Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi has acquired a collection of 16 signed, limited-edition photographs by British photographer Andy Soloman as part of its 125th anniversary celebrations, adding a significant body of work documenting Vietnam's cultural and everyday life to the hotel's permanent art collection.

Titled The Soloman Metropole Collection, the photographs will be presented through an exhibition called Hanoi: Traces of Time, running at the hotel from October 9 to December 9, 2026. The showcase forms part of the property's ongoing engagement with Hanoi's cultural heritage through art and photography.

The collection offers a visual record of everyday life in Vietnam, with images capturing Hanoi's streets, markets, schools, factories and community traditions. The photographs document moments across different periods, presenting the city's changing character through the people and places encountered by Soloman during his travels.

Each of the 16 works is printed on Ilford Galerie Gold Fibre Pearl archival photographic paper, mounted and framed, and individually signed and editioned. The prints will become part of the hotel's permanent collection.

A Photographer's Journey Through Vietnam

Soloman first arrived in Hanoi in October 1992 as a photojournalist from London. Over the following years, he travelled extensively across Vietnam, documenting everyday life and developing a lasting connection with the country. He joined Reuters in 1997 and today divides his time between the United Kingdom and Vietnam, working on travel and fine-art photography.

His current project, Continuum: Vietnam, revisits people he first photographed in 1992–93, reconnecting with individuals and communities more than three decades after their original encounters.

As part of the exhibition programme, Soloman will host a complimentary artist talk on October 10, 2026, at Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi. He will share experiences from his travels in Vietnam during 1992–93 and discuss his subsequent efforts to reconnect with people he photographed during that period.

Guests can reserve places through the Eventbrite registration page.

Commenting on the acquisition, Andy Soloman said the photographs represent encounters and moments from Vietnam that have remained important to his work over the years. He added that he was pleased the collection had found a permanent home at the Metropole and would be shared with guests during the hotel's anniversary celebrations.

George Koumendakos, General Manager, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, said the acquisition reflects the hotel's continued engagement with art and Hanoi's cultural heritage. He noted that the photographs capture the character and rhythm of everyday life in the city while enriching the hotel's art collection and guest experience.

Moments Preserved in Photography

The collection includes several photographs that document distinctive aspects of Vietnamese life, including Early Morning Exercise (1992), Mid-Autumn Festival Vendor (1997), Cyclo Drivers in Hanoi's Old Quarter (1992), Vietnamese Heroic Mothers (1997), Dong Xuan Market (1992) and Bia Hoi Delivery by Cyclo (1997).

Together, the images bring attention to the people, traditions and everyday experiences that shape Hanoi's identity. Their presentation at the Metropole also offers visitors an opportunity to engage with the city's history through the perspective of a photographer who has documented Vietnam across several decades.

125 Years of Heritage at the Metropole

Established in 1901, Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi is marking 125 years of hospitality in the Vietnamese capital. The hotel has long been associated with Hanoi's cultural and social history, welcoming international travellers, business leaders and prominent personalities.

The property features 358 rooms across its Heritage and Opera wings, alongside six restaurants and bars, including Le Beaulieu, Spice Garden, angelina, Le Club Bar, La Terrasse and Bamboo Bar. Its facilities also include a heated outdoor pool, fitness centre, meeting spaces and Le Spa du Metropole.

Through Hanoi: Traces of Time, the hotel brings photography into its anniversary programme while adding to its permanent collection of cultural and artistic works. The exhibition offers guests an opportunity to explore Vietnam's changing visual history through images that preserve the everyday moments and human connections behind the country's cultural identity.

Exhibition Details

• Exhibition: Hanoi: Traces of Time

• Collection: The Soloman Metropole Collection

• Artist: Andy Soloman

• Venue: Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, Vietnam

• Dates: October 9 – December 9, 2026

• Artist Talk: October 10, 2026

• Registration: Eventbrite