One of Asia's finest hotels has a fascinating history

 

Hanoi is one of the most fascinating cities in Asia. 

The capital of Vietnam, how home to 8 million people, is also chaotic, frenetic and noisy. 

Until you walk through the front door of the historic Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel, this is. 

This classic hotel, with a history dating back to 1901, is a haven of calm - and a benchmark of regional hospitality, blending classic French style with the charm of IndoChina. 

This is no ordinary hotel. It is a classic of its type; with smart staff, a range of food and beverage offerings, stylish rooms and suites, a swimming pool and beautiful gardens, and two different wings with different vibes. 

If you do stay here - maybe to mark a special anniversary, or celebrate a birthday - you'll be staying where some of the biggest stars on the planet have laid their heads. 

From Noel Coward to Sir Micheel Caine, Mick Jagger to Angelina Jolie, Jane Fonda to Roger Moore, Vladimir Putin to Joan Baez and Charlie Chaplin to Bill Clinton have all stayed here. Cartoon villans, too: Kim June-Un and Donald Trump. 

During the American War (what we call the Vietnam War), bunkers underneath the hotel protected diplomats and dignitaries from American bombing raids.

Guests can visit the recently rediscovered bunkers on one of the hotel's nightly historic tours, which also feature a look at a painting done by Beaz when she visited during the war - and she later donated back to the hotel. 

It's that sort of place. Many of its well-heeled guests what not dream of staying anywhere else in Hanoi. 

It's stylish but not stuffy, a colonial masterwork where hospitality is a practised art. 

Hanoi has gone through wholesale changes since Vietnam swung open its doors to tourism but the Metropole, in the stylish Old Quarter opposite the Opera House, is within short walking distance from many historical and cultural landmarks. 

It has a long tradition as a luxury venue for prestigious events and as a popular rendezvous for business and leisure traveller. 

The hotel has 358 rooms, but still manages to retain a boutique fel. 

The historic Heritage Wing has 94 guestrooms, six Metropole suites, and three Legendary suites - named after famous residents and visitors to the hotel (Graham Greene, Charlie Chaplin, Somerset Maugham with private garden). 

The contemporary Opera Wing offers 236 guest rooms and 18 suites, and one Grand Prestige Suite spanning 176 square meters. Think classic style and eye-catching artworks. 

Each room in the opera wing has been individually furnished and decorated in a neoclassical style. Executive rooms on the upper floors get services like a personal butler, afternoon tea, and evening cocktails.

At the centre of the hotel, Located in the centre of the hotel, overlooking the garden courtyard and pool, is Le Spa du Metropole, while  the rooftop garden balcony, Le Balcon, offers yoga and Tai Chi experiences to guests. 

There are several dining options ranging from the Michelin-starred Le Beaulieu, known for the finest  French fare in this part of the world, to Spice Garden, with its elegant Vietnamese cuisine. 

I sampled the fusion food and cocktails at Angelina's - named after former guest Angelina Jolie - which a twist of clam chowder and a superfood salad left me feeling with satiated and virtuous. The venue also boasts a world-class whisky collection.

La Terrasse is a French-style sidewalk bar; Le Club Bar showcases afternoon high teas and cool jazz performances; while Bamboo Bar caters to guests using the pool. 

Overall, the hotel is an absolute delight. 

Path of History: The Metropole’s bomb shelter served to protect guests including famous visitors like Joan Baez and Jane Fonda from air raids during the American War (1964-1973). 

After the war the bunker was closed and sealed until a chance rediscovery by the hotel’s engineering department during the renovation of the Bamboo Bar in 2011. 

It was reopened in May 2012 to honour the extraordinary efforts of employees during shared hardships of wartime. Daily tours of Metropole’s Path of History and the bomb shelter with Ambassador of History are offered, exclusively for guests staying at the hotel.

For full details see sofitel.accor.com or all.accor.com 

# The writer was a guest of the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi 

The writer/photographer was hosted by Vietjet, which flies from Ho Chi Minh City to major Australian cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth, and also connects Hanoi to Sydney and Melbourne. Economy fares start at around $250, while business class fares begin at $1,100, with frequent seat sales on offer.

