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1880:
The project to build the Hotel Continental
Palace was realized by Pierre Cazeau, a
home-appliance and construction material
manufacturer.
1911:
The Hotel was bought by Duke Monpensier.
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1920s:
Catinat street, where the Hotel Continental
Palace located, was Saigon's "Canebière"
- the name of a street in the city of Marseille,
France. The famous French writer André Malreaux
and his wife Clara were among the hotel's
permanent clients during 1924-1925.
1930:
Mathieu Franchini bought the hotel and ran it
successfully for 30 years. After the defeat at
Dien Bien Phu, the French colonial regime came to
an end, and together with the withdraw of the
French troop from Vietnam was the departure of
Mathieu Franchini. During the World War II, many
an American weekly magazine had its bureau
installed at the Continental hotel; the Times on
the first floor while the Newsweek the second. |
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1964-1975:
Philippe, Mathieu Franchini's son, who had run the
hotel until 1964, left Vietnam like his father
before him. Then came the time when "Newsmen
covering the Vietnam War measured the ups and
downs of its course by the fortunes of the hotel,
"according to Martin Meade, Joseph Fitchett
and Anthony Lawrence in their book "Great
oriented Hotels". Or as William Tuohy,
Newsweek magazine's Saigon bureau chief, wrote in
his book "Dangerous Company":
"After writing our stories, we would gather
around the Continental Hotel for dinner and
drinks. Many drinks.". |
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The
reason for
these newsmen to choose the Hotel Continental to
gather was simple: it is located in the heart of
Saigon, adjacent to the National Assembly (now the
Municipal Theater) where the press circle would
gather around for collecting the information and
discussing political issues and all. The Hotel
Continental was then called by a very
typical name: "Radio Catinat". |
|
Guest
calling the Continental home have included French
writer Andre Malreaux and Briton Graham Greene
(Room 214), who wrote "The Quiet
American", a book about the warning days
French Indochina and the beginning of the American
presence in Vietnam.
1975:
Some weeks after April 30, 1975, the hotel was
closed.
1986:
The
Hotel Continental was officially under the
management of the Saigon Tourist Holding Company. |
|
Sep.
1989
till now, a new
Hotel Continental was re-born, yet its original
French colonial architecture remained almost
unchanged and once again the Hotel Continental
becomes a great place to rendezvous to the
business travelers as well as the tourists, who
wish both to breathe the romantic and elegant air
and to enjoy the luxurious and modern facilities
at the same time, a unique experience that no
other hotels in HoChiMinh City, or Saigon, can
offer. |
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Hotel
Continental, Saigon 1925... |
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Hotel
Continental, Saigon 1925... |
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Hotel
Continental, HoChiMinh City 2000 |
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Hotel
Continental, HoChiMinh City 2000 |
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