Notwithstanding much higher prices than usual, most hotel rooms in Ho Chi Minh City were overbooked on the night of Valentine’s Day.
 |
| Guesthouses in high demand |
 |
| A guesthouse full at 22:00 pm on St. Valentine’s Day |
 |
| A couple walking on the street on Valentine\'s night |
In recent years, going to a “love hotel”, or a "nhà nghỉ", on Valentine night has become a trend among young people in Vietnam. Because of the lack of private places for young people to share a bit of time to themselves, these rooms have become an ideal place for memorable moments.
Traveling around the streets of central Ho Chi Minh City, especially around the universities, signs advertising nhà nghỉ are a very common sight.
Mi Van Guesthouse on Le Hong Phong Street, in District 10, welcomed 30 guests from 5:00 to 21:00 p.m on the evening of February 14, most of them teenagers. The most guests came to seek rooms late at night. Couples would arrive every five or ten minutes.
On Valentine’s Day, room prices increased by between VND120,000 (USD5.79) and VND200,000 (USD9.66). The normal price is between VND50,000 (USD2.41) and VND80,000 (USD3.86).
Many have learned from previous years to book rooms in advance. The rooms are often rented out by the hour, which means more money for the establishments than renting them overnight.
“Despite trying to arrange in advance, we were unable to meet the high demand,” said owner of Hong Loan Hotel.
On Valentine’s night, one of the most popular places for lovers was around Gia Dinh, Tao Dan and 23-9 parks as well as Thu Thiem Bridge. Both areas were tightly patrolled by police.
More luxurious destinations, like cafes and pubs along Thanh Da River were more crowded. Couples had to wait their turn just to hire a hammock for relaxation.
Mr D.T.T, 27 years old, of District 4 in Ho Chi Minh City, said he’s been married for two years with no children. He and his wife made an overnight trip to a hotel for a change in atmosphere. He said, “My wife wants to find a space away from home to go to. It was a good idea, but it is very difficult to find a hotel room.”
V.H.C, a student living in the dormitory at Thu Duc University, said he and his girl friend rented a hotel room on Valentine’s Day night because there was no other private place to go. He said that he feared dark public places because of thieves. Still the central city is expensive for them, and the parks were too crowded. A hotel was the perfect solution.