Hanoi, Vietnam: The Sofitel Metropole Experience

"From our arrival, Hanoi charmed us in the most unexpected ways, from the enthusiasm of the Vietnamese we met, to the sumptuous pleasures of our room at the Sofitel Metropole, a piece of Colonial grandeur from the last century. L'Indochine Moderne, a French treatise on Southeast Asia published back in the 1930s, describes the Metropole as "the most comfortable hotel anywhere in Indochina, with halls and salons, the meeting place of high society." It may as well have been written last week.

Despite being straddled by a pair of Hanoi's busier roads, the Metropole is an oasis of solitude, its two main buildings surrounding a lushly planted garden and pool alongside some of the country's top restaurants. Orchids leaned longingly from hallway niches, and around every corner a bouquet of roses erupted from chest-high vases, as if the entire architecture were designed by a feng shui master. There is no better place to relax in Hanoi after an afternoon of walking the Old Quarter.

We strolled through the garden, each in our respective new silk shirts, over to Le Beaulieu, the hotel's French restaurant. Having already enjoyed some fresh baguettes on the city's streets, we were eager to sample more of the Old Continent in this bastion of the Old Quarter.

The dining room was an ornate affair, with a pianist and violinist softly playing Mozart and Beethoven. We selected our dishes from the five course menu and settled into the chairs with a glass of wine. A few minutes later, we were delighted with two starters: a thin glass tumbler filled with a delicate spiral of avocado mousse topped with caviar, and a fried zucchini flower stuffed with crab.

This teaser was divine, but the piece de resistance was still to come. Warning us to be careful, our waiter gently set before us a flat stone tray with a small, rounded lava stone on top. The stone had been baking in the oven and was boiling hot. Across its surface, our waiter gently laid a rare cube of peppered tuna steak, its outer layer lightly sizzling on the stone's surface.

"Give it just a few moments," he suggested as we stared at this surprising display of culinary art. We still had our full dinner awaiting us, but as the tuna melted into our mouths, disappearing all too quickly, we found ourselves already wishing that this meal, like Hanoi itself, could last just a little bit longer."

History and national heritage

Special tourist area CITADEL QUARTER (3.00km)
Special tourist area HANOI ANCIENT QUARTER (1.00km)
Special tourist area THU LE ZOO (6.00km)
Historical monument NGOC SON TEMPLE (0.50km)
Historical monument ONE PILAR PAGODA (3.00km)
Historical monument TEMPLE OF LITTERATURE (3.00km)
Museums FINE ART MUSEUM (3.00km)
Museums HISTORIC MUSEUM (0.50km)
Museums HO CHI MINH MAUSOLEUM (3.00km)

Culture and Theatre

Opera/Symphony/Concert hall OPERA HOUSE (0.10km)
Entertainment/Theatre district THANG LONG WATER PUPPET SHOW (0.50km)

Parks and Leisure

Attraction park LENIN PARK (2.00km)
Zoo THU LE ZOO (6.00km)
Botanical gardens BOTANICAL GARDEN (3.00km)
Lake HOAN KIEM (0.00km)
Lake WEST LAKE (4.00km)

Sports

Stadium HANG DAY STADIUM (2.99km)
Stadium MY DINH STADIUM (10.00km)

Nearby

Closest major urban center HANOI (0.05km)

Vietnam Links:
Philanthropic Travel Vietnam
Halong Bay World Heritage Site
Old Quarter Hanoi
Investing in Vietnam

Learn More:
Multi-Generational Philanthropic Travel: Exquisite Safaris
2007 World Travel Market London: Luxury Travel with a Conscience
Travel Philanthropy: Creating Peace
The Fable of Stone Soup
Understanding Philanthropic Travel
Approaching the Omega Point: Philanthropic Travel
Travel Connoisseur Magazine on Exquisite Safaris Philanthropic Travel Worldwide
Fast Company Magazine on Philanthropic Travel
PersonalLifemedia.com on Philanthropic Travel
Philanthropic Traveler funded High School opens near Victoria Falls, Zambia
My First Philanthropic Travel Experience
Affluent Parents Dedicated to Instilling Philanthropic Values in their Children
Giving while Living: The Deeper News About the New Philanthropy
Dr. Jeffrey Sachs on the Strategic Steps Out of Poverty

Philanthropic Travelers:
Visionary Philanthropic Traveler Chellie Kew
Milton & Fred Ochieng: Philanthropic Travelers
Jane Kaye- Bailey: Philanthropic Traveler
Richard Branson: Philanthropic Traveler
Angelina Jolie: Philanthropic Traveler
Oprah Winfrey: Philanthropic Traveler
Palm Beach Life Magazine: Philanthropic Travelers