Rex Hotel
Luxury hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Rex Hotel or Rex Hotel Saigon (Vietnamese: Khách Sạn Rex, French: Hôtel Rex de Saïgon) is a famous luxury and business hotel in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. During the Vietnam War, the daily U.S. briefings at the hotel became known as "The Five O'Clock Follies".
| Rex Hotel Saigon | |
|---|---|
Khách sạn Rex Sài Gòn Khách sạn Bến Thành | |
 Rex Hotel next to the Entrance 1 of the Opera House station | |
 | |
| Former names |
|
| Alternative names | Rex Arcade (shopping mall) |
| General information | |
| Type | Hotel, shopping mall (Ground floor) |
| Classification | |
| Address | 141 Nguyễn Huệ Boulevard (Hotel gate) and 4-6 Lê Lợi Boulevard (Mall gate), Ben Nghe Ward, District 1 |
| Town or city | Ho Chi Minh City |
| Coordinates | 10°46′33″N 106°42′5.4″E |
| Opened |
|
| Renovated | 2003 |
| Management | Saigontourist |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 6 |
| Other information | |
| Number of rooms | 286 |
| Number of restaurants | 5 |
| Parking | 2 basements |
| Public transit access | 1 Opera House station |
| Website | |
| www | |
The 286-room (as of 2024),[1] six-story building is located on the corner of Lê Lợi Boulevard and Nguyễn Huệ Boulevard in District 1 of the city.
History
Summarize
Perspective
Constructed in 1927, for French businessman Bainier, during France's colonial rule of Vietnam, the building started out as a two-story auto dealership and garage complex, called "Bainier Auto Hall". The building showcased Citroën and other European cars.[2]
From 1959 to 1975, Mr. and Mrs. Ung Thi renovated the building into the 100-room "Rex Complex" hotel, which featured three cinemas, a cafeteria, a dance hall and a library.[3][4][5] The cinema was adorned with the most developed technology at the time, such as high-speed air conditioning, a 150-square-meter Todd-AO screen, and a stereo sound system to indulge up to 1,200 customers.[6]
Vietnam War
In 1960, the building was leased by the American Culture Centre and at that time the Abraham Lincoln Library was established on the building’s ground floor.[4]
The first guests in the Rex came in 1961, while it was still in its final construction phase. They were 400 U.S. Army soldiers.[7][8]
The hotel was the site of the United States military command's daily press conference, derisively named Five O'Clock Follies by cynical journalists who found the optimism of the American officers misguided. The daily event was hosted by Barry Zorthian, chief spokesperson for the U. S. government in Saigon from 1964-68.[9][10][11][12] In these briefings, United States, South Vietnamese military and civilian press officers would give a breakdown of the day’s hostilities, casualties and alleged successes.[13][14]
Its rooftop bar was a well-known hangout spot for military officials and war correspondents.[15][16]
At its height in the late 1960s, the Rex complex had around 600 employees and was frequented regularly by over 450 international journalists covering the US war effort.[17]
1975 to present
After the Fall of Saigon, the state's Saigon Tourism Bureau took ownership of the hotel and renamed it Bến Thành Hotel in 1976.[18][4][19] In 1986, the hotel was renamed Rex Hotel, the name Bến Thành still kept for official Vietnamese documents and used along with the original name.[20][21]
Rex Hotel in 2008 when it is still not recognized as a 5-star hotel and still has its official Vietnamese name "Khách sạn Bến Thành" on the welcome gate
Rex Hotel at night in 2008
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In 2003, the hotel underwent extension and renovation works in its architecture, interior design and engineering services. It is owned by the state-owned enterprise Saigon Tourist.[22][23]
Rex Arcade
Imex Pan Pacific Group (IPPG; Tập đoàn Liên Thái Bình Dương) of Jonathan Hạnh Nguyễn[vi] and his ex-actress spouse Lê Hồng Thủy Tiên[vi] has made a US$25,000,000 investment for the renovation of Rex Arcade, a 1,300 m2 (13,993 sq ft) shopping mall in the Ground Floor of the hotel, spans over three streets of Lê Thánh Tôn – Nguyễn Huệ – Lê Lợi, where was the Abraham Lincoln Library, it gathers some high-end fashion brands, including these names in currently: Balmain, Burberry, Chanel, Christian Louboutin, Dolce & Gabbana, Ferragamo, Jacqueline, Paul & Shark, Rolex, Runway with their subsidiary, Duy Anh Fashion And Cosmetics JSC (DAFC), is the official retailer of those brands for the mall. Currency exchange counter is located at the main lobby with some ATMs are also installed inside the Rex Arcade.
Rex Hotel was decorated for 2023 Lunar New Year with the logo of IPPG on the hotel eaves
Chanel store at Rex Hotel on Nguyễn Huệ Blvd
Opera House Station on Lê Lợi Blvd next to the Rex Arcade entrances with stores of Rolex, Ferragamo
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See also
References
External links
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