Hotel Majestic
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA historic five-star hotel on Đồng Khởi Street overlooking the Saigon River in Ho Chi Minh City.
Last updated August 24, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile yet.
Overview
Hotel Majestic is a historic luxury hotel in central Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, occupying a prominent position at the junction of Đồng Khởi Street and the Bạch Đằng waterfront. The hotel was built in 1925 by Hui Bon Hoa, a prominent local Chinese businessman who was among the wealthiest figures in southern Vietnam during the colonial period. Its original architecture combined French Colonial influences with the classical French Riviera style, giving the property a distinctive identity within the historic hotel landscape of former Saigon. The first building was a three-storey structure containing 44 bedrooms. Its location, formerly associated with rue Catinat, placed it at the heart of the city’s commercial, administrative, and social district. The property later underwent a complex change in operating arrangements. In 1948, Mathieu Franchini, who headed the Indochina Tourism & Exhibition Department, acquired the ground and first floors and rented the hotel’s 44 rooms for a period of approximately 30 years. This arrangement linked the property to the tourism administration and hospitality infrastructure of French Indochina and its aftermath. A major physical expansion took place in 1965, when two additional storeys were added. The extension was designed by Vietnamese architect Ngô Viết Thụ, known for important modern Vietnamese architectural work. The enlargement transformed the original three-storey hotel into a taller landmark while retaining its historic architectural character. The building’s riverfront setting and period design subsequently made it one of the recognizable heritage hotels of Ho Chi Minh City. Following the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, the hotel was renamed Mekong Hotel, or Khách Sạn Cửu Long, and was used as a government guest house. It was later restored to the Hotel Majestic name and repositioned as a five-star hotel. The current property is associated with Saigontourist, the state-owned tourism group, and continues to operate as a hotel serving visitors to Ho Chi Minh City. Its principal appeal is the combination of historical architecture, central location, views toward the Saigon River and Bạch Đằng Quay, and accommodation and hospitality services. In July 2011, Saigontourist announced a major expansion proposal valued at 1.9 trillion Vietnamese đồng. The plan called for two new towers of 24 and 27 storeys, with a completed complex projected to contain 538 rooms, including 353 hotel rooms. The announcement represented an effort to increase the scale of the property while extending the commercial value of a landmark site. The available reference material does not establish whether the entire proposal was completed, its final cost, or the final room count. Hotel Majestic is best understood as a heritage hospitality brand rather than a multinational hotel chain. Its historical significance derives from its survival across several political and economic eras, the continuity of its central riverfront location, and its association with French-colonial-era urban development and postwar Vietnamese tourism. It operates in a market that includes other historic Ho Chi Minh City hotels such as Hotel Continental Saigon, Grand Hotel Saigon, Caravelle Hotel, and Rex Hotel, while also forming part of Vietnam’s broader collection of colonial-period and heritage accommodation properties.
