Asia - Seoul hotels?

Will be in Seoul in August for 3 nights need some ideas of decent hotels in downtown area.

Do you have elite status with either Hilton or SPG? If so, the Milennium Hilton Seoul and Westin Chosun, both in downtown, have excellent track records with upgrades to executive level rooms for mid and top tier elites. The Grand Hyatt is located in Namsan, a little further from downtown.

Which downtown do you speak of? The hotels that FTraveler listed are kind of in the "old" downtown where City Hall is located. The "new" downtown is south of the Han river (Gangnam, Yeoksam-dong, Samsung-dong).

If your "downtown" is south of the river, I would strongly recommend the Park Hyatt. Here's my review: http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?p=5102167

JW Marriott also seems to get rave reviews. Haven't tried it yet, but looking forward to my first visit in a few weeks' time :cool:

Thanks for advice,had been advised downtown centred on City Hall and had considered the Millenium Hilton, but not sure whether to book the Grand Intercontinental south of the river close to the air terminal, any suggestions?

The reason why folks are asking where your business is going to be conducted is because staying in the downtown area which is situated north of the Han River and working in Kangnam, which is south of the river, or vice versa just doesn't make sense from the standpoint of time and distance traveled from one to the other.

With regard to transportation from/to ICN, KAL airport limousine buses will pick you up and drop you off at all major hotels in Seoul. Just make sure you pick the correct route.

If your downtown is centered around City Hall, then I would advise against staying in any hotels south of the river. This may be a tiny issue but a friend of mine stayed at the Millenium Hilton until this past Sunday and apparently, they are renovating many of their elevators, leaving 3 working elevators for the entire hotel. May not be a big deal but was enough for my friend to bring it up with me. My personal choice would be the Westin Chosun which is practically across the street from City Hall.

Are you there for business or vacation? If on business in which part of Seoul will your meetings be?

For me it would be:

North of the river: Grand Hyatt
South of the river: Grand IC ( traditional ) or Park Hyatt ( boutique )
Yeoido financial district: Lexington hotel

Thanks for advice,had been advised downtown centred on City Hall and had considered the Millenium Hilton, but not sure whether to book the Grand Intercontinental south of the river close to the air terminal, any suggestions?

With regard to transportation from/to ICN, KAL airport limousine buses will pick you up and drop you off at all major hotels in Seoul. Just make sure you pick the correct route.

Hi. Any idea what the cost of this transfer is? Does it work in reverse - i.e. hotel to Airport?

And roughly how does it compare with cab fare does anyone know?

Hi. Any idea what the cost of this transfer is? Does it work in reverse - i.e. hotel to Airport? And roughly how does it compare with cab fare does anyone know?
KAL limousine buses (direct to hotel) are W14000, city airport buses are W8000. A taxi would be W40000-60000.

Psst: http://wikitravel.org/en/Seoul#Incheon_Airport ;)

KAL limousine buses (direct to hotel) are W14000, city airport buses are W8000. A taxi would be W40000-60000.

Psst: http://wikitravel.org/en/Seoul#Incheon_Airport ;)

The bus is W13000. On the taxi, if you take an Incheon cab, it would be W40-60K, but it would be very likely the driver doesn't know where he's going, and he's going to ask you for money to get back to Incheon. You can take a black cab, which are nicer and won't do that to you, but expect to pay W60-90K at least.

Thanks for the excellent feedback. :)

So do these buses work going back to airport?

And what is a "usual" time to allow on buses from airport does anyone know?

Good info on Hotels. :)

I do not really need a US "brand" hotel (but may use some Hilton points) and have only a short stay, but would like to be central to 'touristy' things.

Reading the link above Namdaemun Markets seems like something that is worth wandering around.

Does anyone know if that market area is north or south of the River?

There are several kinds of bus alternatives from Incheon airport:

1. Hotel bus which will go directly to your hotel (multiple stops - check the signs in front of the bus stop).

2. Bus that goes directly to Airport/City bus terminals - one goes to Kangnam area, in btw Grand Inter and Coex Inter, the other by JW Marriott. These are usually slightly faster as no stops but then you need to catch taxi from there (unless of course you're at Inter or Marriott)

3. Bus that hits various city stops, including Seoul University, etc.; these are numbered and unless you know exactly where you're going, avoid them.

