The project owner says it has set aside some US$60 million to convert the previous three-star Metropole into the Pullman Saigon Center hotel with 24 stories and three basements. The property will have some 300 guest rooms and other facilities such as restaurant, ballroom and fitness facility.
When in place by 2013, the hotel will be managed by Accor, a worldwide hotel management group.
In another hotel development, the two companies announced to have finished the foundation of the four-star hotel Novotel Saigon Center whose work started in April, 2010.
Some US$38 million has been injected in the 18-story hotel development, which will provide the market with 250 guest rooms and other serviced facilities.
Like the above five-star hotel, the Novotel Saigon Center will be run by the hotel management group Accor when it is up and running by 2012.
Speaking at the five-star hotel ground breaking ceremony on November 29, Nguyen Huu Tho, general director of Saigontourist, said the cooperation with Accor would help bring in more international guests to the company’s hotel chain, as well as to diversify and improve the quality of services. The cooperation will help Saigontourist upgrade its management level to international standards.
Tho said the company it had targeted to become one of the leading groups in travel, accommodation and other tourism services in the country and the region. The tourism service provider targets revenue of US$1 billion by 2015, he said.
Saigontourist and Que Huong Liberty on November 29 also cut the ribbon to put into service the four-star hotel Liberty Central on Le Thanh Ton Street in downtown HCMC.
The hotel owner has invested some US$15 million to upgrade the previous facility into a 12-story four-star hotel with 139 guest rooms. The hotel will be managed by Saigontourist.