The Lunar New Year, known as Tet, is approaching; Vietnamese and their foreign friends will celebrate the biggest festival of the year in about fifteen days.

Saigontourist Holding Company hotels are offering some promotional programs on the occasion of Tet for tourists who want to celebrate the festival with the locals in Ho Chi Minh City.

Que Huong-Liberty Hotel (265 Pham Ngu Lao Street, District 1, HCMC, tel: (08) 8364 556).

For the last three years, the hotel has organised a special programme to welcome Tet. This year, it will offer the “Tet voi Que Huong-Ve voi coi nguon” (Celebrating Tet in the motherland) program, at a package price of US $35 per room per night, from February 16 to 21, including a Gala Dinner at Van Canh Restaurant on February 18 (the second day of the Lunar New Year) and spring time gifts.

Also on February 18, guests will enjoy traditional Tet cuisine while learning Tet customs and cultural activities at a party with the theme “Vietnam” in Van Canh Restaurant before joining the Gala Dinner.

During the party, guests will learn about the custom of giving hong bao, red envelopes stuffed with money, to the young generation for good luck, and enjoy lion dances and chess games.

Bong Sen Hotel (117 Dong Khoi Street, District 1, tel: (08) 8291 516)

From February 12 to 22, the hotel offers two promotional programs. The first is “Family Tet Package” for guests booking two nights in Junior Suite rooms. Guests will be served with a welcome drink and fruit, free tea and coffee in their room, free breakfast, two vouchers for a meal at the hotel’s restaurant and visits to pagodas and festivals during the Lunar New Year. The room price is US$174++ for two adults and a child under the age of 12.

The second program is “Tet Package 2” for guests staying in Standard rooms. Guests will be served with a welcome drink, free tea and coffee in their room, free cocktails at night, breakfasts in the morning and a massage voucher or a lunch buffet voucher. A visit to the pagodas and Tet holiday festivals is also included. The room price is US$114++ per person, or US$154++ for two persons.

Palace Hotel (56 Nguyen Hue Boulevard, District 1, tel: (08) 8292 860) is also offering a “Tet Package” from February 01 to 28. Guests will stay in Superior or Deluxe rooms, enjoy breakfast at Golden Palace Restaurant, and receive a “Hot Rock” barbecue voucher worth US$30 for two persons at Fusion Restaurant and a welcome drink at the Palace Night Club. The price of the package is US$75++ a night.

Thien Hong and Bat Dat hotels (52-56 Tan Da Street, District 5, tel: (08) 8554 435) offers a promotional program for guests booking rooms from February 1 to 28, priced at US$95 a night. Included in the package are accommodation in Deluxe rooms, free breakfast buffet and “Welcoming New Year” buffet, free use of jacuzzi, sauna and steam-bath and free internet access.

(Source: SGT/ND)