miss b loves ......the Metropole Hotel Hanoi, Vietnam

  

One of the highlights of our recent visit to Vietnam was The Metropole Hanoi, a very special hotel with a rich and fascinating history. It opened in 1901 as the Grand Hotel Metropole Hanoi and was built in the French colonial style with a striking white façade and green shutters.  

No wonder it's such a popular spot for brides to pose for photos! 

Its pretty, lush gardens are a tranquil oasis away from the hustle and bustle of the city....

Located in Hanoi's French Quarter, near to the Opera House, this legendary hotel has welcomed many entertainers, writers and Heads of State and during the seventies several Embassies including the Australian and Italian Embassies were based there.

There are legendary suites named after three particularly famous guests ... Charlie Chaplin who spent his honeymoon at the Metropole in 1936, the writer Somerset Maugham and Graham Greene who wrote part of 'The Quiet American' during his stay in 1951. 

The staff, known as Ambassadors, are special too. Professional, knowledgeable yet warm and genuine...... 

Hai was happy to pose
for a photo.

Hai was particularly helpful and recommended a number of places in the city which we should visit. When I asked her if there was a legendary suite which we might be able to have a look at sometime, she immediately went to find a key to an unoccupied one .......Graham Greene's .......

... and as she showed us around we also learnt so much from her about Vietnam in general, its culture and traditions.  

The staff also organise history tours of the hotel, for hotel guests only, beginning in the long corridor where huge boards also illustrate the fascinating story. Our guide told us many interesting facts about the history of Hanoi and Vietnam too ...

During the Vietnam War, the hotel was host to many anti-war celebrities including Jane Fonda and Joan Baez. Last year while renovating the Bamboo Bar, the hotel bunker which protected hotel staff and guests during air raids, was discovered by chance. It was here that Joan Baez part-recorded her anti-war protest song 'Where are you now my son?' Our tour ended with an opportunity to go down into the bunker...

A poignant message at the entrance to the shelter....

Joan Baez returned to the hotel in April this year and painted this beautiful picture during her stay ......

 ...... and it now has pride of place in the lobby ......

The attention to detail throughout the hotel is impressive ......an abundance of beautiful flower arrangements and the scent of lemongrass permeates the hotel....

Our room was immaculate, elegant, with dark wood floors and lovely touches such as daily macarons, Lanvin toiletries and two types of bathrobe!!

The food deserves a mention too...... Breakfast included a huge selection of Western and Asian dishes. This being a Sofitel managed hotel, the French bread, croissants and pastries were of course perfectly baked and with so many exotic fruits on offer too .....there's no better start to the day ........

Spices Restaurant serves not only delicious Vietnamese food but it's all beautifully presented on pretty china and wooden trays and accompanied by traditional music too...... 

Even though I have lived in France, the croque-monsieur(served with real French frites) in Le Club was the tastiest one ever and our cocktails in the renowned Bamboo Bar were excellent too!

There are other dining options .... Le Beaulieu for French cuisine and Angelina's Italian restaurant, apparently named after Angelina Jolie after one of her stays. La Terrasse has been modelled on a traditional Parisian pavement café.......

I can highly recommend this wonderful hotel.... its legendary reputation is certainly well-deserved!

If you missed my posts about our trip to Hanoi you can read about it here and here