In April 2024, I checked into the Grand Luxury Room at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi. Located within the heart of Hanoi’s commercial and business district, the 364-room historic hotel is steps away from attractions such as Hoan Kiem Lake as well as the iconic Opera House in the city’s French Quarter. Noi Bai International Airport is a 45-minute drive away.
Other notable hotels in Hanoi include Capella Hanoi, JW Marriott Hanoi, InterContinental Hanoi Landmark72, InterContinental Hanoi Westlake and Pan Pacific Hanoi.
The UTW (“Under Ten Words”): Charming, renovated historic hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.
The must-dos (if any): Have breakfast at Le Beaulieu, enjoy club privileges at Le Club Bar or Club Metropole, go for the hotel’s history tour and visit the underground bunker, have tipples at Angelina.
SOFITEL LEGEND METROPOLE HANOI
Opened in 1901 as the Metropole Hotel Hanoi, the colonial-era property is one of Southeast Asia’s oldest hotels, being in the same vein as similar grand dame properties such as The Peninsula Hong Kong and Raffles Hotel Singapore. The hotel became the Pullman Hotel Metropole in 1988 before reflagging as a Sofitel Legend in 2009. The property has been a prominent fixture in Hanoi since the French colonial days, being a popular destination for politicians, the well-heeled, the social and the creative. Former guests include Charlie Chaplin, Francis Ford Coppola, Prince William, Roger Moore, Samuel L. Jackson, Somerset Maugham, Jolie and Ban Ki Moon. In terms of atmosphere, the property is an intriguing mix of French colonial (guests are greeted with “bonjour” by hotel staff) meets Vietnamese heritage (the staff are decked in traditional Vietnamese dress or ao dai).
The hotel comprises two different wings: the Heritage Wing, the original building designed in a classic French colonial style which underwent extensive renovations and reopened in 2023, and the Opera Wing, a new neoclassical-style annexe which was built in 1996. The posh French restaurant Le Beaulieu and its adjoining alfresco brasserie La Terrasse, afternoon tea lounge Le Club Bar, poolside cocktail space Bamboo Bar and European-style cocktail bar and restaurant Angelina are housed within the Heritage Wing, while the Vietnamese restaurant Spice Garden is located within the Opera Wing. The Heritage Wing also houses the Metropole Arcade, which features luxury brands such as Patek Philippe, Bottega Veneta, Hermes, Chopard and Richard Mille. On-site delicatessen L’Epicure offers pastries, sweets and imported goods such as caviar, cheeses and meats.
One of the hotel’s most memorable features is the underground bunker accessible near a flight of steps next to Bamboo Bar. Former guests who once sought refuge in the bunker during the Vietnam War include anti-war activist Jane Fonda as well as singer Joan Baez. The latter famously recorded the 22-minute title track of her album “Where Are You Now, My Son” whilst in the bomb shelter during the US bombing raid on Hanoi over Christmas in 1972, and the recording features sounds of sirens blaring and bombs dropping which she had recorded on her portable tape machine. Sealed off after the Vietnam War, the bunker was rediscovered during Bamboo Bar’s renovation in 2011, and was eventually restored and incorporated as the impactful final stop of the daily hotel history tours which are conducted every evening. I went for one of the history tours, and it was quite the thought-provoking experience that made me read up more on the Vietnam War while enjoying my red wine during evening cocktails.
In terms of wellness, guests have access to the two-storey Le Spa du Metropole, the SoFit gym as well as the outdoor swimming pool.
GRAND LUXURY ROOM
Located within the recently renovated Heritage Wing, the 37sqm Grand Luxury Room plays it all romantic French Indochine with polished hardwood floors, French windows, ceiling fans and richly coloured Vietnamese silk cushions, with wall art and tailored cushions adding deep slashes of colour to the creamy white proceedings. The windows in my bedroom and bathroom faced the hotel’s internal courtyard and swimming pool.
The Grand Luxury Room features a standalone wardrobe, an antique-style work desk and a window-side daybed. The pantry offers complimentary Nespresso coffee as well as hotel-branded tea sachets, with bigger boxes of the tea being available at an additional charge. The minibar comprises sodas and juices, mini bottles of spirits, canned beers as well as small bottles of wine.
The marble bathroom features a large mirror with single vanity, a standalone bathtub next to the window (with manual blinds available for your modesty/exhibitionism, whichever applies), and an enclosed rainfall shower space. Bathroom amenities are courtesy of French luxury brands Balmain (shower amenities) and Hermes (perfumed soap).
DINING
Guests in the Heritage Wing can enjoy their breakfast at either French restaurant Le Beaulieu or afternoon tea lounge Le Club Bar, with the former being a classy, sit-down affair with an a la carte menu and table-side service and the latter being a more traditional buffet spread situation.
