Hotel Continental Saigon yester-year and nowadays:
"Dong Khoi" street, where the Hotel Continental Saigon resides, is one of the main and oldest roads in Saigon. In the old days, Saigon’s roads were simply named by ordinal number. Dong Khoi Street, starting from the Saigon River bank, was the Sixth Road. On February 1st, 1865, the Commander De La Grandiere renamed these roads, and the Sixth Road had a new name: Catinat Street. "Catinat Street" was a bustling place, especially with the French. Later on, factories were built, the first one being Denis Frere, then the first drugstore in Saigon – the "Solinere Pharmaceutical" (opened in 1865) which is now the "Givral Bakery" (opposite the Hotel Continental Saigon).
In 1878, Pierre Cazeau, a home-appliance and construction material manufacturer, started building the Hotel Continental with the purpose of providing the French traveller, a French style of luxury accommodation after a long cruise to the new Continent. This project took 2 years, and in 1880 the Hotel Continental was inaugurated.
The same generation that saw the Hotel Continental Saigon being built also saw: Notre Dame Cathedral, built in 1880 (only a 5 minute walk from the hotel). The Postal and Telecom Service in 1886 (which is now the Saigon Central Post Office). Next to the Notre Dame Cathedral is the Hotel de Ville (which is now the People’s Community Office of Ho Chi Minh City) built in 1898, which has a design similar to the Paris City Hall.
In the year 1911, the Hotel Continental was sold to Duke Montpensier. In 1930, the hotel had a new owner, Mathier Francini, a gangster from The Corse Island, who ran the hotel until 1975. During the 60th – 70th decade, the Saigon Government commanded all signboards be written in Vietnamese language; therefore the Hotel Continental was converted to "Dai Luc Lu Quan".
However, the reputation of the Hotel Continental Saigon was not because of its owners, but because of its location and the imprint of historical events. By the beginning of World War II, the Hotel Continental Saigon hosted the great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore (who won the 1913 Nobel Prize Award of literature), the winning fame writer Andre Malraux of “La condition Humaine - 1933”, and then the British writer Graham Greene, long-term guest in room 214, who conceived the work “The Quiet American” about the transitional period between the French Colonist and the American Empire in the Vietnam War. Furthermore, the Hotel Continental was frequently referred to by the phrase “Radio Catinat”, since this was the rendezvous point where correspondents, journalists, politicians and businessmen talked about politics, the business news, and current events. It’s not by coincidence that it was said that “If the walls of the Hotel Continental could speak, they could tell you many stories.”
Following 1975, the name "Cantinat" was changed to "Dong Khoi". Thus history turned a new page, and many outstanding people such as Jacque Chirac (formerly Mayor of Paris during that period), the Malaysian President Mohathia Mohamed, and many other politicians stayed at the Hotel Continental to exchange views on the future of a new Vietnam.
Nowadays, the old buildings such as the Opera House, Notre Dame Cathedral, Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee still remain unchanged, together with Hotel Continental Saigon going forward to the future. Even though the rhythm of Dong Khoi Street is bustling, the Hotel Continental Saigon still keeps its charm and majesty. Inside this long-standing building, a new generation of staff are dedicating themselves to offer travellers a wonderful and relaxing stay in Ho Chi Minh City, that they will remember fondly for a long time.

Banquet & Conference
The meeting rooms are well-equipped, suitable for meetings of 10 – 200 participants.
Meeting room facilities: Light and sound system, LCD projector & screen, simultaneous translation system, Video Conference, flipchart, microphone, podium, flowers, pen and paper…
Banquet rooms are stylish with luxurious decorations, and a wide choice of dishes (up to 500 Western and Vietnamese dishes) of your choice for wedding parties, cocktail receptions, buffets, and much more …
The Continental Patio is highly suitable for various cultural events such as fashion shows, product launches and open-air parties.
Restaurants & Bars
Venezia Ristorante: Situated on ground floor, Opera House view, serves Western dishes, especially pizza and spaghetti.
Continental Palace Restaurant: Situated on ground floor, facing the Continental Patio, serves Vietnamese dishes.
La Dolce Vita Café: Situated on ground floor, facing Dong Khoi Street, serves home-made juice, cakes, and ice cream.
La Dolce Vita Bar: Situated on ground floor, part of the Continental Patio, serves Vietnamese coffee.
Starry Nite Bar: Situated on the first floor, overlooking the Continental Patio, free Billiards, serves cocktails, beer and a variety of snacks.