[sassina2]

The Lan Lan 2 Hotel is nice but it's US$21 or a little more per day.

I noticed that you were looking at a Bui Vien Hotel that is priced at US$12/- per night so I am not sure you want to up your budget. If so, the better locality and room is worth it at the Lan Lan 2.

Otherwise, your choices are at Bui Vien or Pham Ngu Lau areas which are adjoining streets in the "backpackers'" area of HCM City. It's colourful and some people like it and some don't. I myself do because there's lots of cheap things near at hand.

If your budget is very tight, I would recommend the hotel Sha Gua introduced to me.

Its very clean and it's sort of in a back-alley just off the Pham Ngu Lau main road near Le Duyen "Hoc Toc" (Salon). The only thing is that it's in that back alley. Otherwise their US$15/- rooms are very clean and nice and the owner is a very nice lady.

The name is Ngoc Minh Hotel at 283/11 Pham Ngu Lao Street
Distric.1, Ho Chi Minh City, Tel: +84 (8) 836 5215

Bui Vien Street has many budget Hotels too but they are less quiet and full of backpackers of all sorts. Like I said, some like it busy!

Outside the Pham Ngu Lau area along, Ly Tu Trong Street and also in the vicinity of the New World Hotel, there are several budget hotels which are girl friendly.

However, they are priced from US$15 upwards just like the Lan Lan2. I liked the LL2 because it was almost new.

Whatever, have fun with your girl. That's one of the reasons we end up going there!