Hanoi Hilton
(Redirected from Hoa Lo prison)
The Hanoi Hilton (Vietnamese: Hoa Lo) was an infamous prison used by the North Vietnamese for prisoners of war during the Vietnam War. The conditions there were so miserable, and the food so bad, that they ironically nicknamed the place "Hanoi Hilton," in reference to the well-known and upscale Hilton Hotel chain. It was used as a place for the North Vietnamese army to torture and interrogate captured soldiers, mostly Americans. This was depicted in the Hollywood movie, Hanoi Hilton.
Senator John McCain was a prisoner at the Hanoi Hilton, as was Vice Presidential candidate James Stockdale.
In 1999, Hilton International and the Vietnamese government jointly built the Hilton Hanoi Opera, a $64 million dollar luxury hotel in Hanoi.