During the first half of the 20th century, it was a meeting place for Hanoi’s upper class. In 1920, when Hanoi had yet to have a cinema, a foreign silent film was screened at the Metropole’s Hotel Grand Café for guests. The screening was among the earliest film shows in the city, with silent films typically being accompanied by live music.
During the struggle against French colonial rule, the hotel became a venue for receiving politicians, diplomats and internationally renowned figures.
In 1936, comedian Charlie Chaplin and his wife stayed at the hotel for their honeymoon after a secret wedding in Shanghai.