This is one of the great hotels in Asia, with a location to die for! This should be one of the flag bearers for the Sofitel chain! The hotel building has been lovingly restored and is one of the finest hotels I have stayed in! The rooms in the old wing are a bit pokey, but they are the original rooms from a different age. It's a pity then that the hotel just doesn't deliver when it comes to service! I have stayed here more than a few times and every time the check in is shambolic -I am a platinum A-Card holder (sofitel card) and am used to a quick check in and often an upgrade. But not at this hotel. Even when the rooms are unnocupied. It's not a big deal, but the service in the other Sofitel in Hanoi is miles better and better value as well

We spent four nights in a standard room in the Opera wing in early May, at the beginning of the monsoon season.
Quite enjoyed the hotel but have a few comments:
Our (not inexpensive) room was small, or compact if you want to be nicer. More what I would expect in Europe than Asia.
The newish Opera wing was run quite seperately from the old wing - different reception, different restaurants, generic French decor. It felt like any five star hotel in any city, negating the history that was the main reason we stayed here. To their credit however we were able to have an excellent breakfast in the original dining room.
As guests in the Opera wing we were precluded from walking around the guest sections of the historic wing. The only chance we had to see and appreciate the historic aspects of this section of the hotel was when the courtyard was flooded and they opened up the fire doors between the buildings.
Our room overlooked the Opera Club - quiet on weeknights, outdoor nightclub on weekends. No sleep til 1.30am.
No upgrade, although a couple we met on a Halong Bay cruise had been upgraded when they only stayed one night.

From the other comments on this website I think this is one of those hotels that excels if you're lucky enough to get an upgrade or have splashed out for a premium room, but the standard experience doesn't necessarily justify the the cost.

I've been there 2nites. Its location is so great, just 5 mins to Hoankiem Lake.
Our room was so nice and clean.
Staff were very polite and helpful. Good recommendation.....

Unbeliebale hotel. From the rugged streets, filled with motorbikes, and the smells of a Vietnam city, entering the Metrople is like entering nirvana. The hotel itself speaks to another time, with rich colonial traditions, antiques, etc. And the Bamboo Bar, a bar lcoated outside, where the staff wraps you in blankets during evening hours, is like nothing else I have ever experienced. Wonderful hotel, with an extremely gracous general manager, who greeted our group upon arrival. Great restaurant in hotel. Breakfast mornings were a feast.

If you are ever in Hanoi stay at the Metropole.