Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

What it is

The Metropole opened in 1901 and has changed names and owners since: the Thống Nhất Hotel after nationalisation in the 1950s, the Pullman Metropole from 1992, then a Sofitel and now Sofitel Legend. Through all of it, the building stayed at the centre of the city's story. Somerset Maugham stayed in 1923, Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard on their honeymoon in 1936, and Graham Greene in 1951. In 2019 the Trump–Kim summit was held here, though the leaders were not guests.

The most unusual feature is the bunker. A bomb shelter was dug in the courtyard in 1964, forgotten, and found again in 2011 beneath the Bamboo Bar. It was restored and can be visited. It is a short, sobering stop in an otherwise elegant building.

Two wings, two kinds of stay

The Heritage Wing is the 1901 building. It was closed for a 21-month renovation and reopened as the Heritage Wing after 2024, and it holds 106 of the hotel's 358 rooms. The Opera Wing is a contemporary extension from 1996, with suites on its fifth to seventh floors. If you are choosing the Metropole for its history, the Heritage Wing is the point; the Opera Wing is the more modern of the two.

The rate we use in our Hanoi itinerary, US$210, is the lowest published figure we found, for a queen room. Listings for standard rooms run higher, and suites cost several times as much, so the category you choose changes the bill far more than the date.

Where it sits

The hotel is in Hanoi's French Quarter, a short walk from the Opera House, with its main entrance at 15 Ngô Quyền Street. From here, Hoan Kiem Lake and the old quarter are within walking distance, and the wider French Quarter has the city's colonial architecture. It is a good base for a first visit, because most of what a short stay needs is close.

Eating and drinking

Six outlets are listed: Le Beaulieu, Spices Garden, angelina, Le Club, the Bamboo Bar and La Terrasse. The Wikipedia text and the infobox do not agree on whether that means three restaurants and three bars or some other split, so check the current line-up with the hotel. The Bamboo Bar sits above the bunker.

Who it suits

It suits travellers who want a hotel with a place in the city's history, and who value location over a resort setting. It is a natural base for two or three nights in Hanoi before or after Ha Long Bay or Ninh Binh.

It is less suited to anyone who needs a quiet, small hotel: at 358 rooms it is a large operation, and the lobby and bars are busy. The pages we read do not mention a swimming pool, so ask if that matters to you.