Historical bomb shelter in Metropole Hotel officially open to public

After a year of restoration and preparation, the wartime bomb shelter under Sofitel Metropole Hotel Hanoi has just been opened officially to public on May 21^st, marked by a small ceremony at the garden of the hotel.

Talking in the ceremony, General Director of Metropole Hotel Kai Speth said that this shelter is considered a pride of the hotel and Hanoi city; and a historical relic where responsibilities to safety of the hotel’s staffs is proved during the wartime from 1965 to 1972, the period when U.S Airforce bombarded Hanoi the most extremely.

He further claims that the hotel does not intend to use this shelter as a tool to gain money, but a historical relic to be preserved.

Being built during wartime in 1960s, the 40m² bomb shelter underneath Metropole Hotel was a hiding place of many famous people when they were accommodating here, including Australian diplomat Bob Devereux or International Miss 1964 Gemma Cruz Arenneta. The shelter was discovered after 40 years underground in October 2011 when the hotel was building their new bar on the top of the shelter.