The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company has announced the brand’s first hotel in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), marking another step in the group’s expansion in Asia.

The 250-room hotel is set to open in 2017 and will be located in the historic centre of Saigoni9 adjacent to the famous Ben Thanh Square market, in a 48-storey tower.

The Ritz-Carlton, Saigon is part of a development project called The One Ho Chi Minh City, which also includes prime office space, retail outlets and 350 luxury apartments.

Award-winning US architect Bernardo Fort-Brescia of Arquitectonica Architects, drew inspiration from Vietnam’s legendary dragon.

He described the towers as a representation of two dragons rising from the ground with their tails coiled and pearls dangling from their mouths.

In Vietnamese culture, dragons, especially in pairs, are a powerful life symbols representing prosperity and growth.