Football under achievers take beer money

No. It's not April 1. I checked.

So it is real news.

Manchester United, struggling to win games and pondering whether to sack their coach, have just unveiled a new sponsorship deal: with a beer brand.

Singapore-born Tiger Beer is the new "official beer partner" of Manchester United "bringing together the iconic Asian brewer and one of the most popular and successful sports teams in the world, to enhance experiences and deepen engagement with United fans globally".

How a sponsorship deal enhances experiences is not really explained. It's just PR blah. Money talks. 

The media release says "the partnership launches at an exciting moment in Tiger Beer's bold brand evolution, heralding a new era for the company and its football-loving consumers. In its initial stage the focus will be on connecting with the large Manchester United supporter base in Asia, where Tiger is the number one premium beer among consumers, providing an unparalleled platform to activate the partnership."

OK. Enough already.

Events planned include "co-branded watch parties, opportunities to win prizes to travel to Manchester to experience a matchday at Old Trafford, as well as bringing a first-of-its-kind street football event to the Asia region".

What of Manchester United, the biggest under-achievers in the Premier League?

Florence Lafaye, the club's commercial director, has plenty of spin to add.

"Tiger Beer's dedication to connecting fans globally aligns perfectly with our goal to bring our fanbase closer to the club than ever before," she said. "Together, leveraging the power and reach of Tiger Beer, we look forward to creating unique and unforgettable experiences for our fans all around the world, especially those in Asia who are such a vital part of the Manchester United community."

# Tiger is the number one international premium beer from Asia and is available in more than 60 markets across the globe. For more info see www.tigerbeer.com

Hilton hotel brand lands in Hobart

Tasmania has its first Hilton hotel property with the opening this week of DoubleTree by Hilton Hobart.

The new-build 206-room hotel on Macquarie Street in the Tasmanian capital has a heated indoor pool, sauna and gymnasium, as well as two meeting spaces. It is aimed at both business and leisure travellers.

The opening is a joint venture between DoubleTree by Hilton and Fragrance Group Limited.

The new hotel is situated within walking distance to Hobart’s Central Business District, the waterfront, and vibrant Salamanca Place.

The location means guests have easy access to Hobart’s markets, galleries and cafés.

Paul Hutton, area vice-president and head of Australasia for Hilton, said: "We are thrilled to bring the DoubleTree by Hilton experience to Hobart.

"This hotel is not only a testament to our commitment to expanding our footprint in Australasia, but also our dedication to providing exceptional hospitality in prime locations. With the property situated closely to the CBD and the waterfront, our guests will have the best of Hobart right at their doorstep."

Fragrance Group chairman James Koh said: “We are excited to bring yet another new brand offering to Tasmania with the very first Hilton-branded hotel and to deliver DoubleTree by Hilton Hobart, which will be a unique addition to Hobart’s tourism offering."

The signing of DoubleTree by Hilton Hobart comes as the brand surpasses 100 properties in Asia Pacific.

“We know Tasmania has what the world wants, and it is a testament to our exceptional destination offering that a brand as reputable as Hilton has launched here in Hobart,” Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff said.

“Adding more than 200 premium hotel rooms to the state’s landscape will support our tourism sector and help keep our economy strong.”

Canned cool? Wine in a can taking off in Australia

Wine in a can is gaining serious momentum for drinking in Australia this summer. 

When leading producers like Scarborough Wine Co. in the Hunter Valley and Turkey Flat in the Barossa throw their weight behind canned wine, then you know the trend is real. 

"We're seeing consumers change their consumption behaviour, often looking for smaller serving formats to cater to different occasions (outdoors, entertaining, parties), for convenience and noting that younger consumers are blending beverages, so this could be an option to bring them into the category," say the team at Scarborough. 

"Made from the same quality wines in the Offshoot range, these cans are designed for life on the go."

