· Open -

In the 1950's two French entrepreneurs set out to build the tallest most luxurious hotel in Saigon. The Caravelle opened with a big party on Christmas Eve 1959

· 1st Owners-

Monsieurs Antonin Emery and Marius Mallein

· AKA -

Named after Air France's new Jetliners which in turn were named after the fast light sailing ships the Portuguese used to discover the world

· Stars -*****

· Guests -

Neil Davis / Michael Caine / David Halberstam / Walter Cronkite / Neil Sheehan / Peter Arnett / Michel Herr / Bob Hope / John Steinbeck / Nixon 

· History -

In the 1960's the hotel was home to the Australian and New Zealand Embassies and the Saigon bureaus of NBC, ABC and CBS as well as other news organisations.

By the end of the war the journalists could literally see it from the rooftop bar and they joked that they didn't have to get up from their bar stools to cover the war.

After the war the Communist government took over and renamed it the Doc Lap (Independence Hotel). Hotel guests in this period were dour types from Moscow.

The Caravelle was back in 1998. A 24 storey tower has since been added.

· Signature -

Signature Lounge

· Rooms -

333 rooms @ $127 - $964

· Tales -

On the morning of August 25th 1964 a bomb ripped through 9 rooms on the 5th floor. Fortunately all of the journalists staying there were out covering the war at the time.

During the takeover in 1975 a North Vietnamese tank pulled up, pointed it's turret at the hotel but decided not to fire

· Claim to Fame -

The roof top bar was a famous gathering place of war correspondents. They had a clear view of the war across the Saigon River and would often do a piece to camera from the bar with the war in the back ground

The famous image of the last helicopter in the evacuation leaving the city was taken from the rooftop of the Caravelle

The winner of the best luxury hotel 3 years running

Housed the crew of the Quiet American movie and actually featured in the movie

· Innovations -

Bullet proof glass

Air-con Elevator

· Feature -

In a great location

· View -

The City or the Saigon River

· High Tea -

Cafe de l'Opera

· Facilities -

Business centre / Tours and cooking classes / Limo Transfers / Spa / Fitness centre / Outdoor pool with bar / E - Gaming

· Unique -

Had a bomb go off in room 514

· Restaurants -

Reflections - Fine dining, new menu every 2 months, great views

Nineteen - Seafood buffet - Breakfast and Lunch Buffets

Tapas Kitchen - Tapas and Wine

· Bars -

Saigon Saigon - Rooftop Bar, Happy Hours and Live Music and bar food

Martini Bar

· Sights -

Opera House / Notre Dame Cathedral / Historic Dong Khoi Street / Nguyen Hue Walking Street / Ben Thanh Market / Reunification Palace / War Remnants Museum / Water Puppets

· Extra -

See  'Islands' - Con Son