The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi is the “Grande Dame” of the Vietnamese capital, and it’s turning 125 this year. EL’s KATE WOODBURY recently paid a visit – and found plenty worth celebrating in and around the hotel!
As soon as we set foot inside the Metropole lobby, time slowed down a little. We were transported back to a bygone era of Indochine elegance, exquisite vintage furniture, whirling ceiling fans and welcoming staff dressed in traditional Áo Dài.
A tale of two eras
This Hanoi hotel offers two different experiences under one roof: the older Heritage Wing, dating back to 1901, and the newer neoclassical Opera Wing, built in the 1990s. There are 358 rooms and suites split between two wings.
If you prefer modern elegance, you’ll probably love the rooms in the Opera Wing, but we were keen to soak up some of the hotel’s history, so we opted for the Heritage Wing. Our Grand Luxury Room came with Metropole Privileges and Benefits, which included complimentary daily breakfast, high tea and evening cocktails.
A recent renovation has preserved many original hotel features and cleverly combines the hotel’s chic original style with 21st century technology. The luxurious rooms are elegantly decorated in neutral tones complementing the dark brown furniture and hardwood floors. Needless to say, the bed was super comfortable – and it came with a pillow menu for an extra guarantee of a blissful sleep.
Gastronomic delights
Food-lovers are spoilt for choice at the Metropole, of course. There’s French fine dining at Le Beaulieu, the Spice Garden showcasing traditional regional Vietnamese cuisine, and La Terrace, offering a quintessential Parisian alfresco experience.
Angelina, the hotel’s lively cocktail bar and whisky lounge, was abuzz with Hanoi’s young and hip crowd on the evening we visited. Meanwhile for a more chilled experience, head over to the Bamboo Bar in the garden.
Our dining experience, though, was largely centred around Le Club Bar, the hotel’s brasserie. This spacious and elegant dining room effortlessly transitioned from buffet breakfast to lunch, high tea to evening cocktails and finally to dinner, complete with a jazz band.
While many five-star Hanoi hotels boast an excellent breakfast, here the selection was a little more elevated, largely due to the super bread and bakery selection. Likewise, the high tea superbly showcased the hotel’s French culinary heritage.
We also enjoyed a delicious brasserie dinner, with the many highlights including the house-smoked salmon served with traditional garnishes, and a perfectly cooked entrecôte rib-eye with sides of potato gratin and crisp green beans.
Rest and rejuvenation
The pool takes pride of place in the tranquil, tropical courtyard gardens and it’s the perfect spot to relax. In fact, so much did I enjoy a rare morning soaking up the spring sunshine and reading my book that I actually left my phone and laptop in our room!
A visit to Le Spa du Metropole is a must, too, offering a full range of world-class treatments. The one-hour Relaxing Aromatherapy Treatment was the perfect afternoon indulgence.
A storied past
Resident historians run a twice daily “Path of History & Metropole’s Bomb Shelter Tour” which offers a fascinating insight into the hotel’s early years. There is a corridor dedicated to the Metropole’s history, with the walls adorned by lists of distinguished guests including royalty, politicians, actors and authors. The tour highlight was a visit to the bomb shelter built during the Vietnam War. Rediscovered during hotel renovations in 2011, the bunkers have been painstakingly renovated and offer a humbling glimpse into that war-torn era.
Out and about
This Hanoi hotel is ideally located for exploring the French and Old Quarters and is a few minutes’ walk from one of the picturesque lakes, Hoàn Kiêm. If you’re visiting during the weekend, the roads around the entire lake are closed to traffic and it becomes a delightful playground for locals and tourists alike.
Final word
We had such a memorable stay at this Grande Dame; it offers everything you’d expect from a five-star hotel and so much more – the perfect luxury weekend city break from Hong Kong!
Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
15 Ngo Quyen Street, Hoan Kiem District, 100000 Hanoi, Vietnam
sofitel.accor.com/en/hotels/1555.html
This article about xx first appeared in the Summer 2026 issue of Expat Living magazine. You can buy the latest mag or an annual subscription, or read the digital version for free now.
