For 125 years, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi has stood at the centre of Vietnam’s capital like a witness with perfect posture.

Since opening in 1901, the hotel has become more than one of Hanoi’s most famous addresses. It is a landmark of French elegance, Vietnamese history and old-world hospitality, a place where stories seem to gather in the corridors, over cocktails, beneath chandeliers and even below ground, in the wartime bunker that remains one of the hotel’s most powerful historic touchpoints.

Now, the Metropole is marking its 125th anniversary with a year-long programme of experiences under the theme “125 Years of a Legend,” celebrating the hotel’s past while inviting guests to experience its legacy in new ways throughout 2026.

“We are thrilled to open a new chapter in the Metropole’s legendary story,” said George Koumendakos, General Manager of Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi. “For 125 years this hotel has been the beating heart of Hanoi — witnessing history, welcoming the world, and setting the standard for refined hospitality. This anniversary allows us to honour that remarkable legacy while inviting guests to experience the timeless soul of the Metropole in fresh, unforgettable ways as we look confidently to the future.”

A hotel built on memory

The anniversary celebrations centre on the Metropole’s “Live the Legend” experience, a curated stay designed to connect guests with the hotel’s heritage and the glamour that has long defined it.

The package includes a daily breakfast buffet for two, an elevated Vietnamese lunch at Spice Garden for two, and the hotel’s exclusive Path of History tour, including its bomb shelter, guided by the Metropole’s resident historian.

Guests also receive guaranteed early check-in from 11am, late check-out until 2pm, and a complimentary upgrade to the next non-suite room category, subject to availability. The experience is available for bookings and stays from now until Sept. 30, with a minimum stay of two nights.

For a hotel with this much history, the anniversary is not simply about looking back. It is about making the past feel present.

Wellness with an Eastern soul and French refinement

At Le Spa du Metropole, the anniversary programme turns inward with “Sensations Orientales,” a 90-minute ritual inspired by age-old Oriental rites and the refined elegance that has shaped the hotel for more than a century.

The treatment begins with a body exfoliation using an unctuous enzymatic gel, followed by Sothys’ Digi-Esthétique® techniques, blending acupressure with modelling movements drawn from Eastern and Western traditions. Warm notes of amber and myrrh, combined with flowing massage gestures, create a sense of deep relaxation and renewal.

The ritual concludes with a special gift, allowing guests to extend the experience at home. “Sensations Orientales” is available from now through the end of the year.

Cocktails, nostalgia and a journey through Indochina

At Bamboo Bar, the hotel’s poolside favourite, the anniversary takes the form of a liquid travel diary.

The new “Carnet de Voyage” cocktail collection is inspired by a 1920s journey across Indochina and beyond, imagined through the travels of the Metropole’s co-founder and first “directeur,” André Ducamp. Guests are invited to retrace his path through cocktails that blend exotic flavours with the charm of another era.

The sense of cocktail theatre continues at Le Club Bar, where the Legendary Cocktail Collection draws inspiration from cultural icons and former hotel guests including Charlie Chaplin, Graham Greene and André Ducamp himself.

A new addition, “The Last Telegram,” joins the menu alongside the “1901” Burger, a refined yet bold creation that combines French elegance with premium ingredients.

A table with more than a century of history

Few restaurants can claim a history quite like Le Beaulieu.

Operating in its current space since 1901, the restaurant is believed to be the oldest continually operating restaurant in Vietnam. For the anniversary, Le Beaulieu is serving a special three-course set menu featuring century-old classics including Lobster Bisque and Crêpe Suzette with guéridon service.

These are not merely nostalgic dishes. They are recipes that date back to the restaurant’s earlier days and have been passed down through generations of chefs.

At Spice Garden, the hotel’s elevated Vietnamese restaurant, the celebration turns to one of Hanoi’s defining culinary symbols: pho.

For the anniversary, Spice Garden is preparing a Golden Era “Pho” with a broth simmered for 125 hours. Rooted in culinary traditions that flourished at the hotel in the 1920s, the dish is served with Wagyu beef, gold leaf short rib and a dramatic tableside pouring.

It is designed not just as a bowl of pho, but as a living expression of Hanoi’s history and culinary soul.

At angelina, the hotel’s cocktail lounge, whisky bar and restaurant, the past is poured through “Metropole Liquid Chapters,” a special menu commemorating historic milestones at the property. Cocktails include “1901,” honouring the hotel’s golden beginning; “1968,” inspired by the wartime bunker beneath the hotel; and “2026,” spotlighting a new era of Hanoi by night.

Taking a piece of the legend home

The anniversary also extends into La Boutique and the gourmet deli and patisserie L’Epicerie, where guests can find curated Metropole-branded items and exclusive special editions created for the 125th anniversary.

These keepsakes are designed as refined reminders of the hotel’s enduring style, while Metropole e-vouchers offer a way to share its experiences for special occasions.

The hotel is also publishing Le Petit Journal, an exclusive bi-monthly newspaper featuring memorable moments, updates and experiences from the Metropole. Guests can explore the Metropole History Book as well, an archive of untold stories and important milestones connected to both the hotel and Hanoi. It is available at La Boutique and through the E-Shop.

A journey through time since 1901

The visual heart of the anniversary is a series of exhibitions tracing the Metropole’s long relationship with Hanoi.

The first exhibition launched in June across the Heritage Wing, housed within the hotel’s original 1901 structure, and the Opera Wing. It offers a visual tribute to the Metropole’s elegance and legacy, featuring rare photographs from early 20th-century colonial Indochina through periods of conflict and into the present day.

Additional exhibitions will be unveiled throughout the year, using painting, mixed media and photography to explore the artistic legacy of the Indochine era, Hanoi’s cultural heritage and the enduring spirit of Vietnamese life.

For travellers, the Metropole has always offered more than a stay. It offers a sense of arrival — into a city, into a mood, into a story already in motion.

At 125, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi remains one of Asia’s great heritage hotels not because it has stood still, but because it continues to make history feel alive.