The Scarborough flavours include a White Spritz Vermentino, Rosé Spritz Pinot Noir, Light White Chardonnay and Light Red Tempranillo Joven.

"We know that this format won't be for everyone, but it's great to see it being more widely embraced, with more quality options hitting the market. There's still a role for the 750ml bottles, but we need to test and trial new opportunities for specific occasions."

Scarborough and Turkey Flat both tout the convenience of wine in can for picnics, hiking, camping trips, and outdoor concerts, pointing out that cans chill faster than bottles and are easy to grab and go. 

Cans are also more sustainable and eco friendly than glass: lightweight, recyclable, with a smaller carbon footprint than glass bottles. 

Meanwhile, Turkey Flat says: "Following on from the huge success of the launch of our outstanding rosé in cans earlier this year, we have now added to the family with an Adelaide Hills Pinot Gris and a Barossa Shiraz Grenache. 

"Again, we took the high road and made sure the wines were of a high quality; we actually want the category to work for everyone, so [there is] no point putting a lesser quality wine in the can.

"They still tick all the boxes of convenience, sustainability and ease of recycling."

I've tried the rosé and it is excellent.

British Airways cancels hundreds of flights

British Airways has been forced to cancel hundreds of long-haul flights over the next few months, blaming what it says are engine issues. 

BA says it has been forced to ground several aircraft, news portal Travel Mole reports.

The airline will cut daily flights from London Gatwick to New York JFK over the northern hemisphere winter.

BA blames delays on receiving spare parts and replacement Trent 1000 engines that power its Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

The airline operates a fleet of 40 787s.

Five of its 787s are to be grounded and it says some Boeing 777 planes also need routine maintenance.

“We’ve taken this action because we do not believe the issue will be solved quickly," the airline said in a statement. "We want to offer our customers the certainty they deserve.” 

BA will cut one flight a day from London Heathrow to Doha and postpone the re-start of Kuala Lumpur flights, which were scheduled to resume next month.

Qantas unveils more flights but chops Seoul

 

Qantas continues to grow its international flight network, but is chopping flights to Seoul, the capital of South Korea, the airline says.

 

The Australian flag carrier has announced changes to key routes to the US, Asia and the Pacific, including launching a new route to Palau. 

From February 2025, the national carrier will add around 220,000 seats to its international network over 12 months compared to its current schedule. 

This is made possible by the launch of its new Brisbane-Palau route, along with the return of two Airbus A380s following maintenance and cabin modifications, as well as the arrival of more next-generation A220 aircraft for QantasLink.

The changes will see Qantas boost capacity to the US by 13%. 

Customers will benefit from the return of the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft to Brisbane, with the option of premium economy and more seats when travelling to Los Angeles and Auckland.

Qantas will add Palau to its map for the first time, operating weekly flights from Brisbane to the Pacific Island with its 737 aircraft.

The service, to be known as the Palau Paradise Express will operate as part of a contract awarded to Qantas by the Federal Government and will help maintain strong trade and tourism links between Australia and Palau. 

QantasLink’s new A220 aircraft will make its debut on the international network when the airline commences flying between Darwin and Singapore in March next year. 

Qantas will cease flying between Sydney and Seoul from mid-June next year, while Jetstar will increase flights from four per week to daily. 

“We’re so excited to be offering our customers more than 220,000 additional seats on our network, a new international destination, and our brand-new A220 aircraft for our Singapore-Darwin flights, which will be the first of its kind to operate out of Singapore," says Qantas Group International CEO Cam Wallace.

“We’re also looking forward to seeing more of our A380s return to the skies and offering more premium seats for customers to book to some of our popular international destinations.

“As part of our historic fleet renewal program, these changes are about having the right aircraft on the right route and responding to growing customer demand.

“Qantas launched flights to Seoul after the pandemic, and now that demand has normalised, it’s grown substantially as a leisure market, opening up a great opportunity for Jetstar to increase its frequencies and allow Qantas to redeploy its aircraft to other routes where we are seeing strong demand."