Grand Hyatt Seoul REVIEW - MASTER THREAD
Nov 1, 2022, 11:15 pm
#406
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,060
Has pulling out the app and forcing the issue for Glob standard suites never worked at this property? Unless the GM is a real stickler (which it sounds like he is) I find it unusual that they would just pull a one-category upgrade trick. Maybe they're not as receptive towards non-Koreans, but that puts a damper on my Cat 4 redemption plan.
The Grand suite is their former low floors Jr. suite masquerading as a proper suite.
Nov 1, 2022, 11:37 pm
#407
Join Date: Aug 2022
Location: SFO
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Titanium, AA Exec Plat, OZ Diamond Plus
Posts: 358
Suites are usually sold out (weekends) and I seemed to have been chasing a Corner room shadow during one stay. Disappeared during communication with my concierge. I had a screenshot but seems they either sold it or took it out of inventory. It was a Han River view high floor Club room that was pretty terrible for what they charge compared to JW Marriott, Grand IC, etc.
The Grand suite is their former low floors Jr. suite masquerading as a proper suite.
The Grand suite is their former low floors Jr. suite masquerading as a proper suite.
Nov 1, 2022, 11:45 pm
#408
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,060
Nov 7, 2022, 2:01 pm
#409
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: Hyatt, Delta, Bonvoy, Hilton, BA, United
Posts: 106
Stayed here in mid-Oct for five nights and burned a suite upgrade cert for the stay. Was given one of the "Grand Suites", and while I was happy with the room, I can totally see how it was previously a Jr. Suite. The rotating TV "wall" the separates the sleeping area from the lounge area was pretty interesting. First time seeing something like that for me.
Nov 19, 2022, 6:20 am
#410
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: Home: ICN, GMP / Frequent: LAX, JFK
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 81
Wrapped up a one night Saturday stay here and it was okay. This thread prepared me well for what to expect.
Pros:
- Friendly and attentive staff. Was my first time at a Hyatt in East Asia so perhaps that is the standard but props to the staff. Globalist benefits were explained clearly.
- Breakfast was quite good! Again, could be the standard in Korea but it was the best breakfast I had in a hotel lounge so far. Fair amount of choices and both western and Korean options.
- We enjoyed the baths/sauna. Not a lot of people there and very clean/well run. Basically a jjimjilbang with only the baths/sauna. No main area where both genders can hang out. No massages or exfoliation area. Gym looked surprisingly a little full. People were even playing squash on the courts there.
- Nice welcome gift of Korean snacks in a box in our room.
- Nice view from room.
Cons:
- Obviously very full on Saturday. Globalist/club check in is in lower level (LL) so it was only a slight wait in the lounge there but main level was packed.
- Because of how busy it was, there was no upgrade available on check in. They apologized for the inconvenience and said they tried to give us a room with a good view at least.
- The main spots of the room were clean and the bathroom was one of the cleanest I've seen, but there were some spots they clearly did not clean as thoroughly. Also showed some signs of the room being dated. Pictures show a bit more on what I'm talking about. White mark on a sofa cushion, exposed wiring on wall, a clipped toe nail(?), debris left near trash can, etc. Thankfully the bed and bathroom looked quite clean so we weren't too concerned, but definitely showed some sloppiness in that aspect.
- Not too many buses running and Naver/Kakao map didn't show when buses would arrive like they do for the other buses, but we didn't have to wait long (5 min max?) to catch buses. Not sure if we just got lucky or if they run often.
- Wife thought about swimming but the pool is tiny and seemed quite busy. Decided not to bother.
Overall pretty good value for it being a cat 4 hotel. I would recommend booking with points and if you are looking for a weekend stay, book early as it will be sold out.
Welcome sheet and outlined benefits such as free spa entrance for Globalist
Breakfast
View from room at night
Day view
Toenail? Wasn’t sure
Exposed wiring
White spot on sofa cushion. Wife did not want to use the sofa anymore ha
Trash near trash bin
Pros:
- Friendly and attentive staff. Was my first time at a Hyatt in East Asia so perhaps that is the standard but props to the staff. Globalist benefits were explained clearly.
