The Nile at Aswan with its rocky islands and the Old Cataract hotel on the bank

Sofitel Legend

The Nile at Aswan with its rocky islands and the Old Cataract hotel on the bank. Photo: Marc Ryckaert (MJJR), CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sofitel Legend is the smallest and most exclusive branch of the Sofitel family: a handful of grand palaces and heritage hotels in culturally rich destinations. Each one has a long history, and each one has been restored to combine its past with modern comfort.

The addresses

  • Metropole, Hanoi: opened in 1901, a white colonial building whose guests have included writers, actors and heads of state.
  • Old Cataract, Aswan: a Victorian palace on the Nile, opened in 1899, where Agatha Christie is said to have worked on Death on the Nile.
  • The Grand, Amsterdam: a former city hall with a history going back to the fifteenth century, by a quiet canal in the old centre.
  • Santa Clara, Cartagena: a seventeenth-century convent in the walled city of Cartagena, Colombia, with cloisters full of tropical plants.
  • People's Grand Hotel, Xi'an: a 1950s landmark in the ancient Chinese capital, close to the city walls.

Why visit

These hotels are about atmosphere more than size. Expect historic suites, serious restaurants, spas and staff who know the building's stories. They are also excellent places to spend a stored-up points balance, because a single night of history can be the highlight of a long trip.