The Continental Hotel...Through the Years

Named after the prestigious hotel in Paris with the same name, manufacturing tycoon,Pierre Cazeau, a home-appliance and construction material manufacturer, provided most of the funding for the hotel in 1880. It was designed with the purpose of providing the French traveler with a French style of luxury accommodation after the long journey from France to Saigon.  Over the years it has housed great poets and artists as well as some of the world's most prestigious journalism outlets including the New York Times and Newsweek, who  covered the country's multiple conflicts throughout the 20th Century. They camped out there because of the building's close proximity to the National Assembly, which is now the Municipal Theatre.

The hotel was featured in the movie The Quiet American, the film adaptation of the book by the same name. The novel was written by Graham Greene, who got the inspiration for writing it while living in the hotel. The Continental is also a prominent venue in the Academy Award-winning movie Indochine.  Absolutely fascinating to see how she has changed over the years.

These photos are in no particular order.

Last but not least....yours truly out the front.  A piece of history in the heart of Saigon.