Overview
Look, I’ll be honest – when I first walked up to Asian Ruby Hotel & Spa – 122F Bui Thi Xuân Street, I wasn’t expecting much from a three-star place tucked into this bustling corner of District 1. But you know what? Sometimes these smaller hotels surprise you in the best way possible. The building itself is pretty narrow (classic Saigon style), squeezed between other shophouses on Bui Thi Xuan, but there’s something charming about how they’ve made the most of every square inch.
The location is actually brilliant if you want to experience real Ho Chi Minh City life without being stuck in the touristy bubble. You’re literally a five-minute walk from all the backpacker madness of Pham Ngu Lao – which is great when you want cheap street food and late-night drinks – but far enough away that you can actually sleep at night. I mean, anyone who’s stayed right on Bui Vien knows what I’m talking about. The staff here genuinely seemed to care, not just going through the motions like at some of the bigger chain places. They helped me figure out the best route to the Independence Palace on foot (turns out there’s a shortcut through the park that most tourists miss) and actually remembered my name by the second day.
The spa part isn’t just a fancy name – they do decent massages, though honestly, you’ll find better and cheaper options just walking around the neighborhood. But after spending all day dodging motorbikes and exploring the city, it’s nice to have that option right in your building. The rooms are clean and well-maintained, nothing fancy but everything works properly. The air conditioning actually keeps up with the heat, which believe me, isn’t always a given in this price range. What I really appreciated was how quiet it stays despite being on a fairly busy street – they must have decent windows or something. The Wi-Fi was solid throughout the building too, which saved me from having to hunt down coffee shops every time I needed to upload photos or video call home. You’re also within walking distance of some fantastic local eating spots that aren’t on every travel blog yet – there’s this incredible bánh mì place about two blocks down that locals line up for every morning around 7 AM. Trust me on that one.
Guest reviews
"Comfortable, Clean and Reliable"
The location is amazing. Everything is close by and you really don’t require a taxi. Just take a walk. The staff are also kind. The rooms were clean too.
August 18, 2025
"I would recommend this hotel for location, comfort and value"
Location was perfect to explore District 1. Very quiet in the bedrooms, and a lift to all floors. Breakfast was very good. Staff all friendly especially Don. Comfy bed and pillows.
May 23, 2025
"Beautiful hotel in District 1, centrally located close to amenities, with friendly and helpful staff"
Asian Ruby Hotel & Spa is central and well located in District 1, with many restaurants/eating places close by, within reach of lots of amenities and places to book tours. Ben Thanh market is not far away, is reasonably priced via grab (do not use a metre taxi, that is very expensive!)! On our first day we used metre taxis which charged us a lot of money.
The front desk staff were kind and helpful with providing information, so were the house cleaning staff and staff at the breakfast place. Tuan was exceptionally helpful to us. I was travelling with my friend Natasha. He assisted with ordering and installing a Vietnam sim card for each of us Tuan also assisted us to download the grab app, and to register on grab on our phones. Thanks to him, we discovered that ordering a taxi via grab is far cheaper than ordering a regular metre taxi.
What could be improved: We liked everything about the hotel. The staff was helpful and kind. The breakfast was good. I was proceeding to Dan Nang, Hoi An, Hanoi, Halong Bay and Ninh Binh for about 2 weeks with my friend. The hotel kindly kept the rest of my luggage whilst travelling. From Hanoi I fly back to HCMC, and will again put up at Asian Ruby Hotel & Spa for one night on my way out of Vietnam. Natasha flew out of Vietnam from Hanoi.
April 15, 2025
"Pleasant"
Staff was very helpful
What could be improved: Not very clean and towels had stain and holes.
March 14, 2025
"Great stay for a few days in HCM City"
Great stay for a few days, close to all the action and the internet was so fast plus the breakfast was excellent.
November 26, 2024
"Good"
What could be improved: Breakfast is very disappointing and very limited choices. No vegetarian or Vegan dishes. Also, no live egg station, which is standard in all hotels
November 18, 2024
"Very Good"
Nice Asian breakfast, very nice staff. Everything was very clean.
November 12, 2024
"It met our needs."
Breakfast is reasonable for type of hotel, though has a small dinning area. Staff very helpful and proactive to fix problem with our room and moved us to another one quickly.
What could be improved: It needs a renovation and modernising, but it is comfortable for short stays. The coffee was not good, watered down, it was not up to the usual Vietnamese standard for coffee.
November 11, 2024
"Be Suitable for staying the hotel with reasonable price"
Convenient place
What could be improved: None
October 31, 2024
"Wonderful"
The hotel is located in the city center. Considering the location and amenities, the room rates are quite reasonable. The rooms may not be brand new, but I found them to be well cleaned and tidy.
October 1, 2024
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