Re taxi, there are two types:

1. Black which are the deluxe, larger and more expensive on the meter (btw 60-90K into town)

2. Blue, smaller, cheaper and not necessarily Incheon based (so you DON'T have to pay round-trip for them), on the meter btw 40-60K.

I used to take the taxi as on company expense account but then figured out bus is about just as fast, unless you happen to arrive in very early morning (eg leave airport before 6:30 am) or want to go to airport in late evening...then maybe taxi is 15 minutes faster.

Buses are very comfortable, although quite hot in winter. No bathroom and if you arrive during rush hour, visit the toilet first....sometimes ride can be 90 minutes into town, depending on where you are going.

Reading the link above Namdaemun Markets seems like something that is worth wandering around.

Does anyone know if that market area is north or south of the River?

Namdaemun Market is in the heart of the old city north of the Han River - within short walking distance of both the Westin Chosun and Milllenium Hilton.

The bus is W13000.
It was W14000 from Incheon to Gangnam Terminal two weeks ago...

There are also "express" city buses that go from ICN to Seoul. I'm not sure if pricing for all of the buses is 8000 won but that's what I pay to go to my area of Seoul. When you come out of customs, just follow the signs to Bus Information, tell them the area you're going to and they'll tell you which bus # to get on.

It was W14000 from Incheon to Gangnam Terminal two weeks ago...

It was W13000 to Namsan (Hyatt) 3 days ago. So there.

It was W13000 to Namsan (Hyatt) 3 days ago. So there.

You're all right

hotel bus 13000
airport terminal 14000
city 8000

whatever bus you take, it's cheaper than taxi - what's the big deal :p :confused:

I will be staying in Grand Hyatt for a week in mid September.

Any recent updates and recommednations about this hotel?

I am Hyatt Gold now and I am trying to upgrade to a higher status now (exploring status match route as I am IC Plat Amb). Will it give me a complimantary upgrade to Club floor/room (I use IC term here but I guess there is something similar in Hyatt hotels)?

What about the area where Hyatt is located? I am booked into Hyatt as it is close to my office but what about evening/night hours around there?
Safe? Bubbling area or dead area of financial district?

It is my first ever trip to Seoul so any recommednations and hints are welcome. I have travelled to many other places in Asia (I generally love that region and feel confident to go outside tourist traps, be in the crowd, eat in street restaurants, go to local bars etc). Hope Seoul will not disappoint :)

Many thanks for your thoughts

One of the top hotels in Seoul (my favorite for north of Han), chock full of investment banker types. Definitely try to upgrade to club room as coffee/drinks in lounge will end up the same as your nightly room bill - seriously.

Good gym, good Japanese restaurant (expensive but which one isn't there?), nice outdoor pool. Mahoney bar is busy drinking hole. Good service but rooms are smaller than newer hotels located south of Han river.

Located north of Han River, just above Itaewon district - home of knock-offs and haven for military and tourists...cleaned up quite a bit these past years. Worth a visit. Otherwise you're off the beaten path as far as other sites and downtown Seoul location.

PM me if you have any specific questions...

Well. thanks to a rather well connected Korean mentor and friend, I've had several chances to explore the Namsan area after dark.

There are upscale restaurants scattered around the hotel, some excellent Italian and Japanese food available among others. The GH bar & nightclub downstairs is popular with expats and wealthy Seoulites alike ( and prices reflect that ) or as an alternative you might want to visit the more pub type Oak Room at the nearby Millenium Hilton. But you can also experience typical Korean Noraebang ( aka Karaoke rooms ) in the neighbourhood. Absolutely no need to go to seedy Itaewon proper, I'd rather take a cab to Gangnam for more nightlife alternatives.

In the mornings the park landscape of Mt.Namsan provides for both good jogging and walking opportunities and a splendid view of the city.

So north of the river seems a better Hotel idea for tourists?

So north of the river seems a better Hotel idea for tourists?

I have the same question as ozstamps.

I will be in Seoul as a tourist later this year. I do have status on a number of hotels but don't really care about that.

