The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel is an award winning French colonial-style hotel in the heart of Hanoi, near Hoan Kiem Lake and the magnificent Opera House. Boasting a classical white façade, green shutters, original wrought iron detail, wool panelling and a lush courtyard lawn, the hotel is one of the region’s few remaining hotels of its era.

Built in 1901 by two private French investors, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi reigns as the Grande Dame of Vietnamese hospitality and one of Southeast Asia’s most iconic hotels. In 2009 the hotel became the first in the Sofitel portfolio to acquire Accor’s Legend brand distinction. The 364-room hotel was completely renovated in June 2009 and won a spot on the “Hot List”, the 14th annual look at the world’s hottest new properties by Conde Nast Traveler, one of the world’s most renowned travel magazines.

Awards are nothing new to the Hotel Metropole Hanoi. Indeed, the hotel has made the grade on Conde Nast’s Gold List in 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009. It has always enjoyed a reputation as a classic. Now it’s garnering acclaim as a great new opportunity for travellers who revel in contemporary appeal. “As one of Asia’s classic hotels, we’re obliged to honour the past and our guests’ expectations of a stay in the Hotel Metropole Hanoi,” said Mr Kai Speth, General Manager of the hotel. “But we also have a responsibility to provide accommodation that is as fresh and stimulating as it is venerable. Nobody wants to check into a museum.”

Thanks to a four-year, $20 million restoration, the 109-year old delivered a host of compelling new reasons to view the Grande Dame of Vietnamese hospitality as a debutante. All 364 rooms and suites are luxurious and spacious with impeccable service that treats guests to an unparalleled experience. All of the hotel’s public areas took on a new sheen. The retail outlets were completely revisited and a new gourmet shop and boutique were integrated into the mix.

The hotel celebrated the grand opening of its first ever Le Spa du Metropole in April this year and also won a spot on the Conde Nast’s 2010 Hot Spa list. Le Spa du Metropole mirrors the hotel’s well-established charm, seducing guests with an indulgent 400 square metres on two floors, including two treatment rooms, two themed spa suites for couples and three for individuals. The seven treatment rooms evoke Old World elegance and the spirits of such former guests as Charlie Chaplin, Graham Greene and Somerset Maugham.

Conde Nast Traveller said: “The spa feels like an elegant friend’s residence, with grand staircases leading to candlelit havens for Eastern-themed massages and facials with Clarins and Ytsara products.” 

According to Mr Speth, as Hanoi celebrates its 1,000th anniversary this year, Le Spa will continue to gain inspiration from its own rich past. “This is an important moment in a long proud history - a history that we continue to celebrate in Le Spa with Old World Elegance and vibrant Asian overtones,” he said. “2010 is the year of the Spa for the Metropole. We waited 108 years before opening a spa. With an incubation period that long, we knew we had an obligation to make it worth the wait.” 

The hotel also engaged a Parisian chef, who first cut his teeth in Asia at the Raffles Hotel Singapore, to join the kitchen crew at Le Beaulieu, the oldest continuously operated restaurant in Vietnam. Denis Groison’s appointment as chef de cuisine is part of a larger effort by the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi to enhance its standing as one of Asia’s greatest French restaurants. “As Hanoi celebrates its 1,000 year history, we’re making investments in our own substantial history,” said Mr Speth. “Le Beaulieu is a great French restaurant. We’re now wondering why we shouldn’t be known as the greatest French restaurant in all Asia.” 

Le Beaulieu reigns as the hotel’s flagship restaurant and as complement to Spices Garden, a traditional Vietnamese eatery, and Angelina, a new Italian restaurant that cultivates 21st Century chic. 

“All the new facilities and all the new services we introduced were carefully integrated into the existing ‘spirit’ of the hotel,” said Mr Speth. “The whole point was to enhance and beautify, to complement the existing features of the hotel with a harmonious approach. We just looked at what we can do to complete facilities that a modern traveller would expect and what we can do to enhance the service touches in the hotel.” 

It can’t be denied that the Metropole is more than just a historic hotel; it is also an integral part of Hanoi, a landmark where many historic events took place. “It will hopefully be here for future generations to enjoy and it is a big responsibility for us to keep the building in good shape,” said Mr Speth.