Discovered nearly one year ago, the old wartime air raid shelter of the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hotel in Hanoi officially opened to the public on May 21st.
Built under the hotel’s gardens, the shelter was re-discovered nearly 10 feet below ground last year when the foundations for its new bar, called ‘The Bamboo Bar’, were being laid. The 40 square-metre bomb shelter has been restored to its original state.
The opening ceremony drew the participation of people who have unforgettable memories from the time of the bombing of Hanoi, such as Gemma Cruz Arenneta – International Miss 1964 and journalist from the Philippines; Australian diplomat Bob Devereux; and Cao Xuan Nha from the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations.
The Hotel’s general director Kai Speth said that the 40-square meter bomb shelter has been well preserved to honour Metropole staff's contributions to ensuring safety for important guests during wartime from 1960 to 1972.
He said that the shelter was historically significant for the hotel. It played an important role for many people over ten years, from 1965 to 1975, and even after April 1975.
He added the shelter is pride of the hotel. It has a great historical significance and cultural value.
“We would like to invest to exploit the shelter not for earning money but considering it as a historical cultural mark, contributing to glorifying the hotel’s trademarkâ€, said Kai Speth./.