What would be the best western-brand hotel to stay at in Seoul for tourist purposes ?

How about a cheaper local hotel in Seoul ?

thanks in advance.

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The Hilton at Namsan is very nice.

Several people advised Mr. Megatop and me to stay south of the Ham River, I guess because that is considered the newer area where prosperous Seoulites live. We did, at the JW Marriott. It was okay. Decent facilities but so-so service. I might have liked it better if our room had a better view. But most importantly, contrary to what we'd been told, it turned out that pretty much everything we wanted to see and do as tourists (palaces, gates, markets, parks, shopping districts, etc.) was north of the river, so that meant a good 20+ minute subway ride to anywhere we wanted to visit. The JW is conveniently located on top of a major subway station, but I'd have preferred to be closer to the tourist spots.

I can't tell you which hotel north of the river, but north is definitely where we'll stay the next time. We'll probably give The Shilla Hotel a try. From all I've seen, it's a Seoul institution that continues to deliver a fine product.

Thanks, MegatopLover, for sharing the experience on the north/south question for tourists. I'll be visiting Seoul later this month as a tourist, and will follow your advice. However, I'm feeling rather poor and will be looking for a tourist-class hotel. I am not posting this in the Budget Travel forum because I am not looking for a hostel, but might anyone have any advice for a tourist-class hotel (2-3 stars) near a transport stop on the north side of the river? Thanks!

Thanks, MegatopLover, for sharing the experience on the north/south question for tourists. I'll be visiting Seoul later this month as a tourist, and will follow your advice. However, I'm feeling rather poor and will be looking for a tourist-class hotel. I am not posting this in the Budget Travel forum because I am not looking for a hostel, but might anyone have any advice for a tourist-class hotel (2-3 stars) near a transport stop on the north side of the river? Thanks!

I've had good luck elsewhere with this hotel booking engine. It does list some Seoul properties http://www.asiahotels.com/

Please let the board know where you ended up staying, I'm not too pleased about paying north of $200 US per night.

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Planning WAY ahead - but will be visiting with inlaws in 08. Has anyone stayed at the W? Are there any boutique hotels that provide good service and good rooms and that have more personality than the big chains?

Thanks in advance.

Generally, Seoul hotels are a rip-off. Half of Korea already lives in the metropolitan area and even more of the business life is concentrated there. So even love hotel type dumps can charge the same as "real" and nice boutique hotels elsewhere in the Nation. With the income gap between Seoul and the rest of Korea widening, the thumb rule of "Seoul prices 2x other cities" might have become more like 3x or even above.

Use up your points if applicable. This is the right city to do it.

As for Gangnam, the JW has a particularly drab location, the two ICs and the Park Hyatt have much more pleasant environs.

And for a really nice boutique hotel experience, head a few hours south to Gwangju and check the Firenze Hotel ( http://www.firenzehotel.co.kr/ ) Quality rooms and organic foods at a fraction of the price in the capital. ^

I've just booked a four-night stay in June at the Grand Hyatt for KRW190,000 ($235 incl. tax and service) per night. The best part is I was able to use 6,000 Hyatt points for a confirmed upgrade to a river view junior suite with access to the club lounge (this will save a bundle).

Stayed at this hotel twice before in the same type of room - beautiful view of the city south of the Han River, especially at night.

North of river include Grand Hyatt (see other comments), Hilton (which I found difficult to catch taxi at times), Westin Chosun and Hotel Lotte in Myong-dong area, and Shilla. Most comfortable is Hyatt, close to Itaewon (if that is your thing). The two in Myong-dong are also ok.

As others have mentioned, fairly expensive. If you can upgrade to club level, do so because cup of coffee for 4 of you, or couple of drinks, after all the service/taxes might hit close to $100 (no, I'm not kidding).

I stayed at Imperial Palace (south of river) two months ago and my breakfast and dinner bills were equal to one night at the hotel!

Any opinions on the above?

So - back to the thread, how does the PH compare to Westin?
I stayed at the Hilton last time, thought it was fine. I even rented a driver for day to shuttle me around for all my meetings. Assume other hotels have similar service?

