Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

“Great Hà Nội Hotel”

our family of four(two adults & two children) stayed at the Sofitel Legend Metropole for three nights, split with a one night trip to Ha Long Bay(See separate review for Essence Grand Cruise). As a premium member for Accor group we received an upgrade for the last two nights off our stay which wa... more

our family of four(two adults & two children) stayed at the Sofitel Legend Metropole for three nights, split with a one night trip to Ha Long Bay(See separate review for Essence Grand Cruise). As a premium member for Accor group we received an upgrade for the last two nights off our stay which was very much appreciated. The hotel has a Colonial vibe and has a certain ambience to it. The bar area reminds me of the same era as Raffles in Singapore. Arrival and check in was handled very professionally with a welcome drink and escort to our rooms. The hotel has many dining options. The breakfasts each morning had great selection in the buffet as well as an egg station and Vietnamese options. The Club Lounge was well set up and provided great pre dinner canapés and a large selection of drinks. The rooms were very homely and spacious. Cleaning was at the highest level, and beds very comfortable to sleep in. The swimming pool was great to get some respite from the 36 degree days, and food and drinks from the bar were excellent. The location of the hotel is in the old town quarter, but at the quieter end of the streets. A 10 minute walk gets you to the night market and surrounding streets with great street food and bars. While the Sofitel is not the cheapest Hotel in Hà Nội, I felt that it was good value for the money. We would definitely stay here again.

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“An oasis in a wonderful but hectic city”

The hotel was lovely, staff incredibly accommodating -- I would like to mention Gian G in the lounge who was so helpful and kind. She remembered our name and made sure our every wish was granted. The hotel was an oasis in wonderfully hectic Hanoi

“Wonderful hotel, best massage ever”

Wonderful atmospheric and historic hotel with unbeatable location, a short walk to everything that attracts a first-time visitor. The decor is chic throughout, the rooms incredibly comfortable, with probably the best beds we have experienced in a hotel. Heavy curtains ensure total darkness when ... more

Wonderful atmospheric and historic hotel with unbeatable location, a short walk to everything that attracts a first-time visitor. The decor is chic throughout, the rooms incredibly comfortable, with probably the best beds we have experienced in a hotel. Heavy curtains ensure total darkness when you need it to overcome jet lag, quality toiletries in the well equipped bathroom. The pool and garden are very relaxing spaces, perfect for a dip during the day or a drink in the evenings. We also had dinner at the Vietnamese restaurant and it was high quality, as well as pricey, but not as spectacular as I would have expected from the top hotel in a city of amazing food. Breakfast was varied and very good. What was absolutely flawless, was the spa experience. Having experienced many excellent as well as some mediocre massages during a lifetime of back pain and sports injuries, I could only lavish praise where it was not due. Chi and Hau (who gave us the 90’ Asian heritage massages) deserve to be praised to the skies, they are the ultimate massage therapists. I have never felt the benefits of a massage for as long afterwards, it was both medicinal and heavenly in comfort at the same time. The spa is also a very relaxing space and the fact that you can precede the massage with a sauna and a hammam really complete the experience and help you get the best out of these top professionals. We will definitely stay here again when we return to Hanoi, the perfect hotel in an exhilarating city.

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“The gold standard, ever so slightly tarnished”

In downtown Hanoi this is an island of tranquillity in a sea of tumult but what makes the real difference here are the staff who have made the Metropole the apex predator in Hanoi’s hotel scene for over a century. In both service and facility, this is a class operation that, save for one irksome ... more

In downtown Hanoi this is an island of tranquillity in a sea of tumult but what makes the real difference here are the staff who have made the Metropole the apex predator in Hanoi’s hotel scene for over a century. In both service and facility, this is a class operation that, save for one irksome flaw, would be hard to fault anywhere in the world. The good: we spent one week in a Prestige suite then two one-night stays in Grand Premium rooms during a month of travel around the north. The suite (#243) was conspicuously clean, quiet, comfortable, extravagantly spacious and elegantly decorated. Everything expected was there and it all worked as expected. The super-size king bed was comfortable and the linens plush with enough pillows for each of us to find a favourite. The commodious bathroom was tastefully furnished, well-appointed and it all did what was expected of it. The included WiFi connected easily and worked well on all our devices throughout the hotel. The included breakfast was available in a couple of the hotel’s restaurants, but we opted for the Club Metropole Lounge which provided a complete and well-serviced buffet of international staples with eggs & accompaniments to order. The same Lounge offers complimentary afternoon teas and daily cocktails later in the afternoon. We dined in all of the hotel’s restaurants during our stays and the outcomes were always up to expectations – or better. Save for the considerable extra space of the suite, much the same accolades apply to both Grand Premium rooms we spent nights in. The not so good: it was hard to finger much here but the heavy duvet covers in all rooms that we stayed were excessive in Hanoi’s steamy spring weather and necessitated setting the AC temperature unduly low to ensure a comfortable sleep. The bad: there shouldn’t be anything here but the bathroom mechanisms that prevent the hotel’s toiletries from being purloined also makes them very difficult to use. Truthfully, their very inclusion is a veiled insult to the vast majority of trustworthy guests and brought to mind some hotels in China where a stocktake of your room or suite is made at checkout to ensure you haven’t made off with the furnishings. None of which we’ve ever returned to.

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