Saigon airport has had a partial facelift. It's roomier, marbled in parts, with an Internet station and the obligatory cobras pickled in evil looking liqueurs. It is quite efficient, almost reminiscent of the old Kai Tak in Hongkong, and metered taxis are plentiful (US$3-$5 for a ride downtown). Within the city, taxi meters start at D6, 000 or, more commonly, D12,000 depending on the state of the cab. In some swish private taxis, flagfall is at D15, 000. This is not a rip-off.

Before you go shopping for a hotel bear two things in mind. The plugs are often French-style two-pin affairs that will stymie some adaptors. Make sure you can power up your laptop. Secondly, most hotels do not have fast Internet connections though Broadband is making an appearance, slowly. Dial-up speed depends entirely on how many guests are logged on at the time. As a general rule, Internet access is tough in Vietnam. As usage tends to be private rather than corporate, nights are jammed. The best time for logging on is usually between 10am and noon.

The latest arrival in town is the swish Park Hyatt Saigon right across the road from the splendid Opera House. With a location smack in the middle of business and shopping - and entertainment by the block - the hotel offers 252 rooms with marble-tiled bathrooms and rain showers. There is Broadband Internet access and a flat-panel TV for those who prefer to catch up on the news in style.

Three rooms have been set aside for the physically challenged and, for those who prefer not to be financially challenged but expect all the perks of a top-drawer five-star, there are specials on offer from time to time. A pillar-less ballroom of 550sq m will set event-planners' hearts throbbing while after hours, business travellers may wish to unwind with a spa treatment, a fitness workout, or some quick laps in the 20m outdoor pool.

The Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers is a big, city hotel in every sense of the word. The lobby has space to swing a horse by the tail and there's a distinct five-star gleam in every marbled corner. The 328-room Sheraton offers light, airy rooms with lots of dreamy white and corporate blue. The toilet is rather compact, but the separate shower with waist-level massage jets is luxurious compensation. The inroom safe can handle a notebook or a small laptop.

All rooms have Broadband access. Recreation options include tennis, squash, swimming and a spa. For large banquets and conferences, the grand ballroom can hold 700 guests (sit-down) or 1,000 (cocktail). The Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers is right in the centre of town on bustling Dong Khoi Street.

Around the corner is the once undisputed top address in town, the art nouveau Caravelle Hotel . However the competition has got a lot brisker with the Sheraton and PArk Hyatt's arrival. Its sumptuous Signature rooms cater for business travellers with lots of gold-weave fabric and light pinewood. On the ninth floor, the popular Saigon Saigon Bar with a wraparound verandah caters for just about anybody in search of margaritas, music and grand vistas. The hotel in fact overlooks the historic Opera House. The Caravelle's inroom safes can handle a small notebook but not a laptop. If you are lugging one of those infernal machines about, the good news is, the executive rooms should all have broadband by now and the rest will be getting it shortly. There's a smallish toilet with a combined tub and shower, complimentary tea and coffee-making facilities and a well-stocked minibar.

The five-year-old Sofitel Plaza Saigon on Le Duan Boulevard, also in District 1, is just minutes away by taxi. The lobby is chic, bright and roomy, featuring two enormous spiralling stacked-wood columns. Here, as at other plush establishments, foreigners with petite Asian wives will need to negotiate the floor with the usual tact and speed lest an overzealous security guard bar access to the lift. The cosy Elyses Bar with its deep blue curving sofas and red chairs is a nice hideaway. It features soft Latino music evenings.

The Sofitel's rooms are comfortable and spacious though the unrelieved monotony of pale powder-green pastels can appear insipid and dull. The toilets offer two small black lacquer boxes with a toothbrush set, a shaving set, emery board, comb, cotton balls and a sewing set. The hotel is keenly aware executives travel light and just about anything you may have forgotten to pack into that Incredible Shrinking Bag will likely be available.

The business floor rooms are much the same but offer a lounge, various benefits and a nifty electric trouser press. There is a rooftop pool as well as a Clark Hatch fitness centre 6am-10pm that is free for guests except after 4pm when a charge applies (though not for Sofitel Club Members). The inroom safe can handle a video camera but not a laptop.

The 540-room New World Hotel Saigon , close to Ben Thanh market, was the city's first five-star. It is a sprawling mustard yellow building that is not easy on the eye. But step inside and it's a rather different world. There's shopping, cafs, pool, kids' area, and an adjacent nightlife complex with the Lelai Sauna and the throbbing Catwalk disco and karaoke where slinky hostesses with legs going up to heaven will listen to your boring life story for about US$20 per hour. Is your tale worth it? A massage costs half that.

The New World's deluxe rooms are tasteful with muted earth colours and silk bed-runners. The toilets with black stone and grey-slate floors feature a combined bathtub and shower. There is complimentary tea and coffee-making equipment and a soft drink from the minibar will set you back just US$2.40. The Elsafe can handle a tiny notebook but not much more. The hotel has splashed out US$2.5m on room renovations, a casino extension and a third ballroom (440sq ft). An ugly boarded-up lot across the road has given way to a park.

Situated on the busy riverside boulevard with splendid open views is New World's sister hotel, the Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon . The hotel has 349 rooms, a rooftop pool, a fitness centre with sauna and massage, and conference facilities. A soaring atrium leading up 21 floors to a skylight is an architectural signature. All rooms feature an iron and full-size ironing board and the inroom safe can store a small notebook. The hotel can place a Toyota Crown at your disposal at around US$18 per hour or $70 for a half day. A Mercedes will set you back about US$90 for a half day. Heck, just sleep in the car. Club Floor guests get a stack of complimentary nibbles, cocktails and breakfast as well as free laundry and two pressings per day. The Club Lounge also provides free Internet access.

Not too far from downtown is the Legend Hotel Saigon . This is a simple and elegant pale salmon building on the outside but a riot of grand bric-a-brac and colours inside. Two enormous metal horses look onto the lobby lounge and a fountain under a bright yellow-and-blue skylight surrounded by Roman bathhouse pillars. Still, it is a professionally run place with bright staff and will appeal to some.

Some distance away (by Ho Chi Minh City standards), a 15-minute taxi-ride will bring you to the understated 250-room Omni Saigon Hotel . This five-star ¡°corporate airport hotel has an interesting history. It was a US government building until 1975 when its occupants departed, presumably not all on the last helicopter out. Omni took over in 1994, adding a grand lobby, sweeping staircase and rooftop pool, to convert the lowrise apartment into a quality hotel with ample conference facilities. This means that unlike standardised modern hotels, every room here is slightly different in shape and orientation. Club Floor rooms are generous in size with discreet individual airconditioners, big (or rather, tall) inroom safes that can easily house a laptop and a packet of chips, and free, unlimited broadband access. The toilets are huge and there are coffee and tea-making facilities. Rooms have a homey feel with small tasteful artefacts placed on desks and tables ¨C like an abacus, a ceramic pot or a statuette.

The regular rooms at the Omni have dial-up Internet connections charged at US$0.20 per minute. These rooms feature crisp white duvets, deep royal blue carpets, and smaller safes. Not laptop size unfortunately. A nice touch at the hotel is the street-caf style OJ's which attracts a hip suburban crowd for its Mexican wraps, breads and yoghurt shakes. If you still need more buzz, pop into Club 21, a gaming area with roulette, black jack and slot machines.

Just up the road from here is the Novotel Garden Plaza Saigon , a modern, four-star atrium-style hotel with pool, club floors for executive travellers, and a fun pub. The 159-room property is a smart choice. It is, however, essentially an airport hotel.