Airbnb Ho Chi Minh City Apartment Review: Smart Home Group

Accommodation: Smart Home Group Apartments

Location: R4-39, Đường Số 2, Khu phố Hưng Gia 5, District 7, Hồ Chí Minh City

Loyalty Program or Deals Used

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Research and booking

Paul and I were looking for an apartment in Ho Chi Minh City District 7, for 2 weeks. And, after having several successes worldwide… we decided to look for a place on Airbnb Ho Chi Minh City.

So, there were many options to choose from. Yet, our preference was to have a 1-bedroom apartment rather than a studio. And, we were wanting fast internet. Thus, in adding these criteria it helped to narrow down the choices.

Plus, the great thing was we were already in District 7… so we could whip around the area to look at the apartments if need be.

Then, in the end we chose an apartment by the Smart Home Group.

And, we had a discount voucher of $55 to use, plus through the deals site Shopback.com.au we got a further $15 discount.

So, for a 15 night stay in this Airbnb Ho Chi Minh City District 7 apartment… it cost us AUD $423.95 (about USD $300).

So, we thought that was a great price for a 1-bedroom apartment. And, there were lots of amenities walking distance. Plus, the price included 1 free room cleaning during our stay, and complimentary wifi.

The Location

Our Airbnb apartment was in Ho Chi Minh City District 7, which lies South East of the bustling District 1.

So, on a good day it can take about 20 minutes to get from D7 to D1. Yet, on a bad day as we experienced on a Friday night during peak hour… it took us almost 1 hour!

District 7 is the largest of the districts in Ho Chi Minh, with many expats living here. And, where our apartment was, it was in the “Korean” part of District 7.

Thus, there were many Korean shops and restaurants in the area. Yet, there were many other amenities within walking distance that were handy. And, I’ll go through those soon.

Check In

So, the apartment we were staying in was managed by the Smart Home Group. And, the person I was co-ordinating our stay with was called Ms (she’s also known as Sunny).

Sunny is a great nickname for Ms Q as she is bright, sweet and helpful. And, they were very responsive to messages, which was great. Plus, the English is very good.

So, their office hours are between Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm. Yet, outside of those hours is a receptionist. Plus, there are a few people we could contact if need be.

Thus, as we were checking in outside office hours, we did so with the receptionist.

Yet, before we got to reception, which was in the basement… we had to take our luggage down these rainbow steps…

And, when the receptionist saw us… he quickly came out to help haul our luggage, which was kind of him.

So, the receptionist’s English was limited. Yet, our check in process was fine, and he personally took us up to our apartment via the lift.

TIP: Make sure you have your passport or ID cards ready for a speedier check in… as this is a police rule for accommodation in Vietnam.

So, to get into the apartment it’s via an electronic smart card. So, all we had to do was place the card in front of the device to unlock it.

Then, once we opened the door, here’s the first thing we saw…

The Bedroom And Living Area

So, the first room was the open plan bedroom and living area.

The bed was like a queen size and it is very firm, with literally no give when we would lie on it.

Plus, there were 2 pillows and a quilt cover. Yet, the quilt didn’t even fully cover the bed, and there was no overhang. Thus, it was annoying as it would barely cover our bodies. So, we had tug-of-war with the quilt.

So, beneath the bed on one side were drawers for storage space. And, on that same side of the bed was a handy side table. Then, on the right hand side of the bed was a shelving unit with lots more storage area. And, on top of that was a large rug.

Yet, we thought it would’ve been a better use of space, with another side table and couch instead. And, in front of this section was a small coffee table.

There was a large window with blinds, letting lots of natural light in. But, as the fabric was light, the early morning light would wake us up. Thankfully, we had some eye masks, which we highly recommend when traveling!

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Then, next to that window was a large desk, flat screen TV and a shelving area.

But, it was annoying when watching the TV, because whenever the lift was operating… it would ruin the TV reception.

So, on the other side of the room was a large cupboard with coat hangers and shelves.

Then, by the door were more shelving areas. So, from a storage perspective there was heaps of places to put things!

In the open plan bedroom and living area, there was an air conditioning unit too, which was powerful.

Yet, outside by the window were a few air conditioning units. So, if you’re a light sleeper this would most likely keep you awake at night when they were on. Luckily for us, we were using ear plugs to help block out the noise.

