Vietnam's oldest hotel
The Continental Hotel under Saigontourist Holding Company
celebrated its 122nd anniversary on September 27, 2002, becoming
Vietnam's oldest hotel, having survived three centuries (1880-2002)
Hotel Continental in 1880
In the late 19th century, there were no automobiles and airplanes
in Saigon. The high-class traveled in the city by horse-drawn
carriages. This means of transport was quite popular on the Catinat
(now Dong Khoi), the main street in Saigon at the time. In 1880,
French architects started work on a luxury hotel there, which was
to be seen as a landmark in the city's social and economic life and
a milestone of the hospitality business in Saigon. The majority of
the Continental Hotel's customers were French officials, high-
ranking civil servants, ladies and luxury travelers who stopped by
Saigon on their tours from Hong Kong to Japan or on their trips to
the Angkor Temples, the world's seventh wonder.
In 1911, Duke De Montpensier, a famous playboy in France, came to
Vietnam, carrying with him a car to make a trip to the Angkor
Temples. When he was in Saigon, De Montpensier decided to buy the
Continental Hotel from the owners and offered it to a countess. A
monument he left in Vietnam is the Lau Ong Hoang (Tower of the
Lord) in Phan Thiet (Binh Thuan Province).
In 1930, Le Van Mau, a Vietnamese landlord in My Tho Township,
bought the Continental Hotel from De Montpensier, and transferred
the property to his French son-in-law for management. It is certain
to say that Mau was the first Vietnamese owner of the then largest
hotel in Vietnam.
The 1930s were the heyday of the Continental Hotel which was
renovated to French standards. Only wealthy people could afford to
stay at the most luxurious hotel in Saigon at that time where they
could sit in the terrace enjoying the fresh air from the Saigon
River, drinking wine or tea and watching traffic on Catinat Street.
Some of the celebrities who stayed at the hotel were famous French
writer and revolutionary Andr‚ Malreaux and noted Indian poet
Ranbindranath Tagore. During the Vietnam War, renowned British
writer Graham Greene stayed in Room 214 where he created "The Quiet
American," a book about the waning days of the French in Indochina
and the beginning of the American presence in Vietnam which was
made into movie in 2001. Some VIP guests who graced the hotel after
1975 included French President Giscard D'Estaiing and Paris Mayor
Jacques Chirac (now French president).
The Continental is now a three-star hotel with 83 rooms, two
western restaurants, a 200-plus seat conference hall, a bar and
other facilities like sauna and massage. Apart from the reputation
as Vietnam's oldest hotel, the Continental enjoys a prime location
in downtown Saigon near the Municipal Theater and is considered a
cultural landmark of the city. Last year, its occupancy rate
averaged 80%. The rate in the first eight months of this year rose
to 90%. Most guests were Britons, Germans, French, Japanese,
Americans, Canadians and Australians. To attract customers, the
hotel is promoting online marketing through a website with six
languages (English, French, Japanese, Spanish, German and
Vietnamese). Revenue from online booking in the first eight months
of this year made up 6% of room turnover.
"Our prime concern now is service. We want to attract and keep
guests, especially prospective buyers of the MICE (meeting,
incentive, conference and exhibition) tours," said Vuong Anh Tuan,
Continental Hotel manager. The hotel also pays great attention to
personnel training. Training and re-training courses are held
annually to help management and staff update knowledge and improve
skills up to international standards. Foreign language learning,
especially Japanese and German in addition to English and French,
is also intensified.
In the future, the Continental Hotel will boost efforts to promote
itself as the oldest hotel in Vietnam and develop a French and an
Italian restaurants with the cooperation of foreign chefs. "The
plan aims to develop business and promote the hotel as a European
dining venue in HCM City," said Tuan.
On its 122nd anniversary, the Continental Hotel will offer
Vietnamese cuisine on September 27-28 at the Continental Palace
Restaurant prepared by Chef Chau Tan Hiep and skilled cooks. The
promotion includes 50 Vietnamese dishes, music shows and
promotional raffles with valuable gifts. The price, inclusive of
one drink, is VND90,000/adult and VND50,000/child.
Continental Hotel
Address: 132-134 Dong Khoi Street, District 1, HCM City
Tel: 8299201
Email: continental@hcm.vnn.vn
Website: www.saigon-tourist.com/continental,
www.continentalvietnam.com
Continental hotel biography
1880: A project to build the Hotel Continental Palace was realized
by Pierre Cazeau, a home-appliance and construction material
producer
1911: The hotel was bought by Duke De Montpensier
1920s: Catinat Street, where Hotel Continental Palace was located,
was dubbed Saigon's "Canebire," the name of a famous street in the
city of Marseille, France. The famous French writer Andr‚ Malreaux
and his wife were among the hotel's permanent guests from 1924-1925.
1930: Mathieu Franchini bought the hotel and ran it successfully
for 30 years. He left Vietnam after the French colonial regime came
to an end. During World War II, several American magazines
stationed their bureaus at the Continental Hotel, Time on the first
floor and Newsweek on the second.
1964-1975: Philippe, Mathieu Franchini's son, ran the hotel until
1964 when he left Vietnam. Then came the time when "Newsmen
covering the Vietnam War measured the ups and downs of its course
by the fortunes of the hotel," as written in the book "Great
Oriental Hotels" by Martin Meade, Joseph Fitchett and Anthony
Lawrence; or as William Tuohy, Newsweek magazine's Saigon Bureau
chief, wrote in his book "Dangerous Company": "After writing our
stories, we would gather around for dinner and drinks." The reason
for the Newsmen to choose the Hotel Continental 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 information and discussing political issues
and all. The hotel was then called "Radio Catinat."
1975: The hotel was closed after April 30, 1975
Hotel Continental today
1986: The hotel was officially taken over by Saigontourist Holding
Company
Sept. 1989-present: A new Hotel Continental was born, but its
original French architecture has remained unchanged. The hotel has
become a great rendezvous for business travelers and tourists who
want to enjoy its romantic, elegant air and modern, luxurious
facilities.
By Tien Dat - The Saigon Times Weekly - September 29, 2002
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