I had a 9-night paid stay at the Sheraton Seoul Palace Gangnam for business and think that this is one of the best deals in Seoul for Marriott Platinums and above (I am currently a Titanium).

There were some snafu's on check-in, as I had multiple rooms for the weekend, and there was some question about whether those guests would be allowed access to the lounge. We got that sorted out (in the case of the rooms, they were upgraded rooms that came with lounge access) thanks to the intervention of the excellent night manager, Billy Kim.

The room I was given was a "Deluxe King" on the Club floor(s). Sadly, no upgrade to a suite. I was told that it was a holiday weekend in Korea, and that the hotel was fully booked, hence no upgrade. No option was given to move after the weekend, though if it was offered, I think I would have declined. No surprise on not getting the upgrade though, as I've had that happen to me before.

I know others have mentioned that the rooms are tiny, but the King room I received was adequate as far as size. I've seen smaller rooms and larger rooms. My previous stay I was in a Queen on a non-club floor, and the room was pretty cramped, so YMMV. The smallest room I've ever had was at a Four Points in Manhattan, and this was much larger than that. I will say though that the views from the rooms are pretty terrible. From the front of the hotel, the views show the street, a small park, and apartment buildings across the street. If you get lucky with room placement, you might be able to glimpse the Han river through the buildings. From the back of the hotel, you get a view of a parking lot and an apartment building. So don't come here for the views.

I took full advantage of the lounge during my stay. They have a breakfast spread that goes until 10am, and then a light snack (cookies and cakes) presentation mid-day, with an evening "hors d'oeuvres" presentation. They say "hors d'oeuvres", but it's actually a light buffet dinner. The breakfast and evening offerings have at least 4 hot food dishes, with a number of breads, salads, vegetables, and cheeses also available.

At breakfast they also have an omelet station, and most days have a noodle station available (both breakfast and evening), your choice of ramen or udon.

Wine and beer is available in the evening. Only bottled beer, and only Maxx and Hite I think (both terrible beers IMO). Sadly no liquor. Around 9 or 10pm, the lounge is converted to a bar, open to the public. Lounge guests that stay past 11pm are asked to leave unless they purchase a drink (at least this is what happened during my previous stay).

The best part of the hotel (and I'm not sure if this is an East Asian thing, a Korean thing, or a non-USA thing), is that sauna access is included free of charge for lounge guests. The sauna provides workout clothes (shirts, pants, socks) if you would like to use the gym. The gym is somewhat cramped, but serviceable. They have a number of cardio and weight machines, and they advertise fitness classes, but I haven't seen them in-person. There is also a pool for laps.

The gender-separated area of the sauna has 3 baths, one hot, one really hot, and one cold. Of course there is also a sauna. You can also make an appointment for a body scrub (for 30,000KRW) which is wonderful. This is separate from the spa services (which also has a body scrub, iirc).

Besides the baths and sauna, the gender-separated area also has a lounge with a TV, a barbershop (haircuts are 30,000KRW, shaves are also 30,000KRW), and multiple grooming stations (they provide hair spray, lotions, moisturizers, etc). The barber is a consummate professional, I got a haircut and a shave, and it was an experience, including multiple hot-towel wraps, scalp massage, and other detailed touches. The haircut was exactly as I requested as well.

To be clear, these sorts of things are available at every full-service hotel I've stayed at in Korea (Sheraton Incheon, D Cube, Plaza, JW Marriott Seoul, JW Marriot Dongdaemun (at an additional cost, even for those with status), Westin Chosun Busan). I have never seen them before in America. I have never been to other East Asian countries, so I'm not sure if these sorts of things are standard there either. Anyway, I think the Sheraton Seoul Palace Gangnam is the least expensive hotel in Seoul that offers these services and amenities.

Besides the hotel amenities and services, there are multiple restaurants on-site. Restaurant access for breakfast is granted if you have children, as children are not allowed in the lounge. I did not take advantage of any of the restaurants. They seem overpriced, and there are lots of other options nearby.

Which brings me to location. I think the location of the hotel is very convenient. There is a 24-hour convenience store right outside if you want some late night snack. Diagonally across the street is the Express Bus Terminal (where the JW Marriott Seoul is located), along with the large, multi-story Shinsegae department store and Famille Station. There are TONS of food options and shopping options there, as well as a high-end grocery store (like Whole Foods) in the food hall area in the basement.

The Express Bus Terminal connects to three different subway lines, so access to public transportation is close and easy. Taxis are not difficult to hail, sometimes there will be one or two taxis waiting in front of the hotel, but if there are not, the doorman or concierge can call one for you. The bus terminal also has long-distance bus lines that go to other cities in Korea, if that's something you'll be doing.

Getting to the hotel is pretty straightforward from ICN. You can take the KAL Bus, #6703 . It will drop you off from the airport directly in front of the hotel. It's the first stop from the airport, so it's pretty convenient. I do NOT recommend the bus when going back to ICN, unless you want a tour of the hotels in the city. I would strongly recommend using the City airport terminal in COEX when going back.

All-in-all, the hotel isn't the best, and isn't the worst, but I do think it hits that sweet spot for value for either points or spend in Seoul for those with status. That being said, The Plaza has some good prices that sometimes match or meet the Palace's price, and all things being equal, I would pick The Plaza over the Seoul Palace (better gym, sauna, and lounge). I have not been to any of the Courtyards, Alofts, or Four Points in Seoul, but my understanding is that they may or may not have a lounge, and most likely don't have a sauna (I'm happy to be corrected though!)

If anyone has any questions, would be happy to answer.