Hanoi’s oldest luxury hotel tested by influx of rivals amid tourism surge

The Sofitel Legend Metropole in Hanoi in 2020. The 125-year-old landmark has hosted everyone from Charlie Chaplin to Jane Fonda. | REUTERS

Oct 27, 2026

For decades, the Sofitel Legend Metropole stood alone as Hanoi’s only luxury hotel, a colonial-era grande dame steeped in wartime history — complete with its own underground bomb shelter — that hosted everyone from Charlie Chaplin to Jane Fonda.

Now, the 125-year-old landmark is being joined at the top by a new generation of high-end hotels amid Vietnam’s push to attract wealthier travelers and propel its double-digit growth ambitions.

“Vietnam has become one of the hottest markets, with Japan,” said Maud Bailly, the chief executive of Sofitel Legend, Sofitel, MGallery & Emblems. “After COVID, we noticed tourism in Asia has become more intraregional. We had some question marks about Chinese travelers coming back, but in fact the region’s so resilient it’s booming in itself.”

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