Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

The Sofitel Legend Metropole is the most storied hotel in Vietnam. It opened in August 1901 as the Grand Metropole Hotel, developed by two French investors, and at the time was described as the largest and most modern hotel in French Indochina. After 1954 it was nationalised and renamed the Thong Nhat, or Reunification, Hotel, and it returned to international management in 1992. Today it is a five-star hotel with 358 rooms and suites, run by Sofitel Legend.

The hotel is divided into two parts. The Heritage Wing is the original 1901 building, one of the most prominent surviving examples of French colonial architecture in the region, with 106 rooms that combine classic French style with Vietnamese touches. The Opera Wing, added in the mid-1990s, has a further 135 rooms. Guests who want the full sense of history should ask for the Heritage Wing when booking.

The Metropole's guest book is a large part of its appeal. Somerset Maugham stayed in 1923 and Graham Greene in 1951, and Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard spent their honeymoon here in 1936. During the American war, a bomb shelter was built under the grounds in 1964; Jane Fonda and Joan Baez both took refuge there in 1972. The shelter was rediscovered in 2011 under the Bamboo Bar and has since been restored and opened for guided visits. In February 2019 the hotel hosted the second summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un.

Food and drink are a strong reason to stay or visit. Le Beaulieu serves French fine dining, and the line-up also includes Spice Garden, angelina, Le Club Bar, the Paris-inspired La Terrasse and Bamboo Bar, so there is a choice of setting for every time of day. There is also Le Spa du Metropole and a fitness centre. An experience called Path of History is listed among the hotel's extra services.

The location, on Ngo Quyen Street in Hoan Kiem, is about 500 metres from Hoan Kiem Lake, so the main sights of the centre are easy to reach on foot. It suits couples, history lovers and travellers celebrating a special occasion, and anyone who wants to stay in a building that has witnessed much of Hanoi's modern history. Book directly or through the official site, and reserve dining tables in advance in high season.