A tribute to timeless elegance, storied history, and enduring legacy.

The Birth of A Legend

In 1899, Gustave-Emile Dumoutier filed a request to convert the buildings on his land at the corner of Boulevard Henri-Rivière (now Ngo Quyen Street) into a hotel. With an extra capital of 500,000 francs from businessman André Ducamp, the two French investors set out to transform a modest landscape into Indochina’s most ambitious architectural feat.

Behold the Grand Dame’s Debut

In 1901, construction of the Grand Hôtel Métropole Palace was completed. Where 10 years earlier a small, muddy lake was, a grand hotel now took shape. Its facade spanned over 80 metres, making it the largest hotel complex in all of Indochina, or as the Revue Indo-Chinoise remarked in a comment that needs no translation: ‘un immense hôtel’.

In the summer of 1901, the hotel opened its doors to guests for the first time. Soon it would become known more simply as le Métropole. And the legend began.

Celebrate 125 Years of A Legend

Since its inception, the Hotel Metropole Hanoi has a long tradition as a luxury venue for prestigious events and a popular rendezvous for business and leisure travellers. For more than a century, we have had the honour of welcoming global luminaries, including playwrights, screen stars, ambassadors, royalties, and heads of state, who have all become part of our enduring story.

125th Anniversary Exhibition:

A Journey through Time Since 1901

Journey through a visual tribute to our timeless elegance and enduring legacy.

Metropole Hanoi has remained a constant icon through the city’s major changes. More than just an important landmark that has enriched the capital’s cultural and historical heritage, the Metropole has evolved alongside Hanoi, representing the intersection of ancient tradition and modern progress.

This curated exhibition is presented across two distinctive display areas, featuring rare photographs of the hotel spanning from early 20th-century colonial Indochina, through the conflict periods and all that occurred in-between, up to the 1990s and the decades beyond.

❊ The Heritage Wing: Housed within our original 1901 structure, this display presents a chronicle of time, with a historic wall showcasing key milestones of the hotel’s development across 125 years, divided into four thematic chapters.

❊ The Opera Wing: This contemporary space features a collection of images from our own archives, media agencies, and additional archives in Vietnam and France – many of which are rarely exhibited or recently uncovered.

Stroll through our lobbies to take a glimpse of the memories of a bygone era that has weathered over a century of change.

❊ On display from 21 May to 30 June 2026
❊ Location: Heritage Wing & Opera Wing lobbies

We proudly present Le Petit Journal – our exclusive bi-monthly newspaper that shares the finest moments, exclusive updates, and legendary experiences at the Metropole.

We invite you to explore this edition at your leisure and immerse yourself in the season’s most exquisite moments at Metropole Hanoi.

READ LE PETIT JOURNAL IN FULL

Delve deeper into our storied past with the Metropole History Book – an archive of untold tales and important milestones of both the property and of the capital city it calls home. Visit La Boutique or our E-Shop to take home this special memento.

THE METROPOLE E-SHOP