ringingup

One last question... Sorry :-)

I've now found out that the Grand Ambasssador offers an hourly shuttle service to MYEONG-DONG that takes 10 minutes. Would this change your opinion on the convenience of the location?

mikesaidyes

My mistake. I was thinking of another hotel. The Plaza Hotel. It's also right next to the Westin.

The Grand Ambassador would not be a bad choice. I just envision a lot of taxi runs.

Santander

The Westin and Hilton are where I usually stay. Although if you're doing business in Korea staying at the Hyatt will probably impress your colleagues the most.

nme7

I wouldn't mind staying here. I think it is close enough to all the attractions with just a short subway or taxi ride. The shuttle service is really nice to have. Myeong dong would be a good place to start exploring. Also try Insadong area which is just 3 stops away at Anguk station. Or Gyeongbokgung station is where the palace is located.

mosburger

I do think the best way to impress Korean biz partners or colleagues is to arrange a pre-lunch or pre-dinner meeting in the club lounge of the Lotte hotel.

The Millenium Hilton lounges are also not bad, especially the very clubby and private smoking section.

dtsm

A few thoughts to supplement others [Seoul was a regular stop for me for years and I've stayed at everyone of the hotels listed below]:

1. Stay north of the river. The hotels south are nice, usually larger rooms and newer but location not good for first timer.
2. First preference is City Hall/Myeong-dong area - both Lotte and Westin are the more upscale hotels but lots of boutiques. You can walk around and window shop, etc.
3. Kangnam is bustling but the street by runs by the Coex Intercon is the busiest of the entire metro area.....Ritz Carlton location is in btw but nothing within nearby walking distance.
3. Hyatt is great hotel but not as good a location [only thing close is Itaewon, which is a tourist shopping area]. View from the lobby, especially in winter when skating rink is set up is nice. But once you've seen it.....
4. The Hilton -- used to have hot disco [not sure - been years since I've visited it] always hard to get taxi service there, so beware.

For biz, Hyatt, Westin, Coex, Ritz, even Marriott are fine. But if this is your first time, and on vacation, bit the bullet, take Lotte or Westin. IMHO

jc777

Depending on requirements, there are some decent accommodations available from airbnb that are easily 30-40% off the price of hotel of similar size, plus kitchen and washer / dryer facilities.

If staying in hotel is a main requirement, can consider Savoy Hotel at Myeongdong. The room is cozy and the size is spacious.

Another one which I looked up before is Nine Tree Hotel, also at Myeongdong. It is new and looked very nice from the photos. Not that pricey too.

mojo2121

That walking tour is great! How many of those items do you think we could do in the one full day we have? Any of them good to do a night (since we have two evenings in Seoul also)?

nme7

I think you could do quite a lot. If the weather is not too hot outside then you could see and explore many things.

Hongdae in the early evening is somewhat fun. There will be large crowds of people walking all over the place, well that kinda of describes many places in Seoul. But still it is fun to see what is going on there. Nanta the cooking show is fun, also check out the Trick Eye Museum. Trick Eye Museum is a good place to go during the hot afternoon. There is also an Ice Museum inside and you will absolutely freeze your bones off in there. Thankfully they do hand out blankets to make it bearable. I also noticed an Adult Museum on the floor above the Trick Eye Museum. Lots of fun to be had in that one building.

Gyeongbokgung palace in the morning, walk over to Insadong area for afternoon lunch and tea, maybe some souvenir shopping there. Relax. Then perhaps watch a night showing at Cheonggyecheon stream. Insadong also has a great Buddhist vegetarian restaurant called Sancheon. Dinner also includes a free traditional Korean performance. Not a bad way to spend the evening. Show starts at 8pm I believe, so it is usually a good idea to make a reservation for 7 or 7:30. Trying to get your meal served to you during the performance is difficult.

bcx

How is the area near Ewha University as a base for a visitor?

nachosdelux

Any opinions on the JW Marriott Dongdaemun (location, ease of transportation, etc)

How does it compare to Grand Hyatt?



thanks!

SirJman

Great if you are <25.

If you are a single man, you might be happy to learn it is actually "Ewha Womens University"

nme7

JW Marriott location is right in the middle of Dongdaemun area. This is both good and bad. The good news is that the location is close to most things. Dongdaemun is a major shopping and tourist location. You can find almost anything there. It is quite fun to explore all the different stores and malls etc. Subway access is very easy. Dongdaemun station is literally outside the front door of the hotel and Seoul station is only 5 stops away on Line 4. I don't think there should be much of a problem finding a taxi near there. As for airport bus service, bus # 6001 and #6002 will take you near the hotel. Not quite to the hotel so you might have to walk a bit.

The downside is that the streets around the hotel can get congested with traffic very easily. The street that runs parallel to the stream is very narrow and I hope you never get stuck on that during rush hour. The other street running north and south seems to move easier but can also bog down during morning and evening rush hour. Also there tends to be lots of tourists around, especially on the weekends.

But don't let that discourage you. The hotel is fantastic. The Griffin rooftop bar has a nice view of the East gate.

Grand Hyatt is located on top of a hill. No subway access here. The airport Limo bus #6702 will take you directly there. Picking the Grand Hyatt as the base of your stay means you will be taking taxis to and from the hotel most of the time. Being on top of a hill means there is not much around the hotel. Itaewon is located nearby and it can be a good place for some shopping and a good meal. However the hotel does have a few good bars and live entertainment. Lots of locals do go there to enjoy a drink and dinner.

Aventine

It's a lot newer than the Grand Hyatt. Location is decent to good. Cheap taxi ride from Seoul station and also right near Dongdaemun Line 4 and the new Dongdaemun design plaza. The BLT restaurant there does everything very well including interesting cocktails.

bcx

I'm neither but closer to 25 than 50.

How does the area compare to Insadong? I don't have to be close to tourist sites but I would like the area I'm staying to have some activity (shops in particular) at night.