Sofitel Metropole Hotel*****

Our brief comments:
The Sofitel Metropole Hotel is conveniently located in the heart of the city centre about a five-minute walk to Hoan Kiem Lake. It's a medium-rise colonial style building with many historic connections. The Metropole has 229 rooms and suites, two luxury Executive Suites, and a top-of-the-range Heritage Suite.

Accommodation is in two wings. The original 'Metropole' wing has many period features in its rooms and public areas. The newer 'Opera' wing opened some years ago - the room decor and facilities are more modern but lack the period character of the original building.

The Sofitel Metropole has had a turbulent past and been the chosen accommodation of Kings, Presidents, film stars and celebrities from all over the world. It has an interior courtyard garden and is close to an attractive park area. It also has a number of small shop outlets at street level and a bar called the Met'Pub which stages regular music performances, and live sport events via a wide-screen television.

In recent years, several new five star hotels with modern facilities have opened in Hanoi. By comparison with its newer neighbours, the Metropole's image was becoming somewhat staid and outdated.

A radical refurbishing programme is underway aimed at breathing new life into Hanoi's most famous hotel. Already, 70 rooms have been transformed and, in a single bound, the Metropole has leapfrogged into pole position well ahead of its competitors.

The 'new' rooms are a delight. The stuffy fin de siècle decor has been replaced by a clever mixture of hi-tech and traditional features with a stronger focus upon Vietnamese elements. All the renovated rooms have broadband connection, narrow-beam halogen reading lights, corner bathrooms and a separate shower cubicle. The Classic Suite boasts a wall-hung plasma screen television in the sitting area and a stylish fretted screen dividing the toilet from the rest of the bathroom.

Elsewhere, the Metropole has entered the 21st century with gusto. All rooms now have broadband Internet access and public areas have wireless connection. The hotel's policy recognises the growing concern about passive smoking by making the two lower floors non-smoking, leaving only the top floor for tobacco addicts.

Fortunately, the historic traditions of the Metropole have escaped unscathed. The hotel's restaurants offer some of the finest cuisine in Vietnam - the Chef has been the recipient of several prestigious international awards for his innovative blending of Vietnamese and French gastronomic traditions. One of the recent innovations has been a Chocolate Buffet with a range of exotic flavours - green tea and fish sauce chocolates are two of the more unusual tastes. Surprisingly, the mixture works!

Over the next few months, more rooms will be upgraded. Further renovations are planned for later in the year. The creation of an arcade of luxury shops is already underway - the first lessee, Louis Vuitton, is now in place with other prestigious brand names to follow.

Unusually, the refurbishment has not been accompanied by a hefty price hike. This year's rates have increased only to match inflation, making the Metropole highly competitive among Hanoi's luxury hotels.

Room facilities:

Room Categories	Premium	Deluxe	Classic Deluxe	Classic Suite	Opera Suite	Deluxe Suite
Number of rooms	160	24	21	9	10	5
Air-conditioner
Satellite television
Shower or bath
Bath with shower
Bath + separate shower
Personal safety box
Coffee and tea facilities
Laptop connection
Free broadband access
Extra bed
Child's cot
Room size (m2)	32	37	37	45	64	60
View	city	city	city	city	city	city
Opera/Metropole wing	both	both	Metro'	Metro'	Opera	Opera

Hotel facilities:

Outdoor pool		Non-smoking floor(s)	2
Pool bar		Non-smoking rooms only
Fitness/health centre		Vietnamese/Asian restaurant
Sauna		International restaurant
Massage		Patisserie/coffee shop/cafe
Jacuzzi		Business centre

Additonal hotel facilities: heated pool