Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi. (File Photo)

Sofitel Legend Metropole, in the heart of Hanoi since 1901, “captures old-world colonial charm,” the magazine said. "It's a peaceful refuge in a loud city." 

Divided into two wings, the Metropole side blends classic French and Vietnamese styles while the contemporary Opera wing displays neoclassical influences, it added.

“Not since the Vietnam War have the outdoor café tables immortalised in Graham Greene's The Quiet American graced historic Lam Son Square. In 2015, Park Hyatt Saigon brought al fresco dining back to the neighborhood at Opera, one of two restaurants designed by Japan’s acclaimed Super Potato at the 259-room property,” the magazine described Park Hyatt Saigon.

“By contrast, the hotel's lobby exudes the quiet elegance of bygone colonial residences.[…] Hotel stationery crafted from indigenous seashells is instead a timeless treat,” it noted.

This was the second time Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi has been named on the Gold List. The first was in 2016.