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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 2001
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Hotel
Continental, HoChiMinh City 2001
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Hotel
Continental, HoChiMinh City 2001
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Hotel
Continental, HoChiMinh City 2001
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