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Concierge.com's insider take:
Despite fierce competition from new luxury rivals, the ideally located Metropole remains the most prestigious address in Hanoi for diplomats, celebrities, and an increasing number of high-end travelers. Opened in 1901 in the heart of the French Quarter, the Metropole has an illustrious history—past guests include Charlie Chaplin (on his honeymoon), Jane Fonda, and Jacques Chirac. With completion in early 2008 of a new wing and conversion of an adjacent office block, the grand hotel more than tripled its size, to 363 rooms. Every room has broadband Internet, an LCD television, and a DVD player. The new digs also have a business center, library, and 24-hour butler service on the Club Floor. Further pampering will soon be available at a new spa and fitness center. Old-fashioned romantics may prefer the smaller rooms in the original Colonial Wing, which have hardwood floors, period furniture, and bamboo wall coverings—though the traffic outside on busy Ngo Quyen Street can reduce the charm. The solution? Join the fray in the hotel's vintage ride, a chauffeur-driven 1953 French Citroën—the sanest, most stylish way to tour the city or go on a shopping spree. Half- and full-day cooking classes include market tours and lunch. Dine in at one of the in-house restaurants: Spices Garden serves upmarket Vietnamese fare, and Le Beaulieu specializes in classic French cuisine. The hotel also has three bars, including the Met Pub, which usually has live music.
From the readers of Condé Nast Traveler:
(364 rooms)
—2011 Gold List
Overall Score: 89.8
- Design: 88.4
- Food: 87.9
- Location: 94.2
- Rooms: 89.2
- Service: 89.2
View the entire 2011 Gold List of the world's best places to stay ›
Also appeared in the Gold List in 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2005
Amenities: Pool, Spa
Subscribe now to Condé Nast Traveler ›From the editors of Condé Nast Traveler:
The 109-year-old Sofitel Legend Metropole has been entertaining dignitaries and celebrities for decades with its old-world charm, antiques-filled rooms, and Parisian-style cafés. Now, a four-year, $20 million renovation has tripled the room count to 364, introduced a full-service spa, and effectively created two distinct properties that function as one: the original building, whose colonial allure has been subtly retouched, and a new seven-story wing that evokes the drama of the nearby Opera House, from the crimson velvet drapes behind reception to the ubiquitous bouquets of red roses. Brocade upholstery, gilded mirrors, and silver lacquer vases heighten the sense of grandeur, and even the corridors are swoon-worthy, with black-and-white-striped wallpaper and red-and-yellow floral carpeting. Rooms include comfortable beds with chocolate-brown leather headboards and cherry-red velour armchairs, beside which macaroons are left at turndown. With additional upgrades like a business center and Clef d'Or concierges, the re-do merits thunderous applause. Only the new Italian steak house, Angelina, is a flashy disappointment (stick with the original Metropole eateries).—2010 Hot ListView the entire Hot List of the travel world's most noteworthy debuts in 2010 ›
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