Open -

1880

· 1st Owner -

Pierre Cazeau - a French manufacturer wanted to provide accommodation for the French travellers coming off the ship out from France

· AKA -

Dai Luc Lu Quan / Radio Catinat / Continental Palace / Dong Khoi

· Stars - ****

· Guests -

Andre Malraux / Graham Greene / Jacques Chirac / Mahathir Mohammed / Hunter S. Thompson

· History -

It was named after the Hotel Continental in Paris. It had its heyday in the 1930's when it was the most luxurious hotel in Saigon.

In 1930 a gangster from Corsica bought the hotel and ran and then his son Philippe until1975 when the North took over. The father left when the French lost their war and the son when the Americans lost.

In 1952 a bomb went off in the square opposite the hotel. The CIA were implicated and 8 people died and 32 were injured.

In 1975 the hotel was taken over by the new government and it was closed in 1976. It became a hostel for communist officers and officials.

It reopened in 1986 as the Dong Khoi and was renovated in 1988 and reopened again as the Hotel Continental in 1989.

· Signature -

Shaded terrace cafe with tables on the footpath opposite the most prestigious square in the city where people meet up, gossip and watch the world go past.

· Rooms -

83 rooms @ $126 - $234

· Tales -

"Cafe The La Hien" was a favourite meeting place for Graham Greene, politicians, journalists and correspondents to discuss the issues of the day.

During the Vietnam War a peacock in the courtyard would steal bread off of your breakfast table when you weren't looking. He went missing later when food became scarce.

During the Vietnam War, Time and Newsweek had their offices in the hotel. One of Time's correspondents Pham Xuan was a major spy for the North. There is now a bronze plaque in his honour in the old Time Magazine office.

On the morning of Saigon's last day before the fall the staff politely added up the guests bills as they were scrambling to be evacuated.

· Claim to Fame -

The first hotel in Vietnam

Graham Greene wrote a fair part of the Quiet American here. The hotel features prominently in the book and the movie.

It is also the central location in the movie Indochine.

In 2012 it was recognised as Monument Architecture Arts of the City.

· Innovations -

4 metre high ceilings, thick brick walls and white paint to keep the tropical heat at bay.

· Feature -

Huge rooms at bargain prices

French Colonial decor / Cooking Classes / Culture Tour and Class / Prime location near dozens of restaurants and bars

View -

Garden, Opera House and City views

· High Tea -

Vietnamese coffee and cake at the cafe

· Facilities -

Gym / Spa / Business centre / Shop / Bike Rental / Weddings, all arrangements - Bamboo Hall 200 guests, Continental Palace 300 guests and Continental Patio 500 guests / Conference rooms

· Unique -

Old world charm - courtyard shaded by frangipani that is over 100 years old

Hidden rooftop garden

· Restaurants -

La Dolce Vita Cafe - a popular rendezvous spot with Vietnamese coffee, cakes and ice cream - with footpath seating for watching the world go by

Continental Palace Restaurant - buffet breakfast and Vietnamese cuisine for lunch and dinner - dining in the restaurant and in the courtyard

Le Bourgeois Restaurant - on the ground floor overlooking the Opera House and serving western cuisine. Breakfast is served here and lunch and dinner is accompanied by classic melodies of Piano and Violin.

· Bars -

Bar Du Jardin - Happy Hour

· Sights -

Notre Dame Cathedral / Opera House / Ben Thanh Market / Reunification Palace / Fine Arts Museum / Nguyen Hue Walking Street

· Extra -

Hoi An - the World's best city 2019 - see 'Cities'