- Breakfast was quite good! Again, could be the standard in Korea but it was the best breakfast I had in a hotel lounge so far. Fair amount of choices and both western and Korean options.
- We enjoyed the baths/sauna. Not a lot of people there and very clean/well run. Basically a jjimjilbang with only the baths/sauna. No main area where both genders can hang out. No massages or exfoliation area. Gym looked surprisingly a little full. People were even playing squash on the courts there.
- Nice welcome gift of Korean snacks in a box in our room.
- Nice view from room.
Cons:
- Obviously very full on Saturday. Globalist/club check in is in lower level (LL) so it was only a slight wait in the lounge there but main level was packed.
- Because of how busy it was, there was no upgrade available on check in. They apologized for the inconvenience and said they tried to give us a room with a good view at least.
- The main spots of the room were clean and the bathroom was one of the cleanest I've seen, but there were some spots they clearly did not clean as thoroughly. Also showed some signs of the room being dated. Pictures show a bit more on what I'm talking about. White mark on a sofa cushion, exposed wiring on wall, a clipped toe nail(?), debris left near trash can, etc. Thankfully the bed and bathroom looked quite clean so we weren't too concerned, but definitely showed some sloppiness in that aspect.
- Not too many buses running and Naver/Kakao map didn't show when buses would arrive like they do for the other buses, but we didn't have to wait long (5 min max?) to catch buses. Not sure if we just got lucky or if they run often.
- Wife thought about swimming but the pool is tiny and seemed quite busy. Decided not to bother.
Overall pretty good value for it being a cat 4 hotel. I would recommend booking with points and if you are looking for a weekend stay, book early as it will be sold out.
Welcome sheet and outlined benefits such as free spa entrance for Globalist
Breakfast
View from room at night
Day view
Toenail? Wasn’t sure
Exposed wiring
White spot on sofa cushion. Wife did not want to use the sofa anymore ha
Trash near trash bin
Nov 19, 2022, 1:33 pm
#411
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Argentina
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, IHG Diamond, Accor Plus Silver
Posts: 183
- We enjoyed the baths/sauna. Not a lot of people there and very clean/well run. Basically a jjimjilbang with only the baths/sauna. No main area where both genders can hang out. No massages or exfoliation area. Gym looked surprisingly a little full. People were even playing squash on the courts there.
Trash near trash bin
Trash near trash bin
Nov 20, 2022, 6:04 am
#414
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,060
Wrapped up a one night Saturday stay here and it was okay. This thread prepared me well for what to expect.
Welcome sheet and outlined benefits such as free spa entrance for Globalist
View from room at night
Day view
Toenail? Wasn’t sure
Exposed wiring
White spot on sofa cushion. Wife did not want to use the sofa anymore ha
Trash near trash bin
Welcome sheet and outlined benefits such as free spa entrance for Globalist
View from room at night
Day view
Toenail? Wasn’t sure
Exposed wiring
White spot on sofa cushion. Wife did not want to use the sofa anymore ha
Trash near trash bin
Nov 20, 2022, 6:41 am
#415
Join Date: Jun 2021
Location: Home: ICN, GMP / Frequent: LAX, JFK
Programs: Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 81
Room choice was disappointing yet expected. I guess in their defense at least we perhaps checked in too early (3pm) to catch the rooms of most Globalists that late checkout and too late to get priority for non-Globalist or early check outs. Also Saturday was completely packed, not a single room available for cash on the website. We were okay since we didn’t spend much time at the hotel but I would definitely try the Andaz or PH Seoul next. They seemed to be less packed based on inventory. GH is cheap on points so meh.
Nov 20, 2022, 3:36 pm
#416
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,060
Yeah the cleaning of the room was poor. I imagine they spent most of their effort/time on the bed/bathroom which was very clean to be fair, but they obviously did not put nearly the same amount of care on the other parts of the room.
