There can’t be many hotels with such a storied history as the Hotel Continental Saigon which shares Lam Son Square with the Opera House. Opened in 1880, the idea was to provide travellers with familiar luxury following their long sea journey to Indochine. During the same period other colonial buildings were inaugurated: the Central Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Hotel de Ville (City Hall). The Continental embraced political life over the years, hosting the Newsweek and Time desks and with war reporters frequenting its bar.
Perhaps its most famous resident was Graham Greene who ensured that the outside terrace featured in his book, The Quiet American, which was set in 1950s Saigon. It does therefore come as a major surprise when you find out that those scenes in the 2002 film of the same name were actually shot at the Caravelle Hotel whose frontage had been remodelled to look like the Continental Palace as it was called back then. Odd indeed, to have Michael Caine taking tea before the bombing scene while sitting there looking across the square at the real thing.
Perhaps its most famous resident was Graham Greene who ensured that the outside terrace featured in his book, The Quiet American, which was set in 1950s Saigon. It does therefore come as a major surprise when you find out that those scenes in the 2002 film of the same name were actually shot at the Caravelle Hotel whose frontage had been remodelled to look like the Continental Palace as it was called back then. Odd indeed, to have Michael Caine taking tea before the bombing scene while sitting there looking across the square at the real thing.
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Above left: 214, Graham Greene's room. Above right: History on display.
Above: Breakfast al fresco under canvas in the patio. Below: the real terrace.
Below left: View from the terrace. Below right: the trees in the patio - as old as the hotel?
Above: a secret garden upstairs.
Right - the patio hosting a function and for breakfast. Below: the Reception and Lobby. |
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Above: Lam Son Square and the Opera House. Below: View from the Saigon Saigon Bar in the Hotel Caravelle.
