La Residence Hotel, Hue

The hotel in Hue has an interesting past.

Built in the 1930s, and sitting on the Perfume River, the building was originally the home of the French governor residing in this area.  After the French were kicked out, the building served as the governor's office for the Vietnamese provisional government.  In 1954, the South Vietnamese government took the building and used it as an administration headquarters.  That purpose was abandoned in 1963, and the building was then a government guest house and apparently the setting for much intrigue and subterfuge.  During the Tet Offensive, the North Vietnamese infiltrated the building and captured a high ranking government official from the South and then used the building as a sort of holding center for captured soldiers from the South.

After the war, the government again used it as a guest house for visiting army officers.  Finally, 10 years ago, the buildings were transformed into the present hotel.

Across the street is Quoc Hoc High School where Ho Chi Mnh studied as well as a number of other nationalists.  Major battles of the war were fought within close range of Hue, especially along the old DMZ between the North and the South.