History
Hotel Majestic was constructed in 1925 in Saigon, now Ho Chi Minh City, by Hui Bon Hoa, a locally prominent Chinese businessman. The original hotel was a three-storey building with 44 bedrooms. Its design drew on French Colonial and classical French Riviera influences, reflecting the architectural and cultural environment of the city during the French colonial period. The property was built on what is now Đồng Khởi Street, historically known as rue Catinat, close to the Saigon River and the Bạch Đằng waterfront. The hotel’s early history was connected to the institutional development of tourism in Indochina. In 1948, Mathieu Franchini, head of the Indochina Tourism & Exhibition Department, acquired the ground and first floors of the building. He then rented the hotel’s 44 rooms for roughly three decades. This operating arrangement illustrates the relationship between private property, tourism administration, and lodging services in the late colonial and transitional periods. In 1965, the building was expanded by two additional storeys. The extension was designed by Vietnamese architect Ngô Viết Thụ. Rather than replacing the original structure, the work increased its capacity and established the taller profile associated with the hotel in later decades. The resulting building became part of the historic architectural fabric of central Saigon and benefited from a location facing the river and the city’s principal commercial boulevard. After 1975, the property was renamed Mekong Hotel, or Khách Sạn Cửu Long. During this period it served as a government guest house rather than operating solely as a conventional commercial luxury hotel. The original Hotel Majestic name was later restored. In its current form, the property is described as a six-storey, five-star hotel owned by Saigontourist, a state-owned Vietnamese tourism group. It continues to trade from its historic central location and presents its architecture, heritage, and river views as core parts of its identity. A substantial redevelopment proposal was announced by Saigontourist in July 2011. The proposed 1.9 trillion Vietnamese đồng project called for two towers, one 24 storeys high and the other 27 storeys high. The planned enlarged complex was expected to contain 538 rooms, including 353 hotel rooms. The available reference material records the announcement but does not confirm the project’s construction, completion, final design, or final financial outcome. Hotel Majestic’s historical importance comes from its continuity through multiple eras of Saigon and Ho Chi Minh City history. It belongs to a group of heritage hotels that also includes Hotel Continental Saigon, Grand Hotel Saigon, Caravelle Hotel, and Rex Hotel. Unlike an international chain property, Hotel Majestic is primarily a locally anchored hospitality brand whose value rests on its historic building, prominent address, association with Saigontourist, and role in the city’s tourism heritage.
- 2011
Expansion project announced
[1]Saigontourist announced a proposed 1.9 trillion Vietnamese đồng expansion with two towers and a projected total of 538 rooms.
- 1975
Renamed Mekong Hotel
[1]After 1975, the property was renamed Mekong Hotel, or Khách Sạn Cửu Long, and used as a government guest house.
- 1965
Hotel expanded
[1]Two additional storeys were added to the original building. The extension was designed by Vietnamese architect Ngô Viết Thụ.
- 1948
Tourism department official acquires part of the property
[1]Mathieu Franchini, head of the Indochina Tourism & Exhibition Department, acquired the ground and first floors and rented the hotel’s 44 rooms for approximately 30 years.
- 1925
Hotel constructed
[1]Hui Bon Hoa built the original three-storey Hotel Majestic with 44 bedrooms in Saigon, on the street then known as rue Catinat.
Products and positioning
A historic, riverfront luxury hotel combining French Colonial and French Riviera architectural character with contemporary five-star hospitality in central Ho Chi Minh City.
Lodging
Hotel accommodation
The core offering is short- and extended-stay accommodation in a historic central Ho Chi Minh City property. The hotel is presented as a five-star establishment with a mix of guest rooms and suites, combining period architectural character with contemporary hospitality operations. Its location on Đồng Khởi Street provides access to the city centre and views toward the Saigon River and Bạch Đằng Quay.
Hospitality services
Food and beverage services
The hotel’s hospitality proposition includes food and beverage services associated with a full-service luxury property, such as restaurants, bars, lounges, and guest dining. Specific current outlet names, menus, and operating details are not established by the supplied reference material.
Events and business hospitality
Meetings and events
As a central five-star hotel, Hotel Majestic provides hospitality infrastructure suitable for meetings, receptions, and private or business events. The supplied sources do not specify current venue capacities, packages, or named event facilities.
Brand decisions
2011
Proposed large-scale hotel expansionStrategyBackground
Saigontourist sought to expand the Majestic property’s capacity and develop additional high-rise structures at the historic hotel site.
Action taken
The company announced a proposed 1.9 trillion Vietnamese đồng project comprising two towers of 24 and 27 storeys. The planned complex was projected to contain 538 rooms, including 353 hotel rooms.
Aftermath
The available reference material does not confirm whether the proposal was fully built, revised, or cancelled, and does not provide verified final financial or operating results.
Announced project value. 1.9 trillion Vietnamese đồng announced project (2011 announcement)
Sources3 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/hotel-majestic · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled