If you’re visiting Hanoi, Vietnam and are looking for a hotel with a ton of history, you don’t have to look any further than the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi. Opened in 1901, the Metropole was the center of the colonial society in Hanoi for the first half of the century and remains an example of the French colonial style popular at the time.
It was a meeting place for Ho Chi Minh in the 1940s. During the Vietnam War, a bomb shelter was built for guests, when oftentimes included high-profile celebrities and news correspondents.
In 1992, the hotel was rebuilt entirely and renamed the Pullman Hotel Metropole. After Accor Hotels acquired Pullman, the hotel was renamed the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi. It was the first hotel to showcase the “Legend” moniker, which Sofitel describes like this:
Rewind the clock and step back in time with Sofitel Legend, our collection of heritage addresses located in culturally-rich destinations around the world-from The Metropole in Hanoi and The Grand in Amsterdam to The Old Cataract in Aswan and The Santa Clara in Cartagena. Dating back decades—some even centuries—these landmark properties all have a captivating backstory. Walk through our iconic estates, many of which were frequented by famous guests, and you’ll hear a bygone era echoing in its enchanting halls. Today, the legacy continues through immaculate service, exquisite décor and enriching culinary experiences. As soon as you arrive, you immediately become part of a timeless story that’s still unfolding…
Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
15 Ngo Quyen, Hoan Kiem
100000 Hanoi, Vietnam
As I did with our stay at the Hyatt Regency Danang, I’ll split the review into 2 posts. This one will be about checking in and our room. The following post will feature public spaces and restaurants, as the hotel has plenty of interesting things to see and learn.
Our tour package included daily breakfast. If you’re booking yourself, the hotel is a part of the Accor Live Limitless (ALL) loyalty program. If you’re looking for extra perks, you can also book through American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts or the Luxury Hotel and Resorts program from Chase. If you don’t have a card that provides access to those websites, you can also use a travel agent affiliated with the Accor STEP program. These include complimentary breakfast, room upgrades and a $100 travel credit for your stay.
The hotel consists of two wings. The original building, the Metropole Wing, is being renovated with a planned opening date later in 2023. For our visit, we stayed in the newer Opera Wing which opened in 1994.
The hotel exudes the luxury vibe of old money. A large crystal chandelier hangs over the lobby, where multiple agents wait to assist with any requests.
Off to the side is a waiting area with one set of elevators. It’s also where you’ll find the hotel concierge.
A hallway leads to one of the breakfast restaurants and Angelina, the whisky bar. This is also where you’ll find the entrance to the courtyard and walkway to the Metropole Wing.
We took a ride in the elevator, which was sparking and spotless.
We exited the elevator to a kaleidoscope of colors and designs. Considering how busy the carpet and wallpaper are, it does work together. Even if it’s not your style.
We had a corner-ish room, which I don’t know made it larger or smaller than other rooms. It did have an interesting floor plan, with several odd spaces. Ours was the room on the right.
Upon entering the room, it was a change from where we had just stayed. Going from a beach resort to a luxury city hotel is on both sides of the spectrum. This room felt like part bedroom, part office. There was a king-size bed and a full-size work desk. There was also a sitting chair with a small round table.
Even with the bright colors on the walls, the dark wood of the floors, desk and cabinets made the room feel smaller than it was.
There was a large walk-in closet with room for all of our luggage. We don’t need a big closet, but it was nice to have somewhere we could reorganize our bags.
The bathroom made a statement, although I don’t know what it wanted to stay. The red tile around the sink and wall sconces clashed with the marble tile in the rest of the room. It was also the first time we had a single sink for the trip. It was filled with so many items that we had to place them on the floor so we had space for our toiletries.
And I don’t know how you feel about a floor-to-ceiling mirror next to the toilet, but that’s something I didn’t need.
I don’t know how to articulate how I feel about this room. There’s no doubt the items were top-notch. However, it was almost too fancy, to the point where I couldn’t feel comfortable. What if I tripped walking to the bathroom and knocked something off a shelf?
I’ll say that it’s not the type of hotel where we’d usually stay. We’re OK with fancy hotels but this was a style of fancy we’re not comfortable in.
However, some of the “old-time” things they do are charming. For example, they’ll leave this sign outside while servicing your room. So no leaving your door open while they’re organizing your things and straightening your slippers next to the bed.
The house phones look like they’re original to the hotel. 
No need to dial; just pick it up for the operator. (Even if the font looks like the sign came from the 60s TV show, The Prisoner.)
Other stuff
This is truly a full-service luxury hotel. I had forgotten to bring a cable to link my iPad to my MacBook so I went to ask where I could buy one near the hotel. The concierge pulled out his phone to confirm the style of cable I needed. Then he said they would purchase one for me and leave it in our room (or we could pick it up at the desk later that day). The cost of the cable would be added to our room charge. You forget what it’s like to have a great concierge and how that ruins your experience everywhere else.
As it turned out, someone in our group had the cable I needed, and I was able to cancel the order.
Another anecdote was when I went to the lobby to ask if they had any firmer pillows. As I got in the elevator, there was already a hotel staff member inside. He asked how our stay was and I said “I’m just headed to the front desk about our room.” His face turned pale as he asked “Is something wrong?”
I smiled and said I only wanted to ask for other pillows and put a card on our account for charges. I sensed his body relax.
Final Thoughts
The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi is a landmark. From its start over 100 years ago to today, it’s always been central to Vietnam’s history.
While the style of the lobby in the Opera Wing and the room design isn’t what we prefer, there’s no question that this is a top-tier hotel.
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