Since last June, Saigontourist Holding Company has resumed expansion of The Majestic, its five-star luxury hotel overlooking the riverfront.
Launched four years ago, the project was previously delayed due to procedural issues, however it seems things are back on track, as The Majestic's expansion is now rescheduled for completion sometime between late 2017 and early 2018. While the current 175-room hotel remains operational, construction of its adjoining expansion is well underway and moving at a surprising pace.
It is not without reason that local tourism companies are eagerly anticipating the emergence of the new Majestic, as its expansion will transform the current structure into a 25-story tower, tacking on an additional 353 rooms to the hotel. The original Majestic was built in 1925 for Hua Bon Hoa, one of the four wealthiest businessmen in old Saigon. However, more than eight decades later, in a kaleidoscopic swirl of history, the hotel has lost much of its proud elegance and historical significance.
In stark contrast to the original Majestic, its new incarnation aspires to embody a mixed modernist and international style. Over a skeleton of steel and concrete, silver Venetian blinds sprawl across the seamless facade of large glass panes, masking the hotel's lavish interior spaces. The double-layered glazed walls will permit high insulation levels and contribute to the hotel's energy-saving efforts, acting as a fit and laudable attempt at sustainability.
[Renderings via REIC]