Trump-Kim Vietnam Summit: US president, North Korean leader to meet in Hanoi's Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel; all about the venue

US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will meet at the Sofitel Legend Metropole in Hanoi, a luxury hotel with a rich history in the heart of Vietnam’s capital city. Trump and Kim will hold their 28 February summit at the hotel, and then sign a joint declaration on the results of the talks. [caption id=“attachment_6160611” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] The Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam. Image courtesy: Sofitel Hanoi website[/caption] In view of the all-important meeting, security at the posh hotel was increasingly tightened throughout Tuesday, with a metal detector set up in the lobby, just down the hall from boutiques for jeweller Chopard and watchmakers Hublot and Patek Philippe, Bloomberg reported. Guests who are already put up at the hotel were issued special badges and were advised in a letter that due to the summit, some services might not be available to them. The Metropole has been in operation since 1901, making it Vietnam’s oldest continuously operating hotel. It was originally built by French investors and has hosted many famous guests over the years, including Charlie Chaplin and British writer W Somerset Maugham, the report said. Interestingly, while constructing a bar on the premises in 2011, workers uncovered a bomb shelter dating to the Vietnam War. The bunker is now open to tour groups and in 2013 was awarded a UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award. Whereas, both the leaders would be staying in the Melia Hanoi hotel which is a part of the Spain-headquartered Melia Hotels International chain, opened on Ly Thuong Kiet Street in 1999. It is a 21-storey property made up of 306 rooms and suites and is near the Hoan Kiem Lake. It is also pretty close to the Government Guest House and the Sofitel Legend Metropole hotel, which is the venue for the talks between the two leaders. In fact, the North Korean Embassy in Vietnam is also just a mile away from the Melia hotel. The hotel has several different room options, starting with the basic deluxe room to the 68-square-meter “Level Suite,” which has a separate living room and access to an executive lounge and a single Grand Suite, which is 135 square meters in size. There is also a Presidential Suite at the top which is close to 185-metres and this is where the guests are expected to stay. Offering a dramatic view of the city’s Red River, it’s on the 22nd floor and includes a master bedroom, a separate living room, dining room and a workspace. The hotel has two main restaurants as well as two lounges. The El Patio Restaurant features an international buffet and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the El Oriental, meanwhile, serves Vietnamese and Thai cuisine. Other facilities include a fitness centre, an outdoor pool and a spa/beauty salon, according to a CNN report. Meanwhile, apart from the luxurious properties, the Vietnamese capital’s historic architecture, cultural attractions and eating options will provide a colourful sideshow to the meeting which would be keenly watched by the world.