Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi – Vietnam

It will be raining all day tomorrow, a staff said as me and my buddy were at the poolside watching the incessant rain that saturated the whole of Hanoi since afternoon. It was the first day of our three-day affair in Hanoi and hearing those words didn’t bother me at all (even if it will ruin all our plans of exploring this quaint city) as we were housed on one of the greatest landmarks in the city, the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi.

Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi

The crisp early morning wind welcomed us as we got off from the express bus we from the airport. A block away from the bus stop, we saw our home for two days in Hanoi, Vietnam. Located at the heart of the business district of Hanoi, the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi is one of the greatest landmarks in the city not only because it delivers excellent service but also for its significance on the history of the town itself that dates back in 1901.

Est. 1901

Sofitel Legend is a brand of the famous hotel chain which is a collection of stately heritage hotels (and palaces) in different key cities around the world all with a charming history. I love how Sofitel have their different brands aside from their standard hotels. We’ve been fortunate enough to have stayed at Sofitel So Bangkok two years ago which totally set a high standard in our future hotel stays.

Opera Wing

There were some old cars and carriages on each of the side of the main entrance to the hotel. With hardly sleep at all from our midnight flight from Manila, we were greeted by a staff at the lobby and were ushered to the front desk wherein ladies garbed in traditional Vietnamese dress (Ao Dai) received us. It was seven in the morning and although we knew that it was way too early for the check-in time, we did proceed with the standard process.

The lobby itself was elegant but totally not intimidating even though it’s an award-winning French colonial-style hotel. The marble tiled floor and huge flower vases were warmed up by the wooden furnishings and light fixtures.

Our bags were collected for storage and were told that our room will be ready at around ten in the morning. We were given an early check-in time which was totally great as we needed to freshen up a bit before we head out and explore the town (check here for discounted tours, transportation and activities in Hanoi).

We had a quick bite on a nearby roadside café, strolled a bit and got caught up on a heavy downpour that lasted for an hour or so. After which we got back to the hotel around noon and went directly to our room to get some rest.

There are two wings on the prestigious Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi; Metropole Wing that is generally the original Metropole Hotel and Opera Wing that is more contemporary than the other one. Coming from the Metropole Wing, we had to walk along the lush courtyard lawn and saw the pool area, bar and some restaurants around.

Elevator waiting area at Opera Wing

We weren’t exactly surprised as we opened the door to our Premium Room (check for discounted rates) as it echoed the theme of the hotel.

Neutral shades of white, grey and black were predominant with some splashes of red hues from a lounge chair, side lamps, a clock, and a recessed wall which perked up the whole space. The wooden parqueted floor also gave warmth to the room.

Premium Room

A wardrobe closet rested near the main door and an entertainment rack on the same side. What seemed to be an old cabinet right below the flat screen TV surprisingly contained the mini-bar.

A wooden work table was at the far end with its own comfy chair and desk lamp. My buddy couldn’t be much happier for this spot as he loves working even while on a holiday.

Sweet treats

Opposite the work station was a lounge chair and a coffee table with welcome fruits and chocolates. Beside it was the super plush queen-sized bed with Sofitel’s famous MyBed luxury bedding. I was so excited to jump into my bed and stay there all day, which what happened next as the rain continued to pour.

Neutral shades with some splash of red hues

The bathroom was my favorite part of the room which is totally unusual for me.

I opened up the swivel door and got thrilled the moment I saw the coolest bathroom set-up that I pinned for future reference for my own home.

The marble tiled floor and wall were accentuated with red tiled vanity area. It totally provided a great vivacity to what usually seemed to be a lifeless part of a hotel room.

The bathtub with a super nice rain shower head was also worthy of mentioning. I was so in love with the bathroom that I took a bath right away while my buddy snoozed the afternoon away while Hanoi enjoyed its afternoon mizzle.

My favorite part of the room, surprisingly :)

The rain went on until late afternoon and all we did was prep up some coffee (Vietnamese coffee is really good) and enjoy the comforts of our room.

At around five in the afternoon, we headed to the lobby and joined the free Path of History tour that’s exclusively for in-house guests. It lasted for an hour with a brief introduction of the hotel itself and the harrowing tales during the Vietnam War and how Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi stood the test of time.

Path of History Tour exclusively for in-house guests

Bomb shelters around the hotel's premises during the war

The tour ended on a bomb shelter tour right below the hotel’s premises which brought some chills to the guests. With the terror of the previous wars in mind, I couldn’t help but admire the tenacity of the Vietnamese to have survived it. The marking on a wall, Remember, Forgive, Forever, truly exemplifies how the people outlived the war.

Bomb shelter underneath the hotel

That night, and after an end to hours of non-stop downpour, we had a nice dinner and beer sesh in the area of Hang Dao which made a delightful slumber that night with, I must emphasize this every time, Sofitel’s famous MyBed luxury bedding.

The perfect refuge for this rainy afternoon in Hanoi. Can't wait to try Sofitel's famous luxury pillows and the 200-thread count percale sheet. Photo by @lakadpilipinas

A photo posted by blissfulguro (@blissfulguro) on Aug 19, 2016 at 2:01am PDT

The sky cleared up the next morning, surprisingly as it invalidated the weather forecast for that day. We were too excited to finally explore Hanoi but needed to carbo-load first.

We had three breakfast options that morning, yes three, on three different restaurants but we chose to have it on Spices Garden as it had this feeling of dining on an open garden area.

We were there at seven in the morning and the buffet spread looked fantastic with the bread station as the focal point.

We had three dining options for breakfast and we chose Spices Garden that day

A number of pastries and freshly cooked breads were spread out with different jams and spreads. We settled on a table and were surprised as there were also some breads on it. I also loved the soup station (pho!) and the traditional Vietnamese dishes area. There were also international breakfast favorites on the spread.

Indulge

Pho for breakfast :)

And yes, the sun showed up that day which made our one full day exploration a success. It was good that Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi is nearby the important landmarks so accessibility wasn’t much of a problem.

We had roughly two days in Hanoi and it rained almost all day during our first day. We weren’t grumpy at all as with years of traveling together, me and my buddy have learned the value of enjoying what we have rather than complaining on what we don’t have. And staying at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi would be the greatest way to get stuck on a rainy day in Hanoi as you would truly feel the unparalleled classic elegance and luxury indulgence.

Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi (check for discounted rates)

15 Ngo Quyen Street,  Hoan Kiem District,

10000 – Hanoi, Vietnam

Contact Number: (+84) 4.3826.6919 extension 8500

Email Address: H1555@sofitel.com