Best Hotel in Seoul
Feb 21, 2016, 11:54 am
As well as the usual Four Seasons brand standard that people have come to expect, FS is also pitched at being a contender for the Shilla's place as being "the" hotel in Seoul. Basically, the two are competing for the top spot in Seoul. Therefore, the criticisms are in that context - a Four Seasons with top-of-the-line rates trying to become the new favourite in the city. You would expect everything to be perfect in that context, and many of the highlighted complaints address the shortcomings from that viewpoint (although accepting that some of the issues Aventine experienced does sound more serious)
The Conrad is undoubtedly an excellent property, but it is not competing at the same level as the Shilla/FS. When people praise the Conrad as being a great hotel, I don't think they are looking at it from the same viewpoint as FS/Shilla - it is praised for being a good Conrad standard property in Asia, which is a lower threshold.
Moreover, as the Conrad belongs to HHonors, there will be a number of guests who are staying on points - purely based on my own experience, I tend to be more forgiving of a property when I'm not paying cold hard cash for the room, and if this is a shared trait, I would guess that some of the higher satisfaction at the Conrad may well come from this more generous yardstick.
All of this is not to excuse the reported issues at the FS - but perhaps a long-winded way of saying that I would still go for the Club level at FS if the extra space in the Conrad suite is not so essential. Location is very important in Seoul unless you want to deal with heavy traffic or crowded public transport, and in this regard, FS is far preferable to the Conrad.
Feb 21, 2016, 7:07 pm
The FS looks ideally situated but I am worried about the rocky start and poor reviews the place has had. I'm also not entirely wowed by the décor tbh. Still, given the 3-for-2 rate available, a club room is very reasonably priced and the club looks super.
The Conrad is often cited as having good transport links that compensate for a rather off-target situation (for tourists). Would that be a good option - in a corner suite (at exactly the same price as the club room in the FS)?
Last edited by Aventine; Feb 21, 2016 at 7:16 pm
Feb 22, 2016, 4:00 pm
Feb 22, 2016, 11:31 pm
Hopefully by November the housekeeping and other issues will be sorted out.
May 29, 2017, 10:17 am
Park Hyatt Seoul
606, Teheran-ro, Gangnam-gu Seoul, KR 135-502
Park Hyatt Seoul - Park suite + Korean Temple cuisine review (7 Photos)
Park Hyatt Seoul
Check In
Check in was done in room by a ground floor attendant. I've always felt it would be better suited done by the assistant manager or duty manager but it's always been the bellperson attendant. They write down my credit card digits, ask if there's anything else and then leave. Just the way I like it.
I'm a Hyatt Globalist and have always received the now-defunct Diamond amenity at PH Seoul. They choose to welcome their guests with a handwritten card from the General Manager, a fruit plate and a bottle of French red wine. This property continues to show its VIPs the full courtesies unlike certain other Hyatt hotels.
Room
Park Suite
The suite is well maintained for the most part but shows wear and tear in a few areas like the smelly couch and horrible wool carpet in the bedroom. This can also be a tripping hazard and I just fold it inwards to avoid unintended tumbles and sprains.
I like that the hotel added bedside universal powerplugs and a USB charging ability. One complaint that made it to fruition!
This one is an 05 series, which, is more suitable for single travelers with only one bathroom sink but the 10 series suite has dual vanities but loses a total COEX Gangnam view. The 05 forward facing suites can get road noise when stupid wannabe racers reve their engines and race down Yeongdongdaero. The 10 series can be a be quieter for those light sleepers. I really wish all Seoul hotels would have invested in better soundproofing. The only quiet one is Signiel because it's 80+ floors off the ground.
Both suites are very frustrating because Superpotato designed the light fixtures to do both bedroom and living area. It's impossible to just turn off one set.
The dining table doubles as a desk with the power outlets right behind the chair. You can enjoy room service or breakfast with a view.
Bathroom
It's a compact design of a bathroom. Perfect for the solitary traveler but can get cramped with a partner or spouse. One of the reasons I stay at PH Seoul is because they continue to use Aesop toiletries. One of only two holdouts in the chain with its sister hotel PH Tokyo. Most Seoul luxury hotels are full of overly scented and drying toiletries like licenced Moulton Brown at the Shilla, Aromatherapy Associates at Conrad and a terrible made in China Lorenzo Villoresi product line at the Four Seasons.
The shower handheld has terrible coverage and the rain showerhead is prone to clogging. Something to keep an eye on. Run the bathwater well in advance because it takes a while to fill up the Toto tub.
Service
The level of service here is exceptional for Seoul. Much more refined than Four Seasons Seoul and leaps above Signiel in terms of English ability, grace and helpfulness. This hotel is used to a lot more foreign guests than the Shilla and the attendants are less wooden. It's nice to be greeted by name on the ground floor everytime coming in and out.