I've recently posted a review of the Westin Chosun that might address some of the questions being asked in this thread--it also contains some of my thoughts on getting around Seoul and getting to and from the airport.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7545787&postcount=45

Please let the board know where you ended up staying, I'm not too pleased about paying north of $200 US per night.

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I just returned from my first trip to Seoul as a tourist... I wound up following MegatopLover's advice for staying north of the river and I strongly endorse that suggestion.

I stayed at Vabien Suites, a serviced apartment very near the Seodaemun stop on the subway (Line 5). I had a very pleasant room for about US$100 per night, booked through asiatravel.com. The "hotel" was a couple of subway stops from the main tourist attractions, and was in an area that was mostly office buildings. There were some late-night restaurants nearby. (There is also a 7-11 convenience store right in the main floor of the building.)

The airport bus (number 605) stops right in front of the building. If you are heading to the airport early in the morning, the bus route starts there, so you don't really have to stand outside waiting for the bus.

One warning - there is some construction underway on one side of the building, so beware of that when checking in.

This place worked for me, as I did not have hotel points to spend and was looking for something comfortable but, as Sweet Willie says, a bit south of US$200 per night.

...Use up your points if applicable. This is the right city to do it. As for Gangnam, the JW has a particularly drab location...

Before the recent devaluation, the JW Seoul was probably the greatest Marriott Category 4 redemption value available globally. With the now-defunct generous points purchase program, it could be had for $130-150/night all-in, and upgrades were very common. But I agree, the location is awful.

I usually stay at
Lotte Hotel (http://www.lottehotel.co.kr/english/grand/main.jsp)
(stay at the new tower, not the older one.)
or Westin Chosun (http://twc.echosunhotel.com/index_en.asp)

Gangnam or South of Han-river, doesn't attract me much. I see absolutely nothing Korean in the area; just a bunch of American wanna-be shops and streets. Besides, subways from the hotels can take you anywhere to south of Han-river conveniently. I don't bother taking cabs in or to go to Gangnam; it takes all day to go anywhere.

Among major chains,
although a bit too remote, I stay at Grand Hilton (http://www.grandhiltonseoul.com/kr/kmain.asp) for longer trips like 2+ weeks. This place usually gives you a much better rate for longer stays.

For better hotel rates,
try http://www.hoteljoin.com if you know any Koreans who can help you on this. It's a Korean version of Expedia or Travelocity.

So - back to the thread, how does the PH compare to Westin?
I stayed at the Hilton last time, thought it was fine. I even rented a driver for day to shuttle me around for all my meetings. Assume other hotels have similar service?

What's the distance between the PH and Westin?

<<bump>> Has anyone stayed at the W yet? And how does it compare to Westin Chosun? I know they are different, but I tend to like W hotels so thought I'd give this one a try.

Also, I assume if one is a nonsmoker, a non-smoking room is a MUST?

<<bump>> Has anyone stayed at the W yet?

yes some FT'ers have, do a search for "Seoul" in the Starwood Forum: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=429

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This will be my first trip to Seoul and am planning to go either end of the year or beginning next year. Was wondering if there are any budget or reasonably-priced hotel. I am looking for a double/twin bedded room at around USD100 a night, and if possible, near the subway stations / tourist areas. Thanks.

This will be my first trip to Seoul and am planning to go either end of the year or beginning next year. Was wondering if there are any budget or reasonably-priced hotel. I am looking for a double/twin bedded room at around USD100 a night, and if possible, near the subway stations / tourist areas. Thanks.

It's a little bit difficult to define "tourist areas" in Seoul; the city is huge, and really not much of a touristy destination. The best hotel deals through Priceline are in Gangnam, which is a good shoping destination, but doesn't offer much sightseeing -- check biddingfortravel.com for recent bids. Asiarooms.com also often has some decent deals.

There are several kinds of bus alternatives from Incheon airport:

1. Hotel bus which will go directly to your hotel (multiple stops - check the signs in front of the bus stop).

2. Bus that goes directly to Airport/City bus terminals - one goes to Kangnam area, in btw Grand Inter and Coex Inter, the other by JW Marriott. These are usually slightly faster as no stops but then you need to catch taxi from there (unless of course you're at Inter or Marriott)

How does one book these buses? in advance or upon arrival into ICN?

