Aventine

Sure. I believe Mirae Asset wants this cash cow making it's own revenue. Management still ok'd or let the Korean breakfast go out for public consumption. That one is on them Mike.


I didn't completely write it off but didn't expect to be back here so soon. Long story short my partner had a difficult day and brought her to spa here. Ended up having a kaiseki meal at Kioku and didn't want to drink and drive.

on FSPP, same room type minus the sinus pressure. Kioku is definitely one of Seoul's finest Japanese restaurants for ambience, appearance and food.

MikeFromTokyo

You're already staying again? I sure hope they're ready to produce a proper breakfast this time! Hopefully there will be some major service recovery too.

Aventine

It was an unintentional stay. They graciously pulled out all the stops for the Kioku dinner and the spa. Service recovery is happening as one would be expected. I just wanted to give them the proper time to get ready for a nice room some other date. This one is on me. Don't want to be a mooch.

I was told they're still working on breakfast and I don't hold it against them since I didn't plan to be back 3 days after.

MikeFromTokyo

How was the spa? I would hope that management will do whatever it takes to ensure that your breakfast is acceptable this time.

scented

Hope they bent over backwards this time!
What treatment did you go for?

Aventine

GM just learned that I stayed behind at 11pm. Id give them a pass for breakfast this time. No sense in expecting the world when it's only been 3 days and I threw them another curveball with my unexpected stay.


My spaist wife did the Korean Ji ap deep tissue, no oil pressure massage and I did the Aromatic Swedish. Both 90mins. Early days let's just put it that way. My wife said the therapist was trying hard but had no skill. Probably both their first jobs out of masseur school. Mine was just ok. She's not giving SL Tokyo Chi spa therapists a run for their money. She's also not the equal of the GH Seoul's therapists.

One final thought from the same Premier room (sans new room fumes and headaches). The bathroom can be separated. The wall does move to cover the bathtub from bedroom. I guess I didn't pull hard enough the first time. Not really sure about how soundproof it can be and still prefer isolated stand alone bathrooms. Not a design flaw.

mike_la_jolla

I've been following this with interest, as the hotel scene in Seoul is very weak. I dislike the PH Hyatt and the Shilla is too far out of the way for my hosts to accommodate.

I've opened three 5* hotels and I wouldn't recommend it. The only positive experience of the three was FS Denver. I was literally the first person the front desk person checked in. They had flown in experienced managers and personnel from all over the USA to help with that opening. Clearly they had not done that in Seoul.

I'd add that I opened Alpina Gstaad and that was MUCH worse that what Aventine is reporting at FS Seoul. I've not returned to Gstaad, but others here have lead me to believe that they fixed the *many* issues from the opening. I'd bet the FS Seoul will fix the issues. but it might take 12 months.

Aventine

I'd bet they would fix it too but I honestly thought there would be less of them. Allegedly, they have all sorts of support senior staff here from FS "helping out". That's what someone senior in FS told me. You guys can draw your own conclusions from that.

The new room smell/fumes was one of those 1/100 scenarios that I guess my sinus sensitivity happened to have the misfortune to be assigned too. Service recovery is happening for that. I think things will be different here in 12 months.

Would your hosts be willing to put you up here in FS Seoul, Gwanghwamun, mikelajolla? The location is even worse than Shilla for someone needing to be south of the River. At least at Shilla you can go down Dongho bridge or swing around and use Hannam bridge. My commute driving from PH was about an hour in yesterday's rushhour traffic.

mike_la_jolla

Haven't asked. My guess is that they will say 'no'. When I asked about the Shilla, they reacted with horror.

Aventine

You normally have business south of the River? Then, where do they put you up there? Outside of PH, there's a dearth of luxury anything in Gangnam district. I'd react with horror if they put me up at the in-name-only RC or that kitsch Imperial Palace hotel in Gangnam.

I guess not surprising for a new hotel in internet speed demon South Korea but here's the speedtest results for FS Seoul. This is the free, non premium wifi internet. Double what I got at PH Seoul!

pricesquire

What's the website for checking the speed? Going to do the same thing at the Four Seasons Bogota this weekend.

Aventine

www.speedtest.net

I think FS Seoul's room service card needs to have Eggs Benedict on it. Should be standard on every luxury hotel's menu.

MikeFromTokyo

I agree that it is too soon to expect perfection, but they should make every reasonable effort to ensure that your breakfast is at least satisfactory this time. As I recall some of the problems were due to menu inflexibility (juice selection etc.) and unwanted items in your omelette. They should be able at a minimum to get your order right this time, and they should have ingredients on hand to put together some "upgraded" korean dishes and a higher quality fish, as well as a nicer selection of freshly cut fruits. If a Four Seasons flagged hotel in Korea cannot manage that, then I don't know what.

Of course, and even if it is not on the menu they should be able to do that on request.

Aventine

I didn't dare order a Korean breakfast for this unintentional stay. Something told me three days was not enough time for them to internally set things right. It would have broken my heart to go from Chef Sawadas solid, great Japanese evening to a untried, untested cobbled together Korean effort. Just a gut feeling.

The Western breakfast was much better. Appearance and taste wise. Getting up there to the FS standard from the initial horror offering.

I also specified in great detail on the menu card for more fruit, the correct juice blends, sides orders, French toast w/toppings and waffles. I recommend everyone use the menu card rather than the iPad app. There's no Eggs Benedict there but just write it on the card and the kitchen will make it.

Will post some pictures later.

Early days still but slowly getting better.

HKTraveler

I love Eggs Benedict as well but don't eat it much these days. If you eat it a lot, suggest you look into what Anthony Bourdain has to say about Eggs Benedict and Hollandaise sauce!