chaos, chaos everywhere. It was humid, it was hot. It was smoky. It was beautiful.
Just like our instructions, we grabbed our sim card (cost about $15AUD for 10gb for the month!), and somehow bypassed all the taxi drivers without any scratches on us. We went with the taxi provider suggested by Chill Box, and ended up paying about half of what the other taxi drivers were quoting! One of our hosts, Hieu, greeted us on the street and we followed him down an alleyway, where he instructed us about what keys did what. This was the first night we landed, having traveled all day, we just wanted something quick to eat. Hieu came out of nowhere with ice cold welcome drinks and then actually walked us to various food vendors when he found out that we were hungry! We realized that night, our very first night, that with heaps of options around, we wouldn't go hungry when we stayed at the Chill Box hotel in Ho Chi Minh City.
We woke up and decided to explore the place. Gotta say this about Chill Box, the location is very central. We were smack in the middle of HCMC District 1, only about a 15 minute walk from the Ben Thanh market and all the other major attractions. On this walk, we thoroughly enjoyed the sights and sounds of typical Vietnam traffic and also the locals as we browsed past the markets and street vendors on our way. About a 5 minute walk from the Chill Box, is a whole bunch of tourist activities and tour booking agencies. This is very important to many travelers, including ourselves, knowing that we will be getting all the best deals on our tours, and the Chill Box staff was more than accommodating to guide us to where to get the same! This area is also where some good restaurants are. We should know, we had to take shelter in the rain at one.
We had booked the Queen 1 Br suite at the Chill Box hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, and there was no surprises here; the room was exactly as beautiful and well decorated as the pictures! Our very spacious room with a very comfortable bed, clean, the nice cold air-con after a hot, humid day in Ho Chi Minh City, felt very much like home to us. The shower had both hot and cold water settings, and everything worked as it was supposed to (unlike some other hotels we have been to!). The room was very tastefully done, and you can tell that the staff has put in time and effort in its decoration. It had everything we needed, and was very comfortable.
Above and beyond, the staff noticed that it was our anniversary, and had an upgrade set up for us. We were upgraded to the Romantic Suite. Caecee, one of our hosts, had taken the initiative to start a conversation with AJ and further actually orchestrated with his staff, a surprise for us! We were told to just go out and about our day and when we returned, the staff discreetly switched our keys for us, and had a beautiful bouquet of roses waiting on the bed for Monica. Accompanying it, was a greeting card that the staff had, with love, picked out, with a handwritten message on AJ's behalf. Both of us are seasoned travelers, and have rarely seen such concern and care by any hospitality staff.
Now the Romantic Room itself, deserves a whole review of its own. Again, very beautifully done, it exceeded the expectations I had from even the pictures posted online! It is very cozy and homey, and with red's and white's, is definitely the way to go for any couples wanting to stay here! The living room area with the lantern display definitely sets the mood on a relaxing evening. Staff had ensured that the rooms were spotless and that all amenities were in excellent and working conditions. We were highly impressed.
Throughout our stay at Chill Box, the contact information of a couple of the hosts and staff members, and even the smallest of questions we had about HCMC, the staff were more than happy to accommodate; even if the most random requests. For instance, on one occasion, I asked one of the staff whether there was any shops around that offered a good price for business card, just out of curiosity. The staff members collaborated together, and even ended up taking me to a few places and negotiated a great price for me.
To sum up, don't pick Chill Box if you expect a 4 star hotel with all facilities. If rooftop pools and beers on the patio are your thing, don't pick Chill Box, you will be thoroughly disappointed. We are both experienced travelers and place an emphasis on cleanliness, location, and staff. Chill Box ticked off all our checklist items, all while providing us an artistically designed budget hotel right in the heart of District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City.
Key Takeaway : For us it was the minimalist, but themed and artistically styled rooms. We see the beauty in art, and thus, were definitely able to label this place a cute little "gem" in the heart of the hustle and bustle of the city. The only regret we had was not having enough days to spend at this beautiful little place, that the staff rightfully refer to, as home.
You can check out the Chill Box hotel in Ho Chi Minh City here.
Tell Caecee that we sent you, he will hook you up.
Disclaimer: This is an independent opinion post and has, in no way, been sponsored by the business(es) involved.
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