Movenpick Hotel Saigon shuts down completely on March 8, 2010 to speed up a major US$15 million renovation project. It is to resume operations on August 1, 2010.
The property stands on the site of the former US Central Intelligence Agency office during the Vietnam War. In the 1990s, the Marco Polo Hotel Group razed down the existing structure to build their hotel.
In July of last year, the facility was taken over by Movenpick, becoming its second hotel in Vietnam. Earlier, the group entered Vietnam with Movenpick Hotel Hanoi that made a debut in late 2008.
Without giving too much away about the final results of Movenpick Saigon's facelift, general manager Dominik Stamm said: “The idea is to retain the existing French colonial features, which add a residential feel to the place.”
The chain with Swiss roots previously had a small presence in the region, notably Beijing, but pulled out after a while. It returned to Asia in 2006 with the meetings-oriented Movenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket, launching on the resort island that was still reeling from effects of a devastating tsunami. It has promised more Movenpicks – on Singapore's Sentosa Island, Pattaya and Bangalore.
For more about the hotel, visit www.movenpick-hotels.com
Margie T Logarta
