The Metropole Hanoi Opera Wing refurbishment was completed in late September 2026, the hotel announced this week. It covers the wing’s corridors, lift landings, Premium and Grand Premium Rooms and Prestige Suites. With the Heritage Wing reopened in December 2023 after a 21-month project, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi has now refreshed both wings of its 358-room hotel in under three years. The pattern matters more than the décor: one wing rebuilt, one wing refreshed, in sequence rather than all at once, while Hanoi’s new luxury supply arrived around it.
Key facts
- What was done: new carpets and curtains, pearlescent mosaic bathroom finishes, refurbished wood furniture, revarnished and polished floors, and new soft furnishings, according to the hotel. Floors 1–4 have new wallpaper, painted doors and ceilings and hand-tufted carpets. Club Floors 5–7 have new carpets and mint-green doors.
- Public areas: corridors and lift landings, with new sofas, lamps, side tables and lift-door finishes.
- Team: interior design by David Grace International; project management by PRIME.
- Completed: late September 2026, during the hotel’s “125 Years of a Legend” celebrations.
- Opera Wing size: 236 rooms, 18 suites and one Grand Prestige Suite, plus the Club Lounge, according to the hotel’s December 2023 release.
- Not disclosed: the cost, how long the work took and whether rooms were taken out of service.
Two wings, two kinds of project
| Heritage Wing | Opera Wing | |
|---|---|---|
| Built | 1901, the original hotel | Neo-classical wing added later |
| Keys | 103 | 255 (236 rooms, 18 suites, 1 Grand Prestige Suite) |
| Project | 21-month reconstruction | Refresh of rooms, corridors and lift landings |
| Reopened or completed | 15 December 2023 | Late September 2026 |
| Scope | Rooms and lobby redesigned; six pairs of connecting rooms turned into suites; about 60% of wooden floors refurbished or replaced | Existing timber refurbished; new finishes, fabrics and carpets |
| Designer | David Grace Designs International | David Grace International |
| Earlier major work | 1992 and 2004 | n/a |
Sources: the hotel, via Breaking Travel News and TTR Weekly (October 2026), and the hotel’s December 2023 Heritage Wing release. Opera Wing keys are our sum of the hotel’s figures; 103 plus 255 gives the 358-room total the hotel reports. The national register in our database lists 364 rooms.
Why the timing matters in Hanoi
Hanoi’s luxury and upper-upscale set is getting bigger. Shilla Monogram Hanoi Westlake opens on 23 October with 319 rooms, and six upscale and luxury projects in the city add about 1,934 keys between them, though four have no firm date or open from 2027, as we reported in our Shilla Monogram opening report. Waldorf Astoria Hanoi is hiring a general manager. More openings are in our October openings round-up.
A heritage hotel cannot compete with that on newness. It competes on place, story and service, and on rooms that do not feel tired next to a hotel that opened last month.
What it means for owners and operators
1. Phase the capex by wing
The Metropole rebuilt its smaller, historic wing first, over 21 months, and relaunched that wing, not the whole hotel, in December 2023. It then refreshed the larger Opera Wing. For any owner of a multi-wing hotel, that sequence protects revenue: the bigger room block can keep selling during the heavy works.
2. A refresh is not a rebuild
The Opera Wing kept its timber furniture and floors, refurbished rather than replaced, according to the hotel. The money went on surfaces, bathrooms, fabrics and corridors, the things guests notice. Our view: for luxury hotels 15 to 25 years from their last major work, a well-specified soft refurbishment can reset the product at a fraction of a full renovation’s time and cost. The Metropole has not disclosed its cost, so this is a judgement, not a benchmark.
3. Use the anniversary
Finishing the work inside the 125th-anniversary year gives sales and PR teams a story for rate. Owners planning a refresh should time completion to a moment the market will notice.
4. Corridors count
The brief included corridors, lift landings and lift-car doors. These are the first and last things a guest sees on every trip to the room, and they are often cut from refurbishment budgets.
What to watch
- Rate response: whether the Metropole lifts Opera Wing rates now that both wings are refreshed.
- Other Hanoi legacy hotels: five-stars opened in the 1990s and 2000s face the same new supply. Expect more refurbishment announcements in 2027.
- Supply dates: Shilla Monogram’s 23 October opening, and the firm dates for Hanoi’s other luxury projects.
FAQ
What changed in the Metropole Hanoi Opera Wing?
New carpets, curtains, wallpaper and bathroom finishes, refurbished wood furniture, revarnished floors and refreshed corridors and lift landings, across the Premium Rooms, Grand Premium Rooms and Prestige Suites, according to the hotel.
When was the Opera Wing refurbishment completed?
In late September 2026.
How many rooms does Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi have?
358, according to the hotel: 103 in the Heritage Wing and 255 rooms and suites in the Opera Wing.
Who designed the refurbishment?
David Grace International led the interior design, with project management by PRIME.
When was the Heritage Wing renovated?
It reopened on 15 December 2023 after a 21-month project. It had earlier major renovations in 1992 and 2004.
How much did the refurbishment cost?
The hotel has not disclosed the cost.
