The Hotel Continental Saigon is situated on Dong Khoi, one of the oldest and most central roads in Saigon. In the old days, Saigon’s roads were simply named by ordinal numbers. Starting from the SaigonRiver bank, Dong Khoi was the Sixth Road. In 1865, the French Commander De La Grandiere renamed these roads and Sixth Road became Catinat Street, a bustling place, especially during the French Colonial Era.Catinat Street at one time was a very bustling and crowded place, especially with the French. Later on, across the street from the Continental the first foundations and floors for factories were built, the first one for Denis Frere. Next was the first drugstore in Saigon, the “Solinere Pharmaceutical,” which opened in 1865.