Dining
PH Seoul's food hasn't always been good. Under the previous regime, the property charged a lot for subpar food and didn't seem to care about food complaints. Cornerstone didn't know what kind of restaurant it wanted to be - whether it was steak or French contemporary or a highend grill restaurant. The room service burger was awful. Small patty with vegetables overpowering it. Cornerstone has become an Italian cucina and does homely and very decently priced Italian dishes.
It's different now. I think PH Seoul realized almost at the same time as Korean contemporary restaurants that Korean food can be reimagined from the boring bibimbaps, galbi ribs and so on. I feel PH Seoul has become an unofficial ambassador for Korea’s rich food culture with the modernity, sophistication and quality you expect from a Park Hyatt. Their Gangnam comfort cuisine dishes can be creative, delicious and almost on par with offering from Jungsikdang (the famed NY and Seoul Michelin starred Korean contemporary restaurants).
The Korean Road to temple cuisine pop up menu was something different and unique. They even had a famed Korean Buddhist monk in the Lounge to talk about her fermented soy sauces and handpicked ingredients. She would come around to each table and talk about the various ingredients used in the dishes. Many hotels in Seoul have a very expensive Korean hybrid buffet but PH Seoul has a Korean dining experience.
If you want to know what organic, seasonally based Korean cuisine is like — and you should — Park Hyatt Seoul is the place to go.
Location
The location is good if your business partners are in the Tehran-ro or COEX areas. I can't recommend this hotel for those needing to be in Yeouido or Jongno though.
Spa and Fitness facilities
Well equipped but small gym. Absymal spa because of a small number of treatment rooms and many Park Club member guests wanting treatments. The sauna has a nice jacuzzi and Aesop products in the changing room.
Pool unfortunately put near the Lounge area on the 24th floor. Superpotato were really dumb to do that one.
Overall
PH Seoul could use a lot of new everythings, but, despite age and competition, it remains a solid choice for the luxury travel traveler to Seoul.
May 29, 2017, 11:36 am
While we didn't stay in a suite, we remember the Park Hyatt Seoul fondly from our stay a few years ago.
Interesting to know in regards what's happening in terms of their food. Thanks for your info/insights/updates.
Cheers & Safe Travels. ^
Dec 14, 2017, 1:05 pm
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.
Dec 14, 2017, 4:33 pm
This is actually very good advice for all the Seoul luxury hotels with pools and lounges. Weekends are just madness with local guests for outlets and facilities.
FS is the current place to be for well-to-doers and nouveau rich and weekends will reflect that. Charles H will be busiest on Friday and Saturdays, gor example. They've sold dining members club packages as well as Fitness Club ones so you can be sure those members like to take advantage.
Last edited by Aventine; Dec 14, 2017 at 4:39 pm
Dec 15, 2017, 1:15 am
Dec 15, 2017, 2:09 am
This is actually very good advice for all the Seoul luxury hotels with pools and lounges. Weekends are just madness with local guests for outlets and facilities.
FS is the current place to be for well-to-doers and nouveau rich and weekends will reflect that. Charles H will be busiest on Friday and Saturdays, gor example. They've sold dining members club packages as well as Fitness Club ones so you can be sure those members like to take advantage.
I know you were disappointed in the past (as were others), but I feel that Esther Oh Kostecky truly cares about everyone. I could really pinpoint where the problems in the past originated. I still hear whispers of a few departments which feel left behind (Concierge), but in a hotel consisting of a mostly Korean team, totally new to Four Seasons culture, with few transfers from other properties, it took some time for them go get where they are. But I felt they are now embracing the culture. Service is already lightyears ahead of other properties and I hope they will strengthen the team aspect as well, to include everyone.
Last edited by scented; Dec 15, 2017 at 2:24 am
Dec 15, 2017, 4:36 am
Dec 15, 2017, 9:51 am
Enjoy! It is really special now.
Really interesting, always intrigued by your knowledge of the Korean market! Mirae Asset is a very proud owner to say the least -- first time I saw the owner's logo at the hotel's entrance. But it is an incredible hotel.
I know you were disappointed in the past (as were others), but I feel that Esther Oh Kostecky truly cares about everyone. I could really pinpoint where the problems in the past originated. I still hear whispers of a few departments which feel left behind (Concierge), but in a hotel consisting of a mostly Korean team, totally new to Four Seasons culture, with few transfers from other properties, it took some time for them go get where they are. But I felt they are now embracing the culture. Service is already lightyears ahead of other properties and I hope they will strengthen the team aspect as well, to include everyone.
Dec 15, 2017, 1:36 pm
She’s married to Four Seasons veteran James Kostecky, and I’m guessing they met at FS Serengeti, since she was there as Director of Lodging. I think he is now in Korea, too but not working for FS from what I gather. Must ask her when I return.
Dec 15, 2017, 4:24 pm
Last edited by Aventine; Dec 15, 2017 at 4:30 pm
