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The Continental opened in Saigon in the 1880s and long reigned as the city's prime hotel. In Hanoi, the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi opened in 1901 as le Metropole and endures today as the country's foremost address in hospitality. [2] During the era of the steamship, tourism was restricted to the upper classes and to travelers.
The Brinks Hotel in Saigon, also known as the Brink Bachelor Officers Quarters (BOQ), was bombed by the Vietcong on the evening of 24 December 1964, during the Vietnam War. Two Vietcong operatives detonated a car bomb underneath the hotel, which housed United States Army officers.
Ho Chi Minh used the Metropole on several occasions as a meeting place. In 1946 he hosted talks in the conference room with General Etienne Valuie and Vietnams politician Nguyễn Hải Thần, in the small wing where the lobby bar is located today. He occasionally used the hotel for meetings again in 1960. [3] 1950s
The first bomb detonated at 8:15 p.m. (local time) in a floating restaurant "My Canh Café" at Bạch Đằng Quay on the bank of the Saigon River. 31–32 people were killed, and 42 were wounded. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] Of the casualties, 13 were American and most others were Vietnamese citizens.
Following the Fall of Saigon in April 1975 ownership of the hotel was taken over by the Ho Chi Minh City Government and Tự Do Street was renamed Đồng Khởi Street. The hotel was closed in 1976 [1] and reopened again in 1986. The hotel was completely restored from 1988-9 [1] and reopened in 1989 as the Hotel Continental.
After the Fall of Saigon, the state's Saigon Tourism Bureau took ownership of the hotel and renamed it Ben Thanh Hotel in 1976. [18] [4] [19] In 1986, the hotel was renamed Rex Hotel. [20] [21] In 2003, the hotel underwent extension and renovation works in its architecture, interior design and engineering services. It is owned by the state ...