Can a non-Korean speaking/reading individual understand how to catch these two buses ?

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How does one book these buses? in advance or upon arrival into ICN?

Can a non-Korean speaking/reading individual understand how to catch these two buses ?

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I had no trouble catching the direct-to-hotel bus (the Korean Air Limousine bus) to the Westin Chosun with no Korean comprehension.

Basically I got cash from the ATM upon arrival (which actually was the hardest part, the first two ATMs I came to did not seem to have an option for English--look hard, sometimes the option is not readily apparent). The desk for bus tickets is then marked pretty clearly in English, and the counter agent there seemed to speak at least basic English. (It helps that "Westin Chosun" is pronounced roughly the same in Korean as it is in English.)

You then proceed outside to a designated bus stop and wait for your bus. I don't remember exactly how this worked, but I found it without much trouble so I think there was sufficient English signage the whole way. By this point you have a ticket in hand printed in both Korean and English, so you can show it to employees who are able to read it if you get lost.

When I was there, the bus both ways was quite empty--only 5-10 people on a bus that seats 50+--so I don't think there's any need to pre-book. If your hotel is one of the ones served, the bus will stop directly outside the hotel, so there's no trouble finding it once you're there. (There are also pre-recorded English announcements made onboard the bus.)

And despite the fact that the bus is run by/affiliated with Korean Airlines, you do not have to be flying them to use it, though I did feel a bit silly walking up with bag tags from rival Asiana.

How does one book these buses? in advance or upon arrival into ICN?

Can a non-Korean speaking/reading individual understand how to catch these two buses ?

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It is quite easy to take the KAL limousine bus outside of the terminal. You can buy tickets either in line for each of the lines or inside the terminal at a ticket counter. Everyone will speak basic English so you will not have a problem. The bus comes every so many minutes and there's a lot of information including routes and embarkation points at:

http://www.koreanair.com/local/na/gd/eng/aa/ia/aa_ia_limo.htm

The stops will be near Exit Doors 11A and 4B. If you're flying KE, you will be closer to 11A, if OZ, closer to 4B.

You can also take the KAL shuttle bus to GMP if you're transferring on a domestic flight.

As far as the hotels in Seoul, as a tourist, I would DEFINITELY recommend staying on the Kang Buk ( North ) side of the river. The Kang Nam ( South ) side of the river has the bulk of the office buildings outside of the small area near City Hall. The Kang Nam side is very quiet at night except for some side streets that might serve food and liquor. The Kang Buk side is much much closer to all the sights and attraction and shopping. The major places to shop, Dong Dae Mun Market, Nam Dae Mum Market, Myong Dong, Itaewon are all located on the Kang Buk Side. All the gates and palaces are located on this side.

The two things the Kang Nam side has is a small area known as ApguJungDong and Chung Dam Dong which is known to be the "Rodeo Dr" of Seoul and the CoEx mall. ApguJungDong is quite close to the north side for it is on the river front.

As a tourist, on a budget, definitely try Priceline.com for hotels in Seoul if you don't care about hotel points. Seoul hotels are notoriously expensive and priceline has worked for me very well in the past. I have been able to get the Grand Hyatt for $85 all in, Hilton Millenium for $90 all in, and the Renaissance for $70 all in. The serviced residences in Seoul such as Vabien II are really nice as well. Before you book on any hotel websites, I would first try priceline.com and try $80 - 90 for a 4 star in the Kang Buk Side of the city.
(Renaissance Hotel is in the Kang Nam side and it is DEAD at night...) The hotel was lovely but it was a good 15-30 min taxi ride every night.. depending on where I was in the city.)

If you have any specific questions about Seoul, please feel free to PM anytime.

The Ibis Myeong-dong is rated as the number 1 hotel in Seoul on tripadvisor.com. For about $100 a night it looks like a great value. Does anyone have experiences with the hotel?

The Ibis Myeong-dong is rated as the number 1 hotel in Seoul on tripadvisor.com. For about $100 a night it looks like a great value. Does anyone have experiences with the hotel?

Another reason not to rely on tripadvisor. I've got no experience with this particular property, but ibis is a pretty down-market brand. Seoul doesn't have the best selection of hotels in Asia, but I can't imagine an ibis is the best of the lot.