Breakfast at Le Beaulieu begins with your choice of aperitif: sparkling wine, Kir Royale, Bellini or a Hanoi Bellini (mango and passionfruit). Those who prefer caffeine over booze can go for the French Press Coffee or Vietnamese Coffee (black or with condensed milk). You can choose from the French Menu (basic with viennoiserie and bread basket), Continental Menu (French Menu but with an additional egg dish), the Metropole Menu (French Menu but with trolley service of house smoked salmon, charcuterie and artisan cheese as well as your choice of one main), or simply go a la carte, with selections such as Royal Benedict (Paris ham), California Benedict (smoked salmon), Ricotta Pancakes and Pain Perdu (cinnamon French toast, caramelised apple). The Artisan Sausages (chicken feta and herbs; pork, apple and coffee blossom honey) and Bacon from the sides selection are recommended.
In contrast to the elegance and privacy of the Le Beaulieu experience, breakfast at Le Club Bar is a decidedly more natural-lit, energetic and buzzy affair, with buffet selections such as Vietnamese Banh Mi, Green Papaya Salad, Fresh Spring Roll with Prawn, Pork Mince Rice Roll, Braised Pork, Grilled Fish, Fried Rice with Carrot and Beans, Tapioca Starch with Mung Bean, Alkaline Rice Dumpling, Chicken Soup Noodles and Egg Coffee.
Post-breakfast, Le Beaulieu serves set menus as well as an a la carte menu with main courses such as Cote de Boeuf, Turbot, Pigeon and Veau De Lait. The restaurant also boasts a very extensive wine list. As for Le Club Bar, aside from doubling up as the executive lounge space for Heritage Wing guests during afternoon tea and evening cocktails, the lounge also serves a French/Vietnamese/International menu and offers live music from Tuesdays to Saturdays at 8PM.
With its sophisticated double-height bar, sleek lounge area with Chesterfield sofas and an adorable schnauzer painting as well as its multiple private rooms, bar-lounge-restaurant Angelina is the hotel’s preferred venue for tipples, serving both classic and modern cocktails and boasting an impressive whisky collection. The bar also offers 1-for-1 cocktails from a select menu from 4pm-6pm, with choices such as Hoi An Bird (Sampan 43% rhum, pineapple and thyme cordial, aperol lime), Tommy Chilirita (Two Fingers Tequila, A.Reyes Chili Liqueur, passionfruit puree, lime, agave nectar, pepper) and Lady Mandarine (Lady Trieu gin, mandarin puree, vanilla, lime, honey, ginger).
Rounding up the dining concepts are Bamboo Bar, the poolside alfresco space with a traditional wooden roof and bamboo fans (ala Long Bar at Raffles Hotel Singapore) which is known for their cocktails inspired by former guests such as Graham Greene and Charlie Chaplin; Spice Garden, which serves traditional Vietnamese cuisine; and La Terrasse, the Parisian-style pavement bistro.
LE CLUB BAR AND CLUB METROPOLE
Heritage Wing guests with club access can enjoy their afternoon tea and evening cocktail privileges at Le Club Bar, with club guests usually seated at the beautiful glasshouse extension which overlooks the garden courtyard. The afternoon tea is a classic tiered affair with savouries, sweets and your choice of coffee (Condensed Milk, Coconut Milk, Egg Coffee). During evening cocktails, guests are served a platter of canapes, with an extensive drink list to choose libations from – Drappier Carte d’Or Brut Champagne; classic cocktails such as Old Fashioned, Manhattan, Negroni and Lychee Martini; signature cocktails such as Hoi An Mojito (Sampan Rum 43% Metropole Private Batch, mint, lime, sugar, soda), Blueberry Sour (Bulleit Bourbon, lime juice, blueberry puree), Club Espresso (Hennessy VSOP Cognac, Ristretto Nespresso, peach, tonic); and a variety of wines to choose from, including the hotel-branded Château Le Grand Verdus Bordeaux Blanc and Bordeaux Supérieur.
During my stay, for the purposes of this review, I also managed to check out the Club Metropole, which is located on the highest level of the Opera Wing. Reserved for club guests staying at the Opera Wing, the Club Metropole offers a similar beverage menu to that offered at Le Club Bar, with the key difference in club offerings being its buffet-style format, with dishes such as Smoked Seabass, Mango and Prawn Salad, Chicken Salad, Mini Paris Brest, Thorn Leaf Cake (bánh gai) and Apple Tart Tatin appearing in the buffet spread. The club staff also occasionally offer small plates of hot dishes from the hotel’s restaurants which serve as enticing introductions to what the inhouse F&B concepts have to offer. I enjoyed the live music performances at the Club Metropole, which included piano and guzheng performances.
CONCLUSION
It was wonderful being able to experience the newly renovated Heritage Wing, which facilitated a more optimal introduction to the historic property and the storied past of not just the hotel but also Hanoi and Vietnam as a whole. The club benefits were commendable, and the wonderful breakfast at Le Beaulieu reminded me of similar breakfast experiences in some of the more luxurious European properties I have visited such as Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam and Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel in Paris. Definitely a bucket list property during your visit to Hanoi.
Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi
15 Ngo Quyen, Hoan Kiem
100000 Hanoi
Comments are closed.