Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

The Sofitel Metropole in Hanoi has some serious history to it. Maybe it's the various Presidents or Kings that have stayed there. Or famous artists like Charlie Chaplin and Ernest Hemingway. Or the underground bunker that protected hotel guests from bombings during the war. Whatever it is, there's an air of exceptionalism that permeates the place. We booked the hotel through AMEX FHR and were upgraded to the lounge floor where check-in took place over a glass of champagne. The lounge itself is beautiful, but so is every public space in the hotel. A butler looked after us on our floor and arranged for afternoon tea in the glassed in atrium. He went above and beyond since tea time was ending, but he made sure my wife wouldn't miss it. It was hot & humid outside, but perfectly cool in the atrium overlooking the pool. In any other hotel, the atrium would be the centerpiece, but there's also the pool bar & restaurant where Charlie Chaplin enjoyed cocktails which now offers a gin based drink appropriately named the "Charlie Chaplin". There's an elegant bar called Angelina (yes, named after THAT Angelina) which offers superb cocktails and a light menu. It's such a beautiful space there's no need to venture elsewhere. It was only made better by the sophisticated cigar lounge adjacent to Angelina. There's a wonderful Vietnamese restaurant (Spice Garden) on site as well a Michelin selected French restaurant (Le Beaulieu) with an incredible wine list. If it's not too hot, there's a sidewalk cafe that Graham Greene likely enjoyed while working on The Quiet American. Then the rooms. With hardwood floors, marble bathroom complete with clawfoot tub, a pillow menu, and Diptyque products, it's a cozy romantic getaway in the heart of Hanoi. However, what makes the hotel exceptional is the staff. George, the GM, stopped by our table to check on our experience at breakfast. Everyone from the front desk staff, to the concierge who helped arrange a HaLong Bay trip, bellmen, waiters, bartenders, and our butler, they take service seriously. Everyone works hard to provide an amazing experience for guests and it shows. The hotel historian, Tom, took us on a tour of the hotel bunkers and it was touching to hear his stories of family members he lost in the war. That's the thing about the Metropole in Hanoi. It has a soul. A history. It's not just a place to sleep, but a place to experience Hanoi in its current state and also to show reverence to its past. Stay here if you can. You won't regret it.

Absolutely love this hotel and always look forward to returning. The property is gorgeous and well located in the Old Quarter of Hanoi. The rooms are well appointed and the service is impeccable. From the moment you arrive it feels like a weight has been lifted as everything you need can be taken care of within the hotel property. I am a huge fan of The Salon, which is on site. I always have my hair cut and colored while visiting and the stylist is amazing. My hair looks awesome and for 1/3 of the price that I pay in the US. You can have a manicure and pedicure at the same time! 10/10 highly recommend this hotel!

Wow, what a hotel. Probably the best hotel I’ve ever stayed in. The staff were so friendly and willing to help. Colonial style hotel, very beautiful. Room had all the amenities of a 5 star hotel. Stayed for 2 nights, then went to Halong Bay on a 24 hour cruise before returning to the hotel for a further 1 night. We were given a free room upgrade on our return from Halong Bay, which was even more spectacular. Still found the remote control toilet quite amusing!! The hotel is quite central and there was a convenience store nearby to buy water etc. The breakfast was outstanding and was impressed with the English breakfast tea as it’s difficult to get a good cuppa abroad. We ate in Angelina’s a couple of times (named after Angelina Jolie as she stayed there). Excellent food and our host, Thuy (I think that is her name) was excellent and made sure we had everything we needed and made time to speak to us and showed interest. She deserves a promotion and a pay rise!! Had a tour of a bunker underneath the hotel that was used during the war. The history of the hotel is so fascinating and anyone, who’s anyone has been there from Charlie Chaplin to Trump!! The concierge was very knowledgeable, he gave us the daily train times so that we could see the train going through Train Street, which was one of the highlights of our trip to Hanoi. The last afternoon we were planning on using the pool, but the heavens opened, so we sat in the bar with a cocktail and watched the rain. The cost of food is reasonable for a 5 star hotel compared to western hotels. Highly recommended.

I can’t speak highly enough of this hotel. It is one of the grand hotels of Indo China with raffles as the other. They are in a car in terms of service and quality. Just a couple of small examples after we checked in we were looking for our room and asked one of the staff members she politely explained that she had just finished work, but it was no trouble to give us directions. In fact she took us to the room. She spent 10 minutes, showing us the room Even when she finished work. Service above and beyond. Equally when we were waiting for a pick up for a tour which was running late the bellboy so that we were waiting and asked us for the details of our tour operator and phoned them to inquire where our transfer was this kind of proactive service is sadly missing elsewhere. The only downside was the main restaurant for which I’ve written another review. I would avoid this at all costs at the moment, it is extremely expensive and the quality of the food not commence it with the cost.

I recently stayed at the Sofitel Legend Metropole in Hanoi for a 2-night business visit. While the room was big, clean, and well-appointed, what really set this hotel apart was the service. I travel so often around the region now (at least 2-3 business trips per month) and I have rarely been impressed with the service of a hotel as much as I was with the Sofitel Legend Metropole. All the staff (without exception) were friendly and full of helpful information. They also made me feel well looked after, always remembering my name and making a point to greet me when they saw me. Just a few (of many examples in my short stay at the hotel): - The bellboy (Thuy?) who helped me with my bag when I first arrived not only helped me with my bags but also personally escorted me to the hotel's restaurants and cafes. When the hotel's cafe was closed (due to inclement weather), he even brought me on a mini-tour of the hotel's Heritage wing. - The front desk clerk (Maya?) was so helpful during check-in, which was a breeze. When my room wasn't ready, she escorted me to the hotel restaurant so that I could enjoy a leisurely lunch. Later in my stay, she saw me again at the hotel restaurant and asked me how I was doing. - On my last day, my flight was delayed by 6 hours (due to a typhoon). Since I had time to kill, I had wanted to experience the cafe in the hotel but it was unfortunately closed (as mentioned above). After I returned to my room, the Duty Manager immediately called me and apologized for the cafe being closed (although he had absolutely no reason to apologize) and offered for me to extend my late check-out even further. I had also mentioned that I was going to the Spice Garden restaurant for lunch and they immediately arranged a nice table for me (and the butler, Trung, even brought up the restaurant's menu to my room!). - Countless other examples, especially of the staff at all of the dining establishments (who I unfortunately forgot to get the names of), including at Le Club, Spice Garden, and Angelina (all of which I went to several times during my stay). Some even remembered what I had for breakfast, so that they could recommend different dishes for me for lunch or dinner. Even though this was a business trip, it really felt more like a retreat. I wanted to spend most of this review on the service (as it really was outstanding), but there are so many other things about the hotel to love, including its heritage, the food (which was all delicious), and the creative drinks at all of its venues. (They even gave me a gift of Vietnamese tea and biscuits upon my departure.) Definitely a must-stay hotel in Hanoi!