So, then there was a doorway, with a sliding door. And, this led to the kitchen.

The Kitchen

So, in the kitchen was a dining table, which also was good for extra desk space. Thus, Paul and I could have our own areas. And, at the table were 2 chairs.

There was a full size fridge with freezer… plus another air conditioner, of which we were surprised that there were 2. So, the great thing was the air conditioner was also powerful. Plus, the fridge and freezer would cool down quickly. So, it was great when we bought beers!

There was plenty of storage space in the kitchen.

And, there was a kettle, single electric cooktop, pot, pan, and basic utensils. So, there was a pair of chopsticks, a couple of spoons, 2 small bowls, 2 small plates, 2 glasses, ladle, spatula, and cleaning equipment. So, the kitchen amenities were fine for us to make basic meals only.

Yet, one of the great things was that a lot of natural light came in throughout the day.

And, there was a set of sheer curtains with black out curtains. So, we were thinking… they should have put sheer curtains and black out curtains in the bedroom, instead of the blinds.

And, behind here was a door, which led out to a small balcony.

And so you know, with the position of the balcony it doesn’t get any direct sunlight.

Here are pics of the views from the balcony…

So, on the other side of the room were heaps more shelves for storage!

Then, there was another door, which led to the bathroom.

The Bathroom

So, the size of the bathroom was quite good, in comparison to many other 1-bedroom apartments we’d stayed in.

And, around the sink and mirror area, we saw that there were many amenities for us… including toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, comb, shower cap, and more.

Plus, the shower cubicle was a decent size, which also had a compartment to store things. Yet, it was really cool how there was a rainshower, hand held shower device… as well as a tap. So, we could choose to use the shower in 3 different ways if we wanted!

And, next to the toilet was a towel rack with 2 hand towels and 2 bath towels. Yet, when Paul was grabbing a bath towel to use, he thought it was an oversized hand towel!

So, the bath towels would have to be some of the smallest sizes we’ve had on our travels. Oh well, at least they kept us clean and dry.

Now, one of the most annoying things of our stay was this…

So, they were doing some renovations, which happens. Yet, this would occur throughout the day and night, even at ridiculous times like 3:30 in the morning!

Thus, something to enquire about if this is a concern for you.

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Around Ho Chi Minh City Airbnb Smart Home Group Apartment

So, we have to say that District 7 is much more quiet than say, District 1. And, this can be a lovely change… especially if you’ve been staying in the heart of Pham Ngu Lao and the Bui Vien Walking Street area.

So, as I was saying earlier, the apartment is in the Korea area of District 7. Thus, there were loads of Korean restaurants and shops. Yet, within easy walking distance are convenience stores, massage parlors… other restaurants, gyms, supermarkets, pharmacies and heaps more.

Plus, about 1km away is a shopping center called Vivo. And here, there is a massive Coop Supermarket, lots of eateries, shops and more.

And, aside from the Korean karaoke bars, there are more Western type bars too. You can find out more in our blog post HERE.

So, the apartment is in a great area for a range of facilities and amenities.

We Drink Eat Travel Wifi / Internet Speed Test

So, with the internet at this apartment, there was the option of 5 or 5G wifi. Then, when we were checking the 5G wifi speed, we were happy.

So, the download speed we clocked up on our test was 28 mbps, and the upload was 32.1 mbps.

Thus, with those speeds it was great for us.

Would we stay here again?

The Airbnb host Sunny was very responsive to the queries we had. Plus, she was polite, friendly and helpful.

So, the actual apartment was clean, bright and facilities were working well. And, it looked like the apartment was relatively new.

Plus, it was in a quiet area of Ho Chi Minh, the wifi was great and we were spoilt for storage space.

So, a couple of negatives during our stay included… noise from the outside air conditioning units.

Plus, there was construction works at random hours of the day and night… that would sometimes wake us up. Thus, if this is a concern, best to check about construction in and around the apartment.

Otherwise, our 2 week stay was a relaxing and comfortable one.

So, the Ho Chi Minh City Airbnb Smart Home Group Apartments is a place to consider staying in District 7.

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Note: All of our reviews and comments are our opinions and no-one else’s. Even if we receive complimentary goods or services we share our opinions honestly.