Ho Chi Minh Airport Business Lounge Review – Your Vietnam Final Stop
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Ho Chi Minh Airport Business Lounge Review with all the information you need to make the best-valued decision!
Ho Chi Minh (Tan Son Nha) International Airport has plenty of good business lounges to help you conclude your Vietnam journey. Of all the airports, I have been to. Tan Son Nha (SGN / TSN International) International Airport is the one that gave me one of the best experiences.
Not only do I enjoy great international and local food, but it also has the most drink selections and is, most importantly, very close to departure gates. If you follow my best-valued travel principle, you shall have a credit card with free access to the airport lounge.
And even if you don’t, the buffet provided shall be worth more than 30 USD.
To me, a hearty meal and chill at the airport lounge is always the best way to conclude a vacation. During my last 3 day visit to Ho Chi Minh City, I used the Rose Business Lounge there and loved that so much.
Let’s check out our review of the airport SGN’s lounge below.
☕ Looking For A HCMC Business Lounge? ✅ Book It Here!
In case you do not have a credit card with complimentary lounge access, you can book that online. This package offers the option to book Rose Business Lounge in advance for the international terminal or Le Saigonnais for the domestic terminal.
Main Airport Lounges In SGN
There are mainly three business lounges at the international terminal of SGN airport. They are namely “Lotus Business Lounge” (mainly for the business class tickets of Vietnam Airlines), “Jasmine Halal Lounge” and “Rose Business Lounge”. Note that there are other two famous business class lounges under – Le Saigonnais operating at the domestic terminal and international separately. However, most complimentary credit card lounges (for this brand access) would be limited to domestic ones only.
All three business lounges at the international terminal operate for 24 hours. This is the best part as compared to most other lounges around the world only operate for limited hours. At the same time, they are also your best 24-hour alternative in case you will be using HCMC airport for transit flights.
Because, unlike some airports like the one at Addis Ababa, there is no transit visa for HCMC transit. You will need to at least pay 60 USD for an instant visa or book the visa via an official channel several weeks in advance with 25 USD to go out. So instead I would just pay 30 USD (in case I don’t have the free-access credit card) for the lounge.
Unless you are using business class for VietJet or a related airline. You are unlikely to have access to Lotus Lounge. In most cases, your option would fall between Jasmine Lounge and Rose Lounge, given both are partners with the Plaza Premium Lounge Group.
If you can only have Halal food, then Jasmine Halal Lounge will naturally be your option. In my case, I chose Rose Business Lounge most of the time instead, for its more spacious location with glass windows for the airport runways. On top of that, they have a better variety of local food and dessert as compared to Jasmine with more focus on international food.
Lounge Opening Time & Location
Both Jasmine Halal Lounge and Rose Business Lounge are open 24 hours. They are located on the 2nd floor of the international departure terminal near gate 17. Given the rectangular design of SGN airport. You shall be able to reach your departure gate within 15 minutes or less.
Food Quality
Both lounges serve a variety of food from basic pastries like bread, salad, and international food to some local food. In terms of variety, I prefer Rose Business Lounge which has more Vietnamese food. Quality both lounges are above average with more than options you can choose from.
International Food
For international food, both lounges are at par. For people who love fiber and protein, both lounges serve basic salads and international food like meat dishes. Other than that both have a cereal and bread session. These are pretty standard compared to other lounges in the world.
Vietnamese Food
As for local food, this is where the Rose Business Lounge stands out. Inside the lounge, I found not only the famous Vietnamese Pho but also local sticky rice with salted egg. On top of that, I also find Vietnamese spring rolls, sticky coconut cake, and even lotus sweet water. However, for Jasmine Lounge I found the dishes are more Chinese than Vietnamese. I even saw Hong Kong-style coconut milk puddings there.
Based on that, my preference is to Rose Business Lounge which can provide me last bite of Vietnam before I arrive.
Beverage Quality
Both lounges have various soft drinks available in their fridge. What surprised me was that I could find Vietnamese local yogurt inside. Other than soft drinks you can find tea and coffee at your disposal in both lounges.
However, it seems that only Rose Lounge provides the options of various local beers and wines. This is probably because Jasmine is a Halal lounge. If you want to enjoy the alcoholic drink and chill out. You should pick the Rose Business Lounge as well.
Facilities & Services
Needless to say, both lounges have buffet food & beverages. Other than that standard service like Wifi, prayer room, toilet, and electrical sockets. One step better, Rose Lounge offers free amenities such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, cotton swabs, and sanitary pads.
As for seating, both lounges enjoy the view of the runways. During peak hour Rose Lounge could be quite crowded due to its better food and drinks offer.
Is It Worth To Going To HCMC Airport Lounge
By now, you should have a good expectation of the business lounges at the international departure gate. I highly recommend you to relax there as the final stop of your Vietnam visit. Personally, I prefer Rose over Jasmine Lounge. But both of them are of high quality and serve different needs.
By putting the visit as your last stop, you could arrive at the airport 2 to 3 hours early before your departure. That way you don’t need to over-worry whether your ride from the city center to the airport will be longer than expected due to traffic.
On top of that, if you decide not to visit the city during your transit. Instead of sitting at the airport and doing nothing, the 24-hour lounge is the best place to go. Price-wise, the a-la-carte menu in the airport restaurant would cost you over 10 USD for a small portion of the food. The souvenir shop there tends to overprice by at least 5 times.
In that, even if you do not have a credit card with complimentary lounge access, you may consider buying a hearty buffet with a relaxing experience for around ~ 30 USD only.
☕ Looking For A HCMC Business Lounge? ✅ Book It Here!
HCMC Business Lounge Booking
Again, if you don’t have free access to lounge, you can still book it online in advance. The cost shall justify as compared to the transit visa fee required for very short stay in HCMC.
