Signiel Hotel Seoul

Supposedly the country’s premier hotel in their highest tower, developed and managed by the mighty Lotte group… so while this gets expectations up to levels almost as high as Lotte World Tower, I was cautioned by everyone and their mother about this hotel.

And I can see why. Driving up to the hotel, you are greeted by a myriad of people but they couldn’t wait to tell our driver to park elsewhere. The welcome was enthusiastic, but lacked sincerity — another hotel that managed to train their associates into robots (which seems a Korean phenomenon).

Elevators swiftly take guests to 79th floor for check-in and management is very present. What immediately struck me was how they managed to build a hotel which, undoubtedly, looks already dated only a few months after opening. Maybe it is their choice of marble or the lack of textures throughout the hotel that gives off this feeling but I couldn’t help but wonder when their last renovation was. Their idea of luxury is old and anything but intuitive. A lot of time has been taken to iron out the opening problems, but the lack of soul is something much more difficult to tackle. The view is enticing, surely, but anyone who ever stayed longer at these heights will tell you that there is actually not much to look at, except for clouds and tons of tiny lights down there. Service in the lounge is still slightly amateurish, I couldn’t help but notice the huge crystal chandelier — again very traditional — which sadly though didn’t quite fit the space, due to the glass wall behind. Oddly they use electric heaters by the windows, presumably to offset the cold from the facade. Not what is excepted at a development of this nature. Another technical amusement was the malfunctioning sliding door to enter the lounge, which just wouldn’t open: guests were waving to be let in.

Much of the hotel has ceilings and design elements reminding me of yachts, although I really cannot tell why. This is true of the spa, which is suffering from odd, low ceilings (just like the rooms) and a lack of direction. Some US brands, some French brands there… oh and Evian branding. Branding generally seems to be their thing. Sadly without all too much substance! Having only superlatives doesn’t make for a perfect hotel.

For some it may work, I have heard from several VIP guests and socialites who thoroughly enjoyed their stay, which may be the exception, but goes to show that it can work, if your stay is handled from start to finish by one of their senior managers or owner.


Park Hyatt Seoul

I was really expecting a lot from my dinner visit and maybe this was the problem. I still believe the hotel enjoys a stunning location and has a long standing service reputation, but how this works out in reality is quite different.

Dinner in their Italian restaurant, Cornerstone, sadly was the worst I had in the country and this includes airline lounges. A show kitchen is a wonderful thing, although not so much when you see the chef using the same spoon to try repeatedly… my request for a mocktail or non-alcoholic cocktail was met with a cocktail full of white wine. Service recovery inexistent, well almost… if a shrug from the server counts. That they actually might have a guest one day, who is recovering and should not at any cost have alcohol served is something they should consider — thankfully I didn’t mind as much.

The Timber House has had a stunning renovation, and service is great down there, so do go. The only thing I did not particularly like was the smell throughout the lower floors, which I will not discuss in detail… But I really liked the menu, the concept, the produce and high quality ingredients… very refreshing. My favorite aspect of the hotel. The entry with the wooden sliding door is a nice gimmick.


Four Seasons Hotel Seoul

This hotel truly fits like a bespoke suit or haute couture dress, depending on the guest. You are whisked from the spotless limousine into the hotel, greeted by so many members of the team I actually lost count and treated to an in-room check-in, which was much appreciated after the long journey. The building is an architectural delight and I simply adore André Fu’s architecture here. It is much more refined than Upper House and I cherished all the textures and various residential details. Everyone is endlessly chic, which is the norm in Korea, but even more apparent here, and very high-tech. The entire team uses an array of headsets, walkie-talkies and cellphones to ensure the hotel runs like a Swiss watch at all times.

I cannot say how many people warned me about their service horror stories and attitude, but I was actually pleasantly surprised, for I have not had a single incident there. But I can certainly see why they had problems in the past: Korean culture is so different from Four Seasons culture and this was a major challenge management had to overcome. The society has strong hierarchic tendencies and almost military drill, which are very difficult to tackle in a hotel, let alone a luxury hotel. Still, here and there, you can see what their challenge was, but the hotel’s current status quo left me speechless… Service everywhere is so kind, warm and caring, it rivaled Hong Kong and Parisian service levels for me and I am known to be quite demanding.

They have an entire team of Guest Relations Managers, looking after guests on a daily basis, checking in on them how their day and stay are progressing and assisting with any needs or reservations. Many of them are Koreans trained in Swiss hospitality schools, so it is no surprise how polished the experience really is. This warmth is even noticeable from front line team members, how aim to delight and even escort guests throughout the building, making sure they are well taken care of.

Breakfast is served in The Market Kitchen and the spread, despite its enormous size, simply is of the highest quality. They also offer lunch and dinner, but since I don’t appreciate buffets as much, I did not try. Yu Yuan recently managed to secure a Michelin Star for their Chinese cuisine (well deserved) and their Peking duck is reason enough to savor a meal there. My favorite, though, was the Japanese Restaurant, Kioku, for it was one of the most memorable meals in a very long time. The team there couldn’t be more kind and welcoming, they shortened our wait by offering a complimentary salad to nibble on, while they prepared something off-menu and then brought the Chef to discuss the concept and produce. If that wasn’t enough, when Flora, their assistant manager, saw the fumes of the table grill threatened to reach my shirt, she took it aside and continued to grill the beef for me for the next ten minutes. This, for me, sums up service excellence at FS Seoul.

There is also their Italian Restaurant, Boccalino, which isn’t designed by AFSO and did not appeal as much. I felt the design was too open plan and the space was too big and unstructured. The menu was fine, service OK. Nothing memorable about the experience there. It is interesting that the Market Kitchen has a more luxurious feel, compared to Boccalino, which felt quite cold and uninspired, in terms of design. On the lower floor, there is Charles H., their speak easy — sensational. It’s been discussed here extensively I believe. There is also their Executive Club with very warm service by the club manager.

The Pool, Spa and Four Seasons Club is without doubt, something Mirae Asset, the owner, insisted on. A visionary complex and certainly no expense has been spared. There are so many pools of different temperatures, steam rooms, Korean saunas, showers, showers, showers… I lost count! Although staff of The Club is outsourced I felt it was a quality experience, but you can clearly notice the touch of the hotel staff, which is more of a testament to their hotel team, rather than a statement on the Club.

Would I go back? Absolutely and I am actually looking forward to it. Accommodation there is stunning, especially their Ambassador Suites and Palace-View Exec Suites, which enjoys stunning views of the palace, even from the bathroom. I also saw the Presidential Suite, which is stunning, although I preferred the intimacy and various residential details in the Ambassador. I would, if possible, manage to book a stay during the week, as the weekends often see various protests directly outside the hotel, which are outside their control, but bothersome. There are many staycationers there on the weekends, so if your plan is to enjoy the Spa and Pool areas, just avoid the weekends, as it is really busy and loud then.

Most of the service excellence is down to Hotel Manager, Esther Oh Kostecky. She is very Four Seasons and certainly the good soul of the hotel, always around taking care of guests and the team alike. Very impressed by her professionalism and accomplishments for the hotel. Looking back I can say without doubt that I did not see these qualities in any other Korean hotel, so it appears FS really turned that market around.