Will be in Seoul this summer and am in the 'dark' as to what to expect. Are US dollars able to be used when 'street shopping'? Do most hotels offer included breakfast? Best to take limo, or taxi, from airport to hotels? Any and all info will be appreciated as have been to many other Oriental countries but never to Korea. Any ideas on hotel choices...no need for top of the line Western chains, just clean and safe Korean chains. How much Won should a person purchase for a four day stay?
Please advise Ron at: REBSFB@AOL.COM Thanks!

Will be in Seoul this summer and am in the 'dark' as to what to expect. Are US dollars able to be used when 'street shopping'? Do most hotels offer included breakfast? Best to take limo, or taxi, from airport to hotels? Any and all info will be appreciated as have been to many other Oriental countries but never to Korea. Any ideas on hotel choices...no need for top of the line Western chains, just clean and safe Korean chains. How much Won should a person purchase for a four day stay?
Please advise Ron at: REBSFB@AOL.COM Thanks!


Seoul can be as expensive as Manhattan, but at the same time, there certainly are places for budget-minded people as well. As with many countries that hold their own currency, USD is NOT accepted anywhere except in the designated duty free shops (where you need to show your passport and ticket) and at the the airport shops @ ICN. So, exchange your money before you head into town.

Hotels in Seoul should cost around 100 USD per night on average. Motels could be cheaper, but I'd stay away from them (unfortunately, some of these "motels" are love-motels) and are not tourist friendly and of course, not family friendly.

The best way to travel from the airport to the city is by airport limousine bus. Taxi is very expensive (around 60-80 bucks). Bus should cost maximum of 15 USD and there are many routes and most of recognized hotels (like Westin, JW, IC) should have buses operating directly to the hotel front.

How much you should expect to spend per day? Well, this is again depends on your preference on spending and budget. Unless you are staying at youth hostels, expect to spend about 150-200 USD per day to cover your general transportation/accommodation/food and few other things. From here, any addition on cost should depend on your choice of accommodation. Ex. IC (Intercontinental) in Seoul costs between 240-400 USD per night (pending seasonal differences).

If you have any more questions, don't hesitate to send me a pm.

Hotels in Seoul should cost around 100 USD per night on average. Motels could be cheaper, but I'd stay away from them (unfortunately, some of these "motels" are love-motels) and are not tourist friendly and of course, not family friendly.
YMMV, but I usually stay in motels when traveling in Korea, and they've usually been just fine -- even if the room does occasionally have a round bathtub and a dildo vending machine. The older ones can get pretty grotty, but as a rule of thumb, if it looks good from outside, it's probably pretty good on the inside as well. Language isn't a problem, they'll punch in the price on a calculator and you can say yea or nay. The main downside is that reservations are impossible and finding them can take some legwork: when traveling with a friend, my modus operandi was to park her in a cafe with the bags and trawl the neighborhood around the train/bus station on foot to find a decent place.

A mildly tongue-in-cheek comparison of a good love hotel and the excellent JW Marriott Seoul:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6012653&postcount=20

From a strictly cost/features standpoint, ignoring status and point earning, which would you choose? This will probably just be a backup in case I can't get a good deal with Priceline.

Westin Chosun - 205K/night
Millennium Hilton - 195K/night

or, a bit further away, but still on the subway (I believe)

Grand Hilton - 174K/night

From a strictly cost/features standpoint, ignoring status and point earning, which would you choose? This will probably just be a backup in case I can't get a good deal with Priceline.

Westin Chosun - 205K/night
Millennium Hilton - 195K/night

or, a bit further away, but still on the subway (I believe)

Grand Hilton - 174K/night

I would choose either the Westin or Millennium. Latter is up the hill from the Westin and Seoul Station, if the subway is important to you, and adjacent to a casino if you're interested. Namsam Tower views are breathtaking in the mornings - also the trails up Namsan mountain are good for walks.

Westin is very close to shopping - major department stores - Lotte and Shinsegae, and Namdaemun market. For both, I would spring for Club/Executive level if possible - full English country breakfast, evening drinks are definitely worth it.