HANOI (Mar. 1, 2021) – For a second consecutive year, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi has been awarded a Five-Star rating—the top level of recognition—from Forbes Travel Guide in the independent ratings agency’s assessment of luxury hotels, restaurants and spas.
In the inspector’s highlights for 2021, Metropole Hanoi was again praised as “a supremely beautiful hotel, inside and out. Every corner is a compelling photo opportunity, especially in the gleaming historic wing and all-white inner courtyard.”
“The Metropole has a strong sense of pride in its Vietnamese heritage. Staff dons an eye-catching array of ao dai costumes, walls glow with local art and ceramics, and detailed explanations of Vietnamese culture are sprinkled throughout the luxury hotel,” the review added.
In Vietnam, two hotels have achieved Five-Star ratings and three have earned Four-Star ratings.
Forbes Travel Guide further recognized Metropole Hanoi this year with its new “Sharecare VERIFIED” badge for completing and maintaining verification on more than 360 global health security standards. Metropole Hanoi was one of two hotels in Vietnam to receive this distinction.
The comprehensive assessment covers health and hygiene protocols, cleaning products and procedures, masks and personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilation, management accountability, and health safety communication with guests and employees.
“Health security verification gives you the peace of mind that each hotel is committed to expert-validated best practices for your safety and comfort,” Forbes Travel Guide says of the Sharecare VERIFIED badge on its website.
Forbes Travel Guide, established in 1958 (then called “Mobil Travel Guide”), is the oldest travel guide in the United States, and is the creator of the original Five-Star rating system for hotels. The guide’s ratings are among the most highly respected in the hotel industry.
Metropole’s luxurious accommodation and historic facilities earned much praise in the guide, even while the ratings place an even greater emphasis on service, meaning that the Metropole distinguished itself primarily through its warm, personalized and attentive service both in the hotel and in its award-winning restaurants and spa.
The Metropole Hanoi’s rich history, including its Path of History (and wartime bunker) tour, also gained notice from Forbes Travel Guide, while afternoon tea at Le Club Bar, coffee at La Terrasse and cocktails at Bamboo Bar were described as experiences that have evolved into “must-do Hanoi traditions.”
Moreover, Le Spa du Metropole “is a sublime urban retreat… ensconced in what feels more like an elegant residence than a wellness center,” the inspector’s review added.
Forbes Travel Guide’s Five-Star rating is meant to designate “outstanding, often iconic properties with virtually flawless service and amazing facilities.”
In order to complete their evaluations, inspectors pay their own way and stay anonymously as typical guests for at least two nights. Forbes Travel Guide bills itself as the only independent, global rating agency for luxury hospitality, and says that only 20 percent of all hotels it rates earn a Five-Star rating.