Room choice was disappointing yet expected. I guess in their defense at least we perhaps checked in too early (3pm) to catch the rooms of most Globalists that late checkout and too late to get priority for non-Globalist or early check outs. Also Saturday was completely packed, not a single room available for cash on the website. We were okay since we didn’t spend much time at the hotel but I would definitely try the Andaz or PH Seoul next. They seemed to be less packed based on inventory. GH is cheap on points so meh.
Room choice was disappointing yet expected. I guess in their defense at least we perhaps checked in too early (3pm) to catch the rooms of most Globalists that late checkout and too late to get priority for non-Globalist or early check outs. Also Saturday was completely packed, not a single room available for cash on the website. We were okay since we didn’t spend much time at the hotel but I would definitely try the Andaz or PH Seoul next. They seemed to be less packed based on inventory. GH is cheap on points so meh.
Last edited by Aventine; Nov 20, 2022 at 5:28 pm
Jan 7, 2023, 7:13 am
#418
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,060
Jan 7, 2023, 9:08 pm
#419
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Boston, Jo'burg, HK
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Lifetime Diamond, CX Gold, Mrs. Pickles travels for free
Posts: 13,164
Jan 10, 2023, 3:16 am
#420
Join Date: Apr 2008
Programs: Marriott Platinum, IHG PA, Hilton Sucks, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 465
Wrapping up six nights here, stayed on a mixture of FNCs and Amex FHR bookings (the latter to burn the $200 Plat credits). Grab bag of thoughts:
- We stayed in both a standard 1 King Bed room on the 11th floor (Han River view) and two different 1 King Bed Club Access rooms on the 18th floor (one Han River view, one Mountain View). The Club Access rooms have more recently remodeled bathrooms, and come with a bidet, at the expense of losing the tub from the standard 1 King Bed. I think this is a worthwhile tradeoff. The bathroom from the standard 1 King Bed was definitely a bit dated but more than functional. The views on both sides are quite nice, and I'm glad we got to see both the Han River and Namsan sides of the hotel.
- No suites available during our stays. It seemed like they were at capacity over the weekend, based on what I saw in the app. The check-in area of the lobby can get pretty bustling around check-in time on Friday/Saturday. I see how it is a popular staycation destination for Koreans.
- Every taxi driver will know to come here if you say "Hyatt." (Might need to add a bit of a Korean accent, though.) Makes me wonder how hard it is to get a taxi to go to the Park Hyatt if you are only an English speaker and not showing them an address on your phone, though... lol
- Impressed with the F&B from the club lounge and the free breakfast at The Terrace via FHR. (Asterisk: Mrs. Wilywombat and I do not have the most refined tastes in the world.) The Terrace has lots of variety and everything we tried was good. A nice perk if going the Prive/FHR route. We also ordered room service since we had the 130,000 KRW F&B credit through FHR, and it was also impressive and prompt. The credit was enough for 2 burgers and 2 desserts.
- All of the staff have been very kind, helpful, and accommodating. English abilities have also been quite good across the board. Mrs. Wilywombat speaks conversational Korean but it was nice to know that I could ask anyone something in English and be fine without her.
- Indoor pool size is quite disappointing. I got some lap swimming in, but I really wish there was more than one lane to work with. The online reservation system for booking a timeslot works fine.
- We poked our heads into the sauna (free for Globs). Very nice facility with lots of nice shower/post-shower products to use. We are not really sauna/jjimjilbang people, but a nice perk regardless.
- I will echo others' sentiments that it is not the most convenient destination for tourism. We relied heavily on the 402/405 buses, which have stops just outside of the hotel's front. I didn't necessarily mind this, as I am generally a big public transportation fan and enjoyed getting to experience the bus system, which is quite good. We never had to wait longer than 5-7 minutes for a bus, even at night, which are very impressive headways for a transit-deprived American like myself. But I can see how someone might prefer a hotel that's right on top of a subway station, or one that is generally more accessible and not on top of the hill. We never attempted the walk downhill to the Itaewon subway stop, but I know it's possible based on others' reviews. (The unfortunate tragedy in Itaewon did happen during our stay -- needless to say, I hope something like this never happens again.)
Last edited by cmhsieh54; Jan 10, 2023 at 3:23 am
