Thanks for the update!

Cheers.

I'm assuming JW is better for Plats since you don't get any benefits at Ritz?

I do love the club inside of Ritz though, my type of scene ;)..

looking to redeem 2 award nights at JW

The JW is a very nice hotel, but other than lounge access, I have never received anything special as a Plt there. To the hotels defense, I have never asked for any room upgrade, other than which side of the hotel I want my room on (river vs. city) and in that regard, they pretty much always come through.

I travel solo, so do not need anything other than a nice room with a good working desk, both of which are provided by the normal rooms in the JW. Lounge is good, though can get a bit busy at times. Gym is great.

How does the JW compare to the Courtyard in Seoul? Its only a little bit more on my rates to stay at JW vs the Courtyard but I'm still looking for an additional justification. Based on TripAdvisor, it seems the JW is in a better location for a tourist than the CY. I also figure the lounge will be better at JW.

When I stayed at the JW in Beijing I was 2/3 upgraded to a Suite as a Plat. Any chance of a suite upgrade as plat in Seoul?

In my last 10 stays during the last 2.5 years, I was upgraded to a suite only once. That's the time when the hotel was very full and some of my colleagues were getting smoking rooms even though all of us requested non-smoking rooms.

I have had a number of stays at the JW Seoul (as a Plat) and never upgraded to a suite. Based on this and the previous poster, I would say that your chances are close to nil. Having said that, a very nice hotel - lounge is very nice. Getting around via ground transport (esp. in morning/evening rush hours) is a pain. However, the hotel sits on top of the intersection of three subway lines, so if you are able to navigate the maze that is Seoul subway stations, you can get around pretty easily.

I'm OK without a suite upgrade, just figured I'd ask. its only me travelling. I think that I'll go with JW over CY for my booking. Even without a big upgrade, the lounge sounds like a good place to unwind a bit after a day out and about and before dinner.

I've stayed in both hotels numerous times. The JW is a great hotel. The rooms are large though the decor is a bit dated. The lounge is great. The Courtyard is also a great hotel. The decor is very modern. Rooms are smaller than at the JW but still very comfortable. And there is a small lounge that opens onto a large rooftop patio.

Location-wise, the JW is a little better if you're looking to get around the city as it is connected to a subway station serviced by three lines. But the Courtyard is better if you're looking to use regional trains, as it is just a few blocks from Yeongdeungpo station. For example, I've stayed there when my trip involves visiting clients both in Seoul and in Suwon. There's also one city subway line at that station.

I'll be solely there for Tourism and haven't fully decided what to do yet. I know for sure I'll be doing a visit one day to the DMZ, just not sure on others. I'm guessing the JW closer to the subway may be easier for in-town sightseeing?

Correct - if you can navigate the Seoul subway system, the JW is in a better location than the Courtyard. It sits on top of three major lines that can get you pretty much anywhere. It is a bit tricky the first time you use it (at least it was for me, as I kept coming out the wrong exit upon getting back to the station). Would not suggest trying to use a taxi etc, especially during morning/evening rush hours as the traffic in front of the hotel is horrendous.

Getting a cab on a Saturday night and trying to go anywhere near there is an exercise in futility.

We were upgraded prior to arrival
 

We must have gotten lucky. We have 3 rooms booked for this coming July (traveling with my husband, two teenagers, and my father-in-law and his lovely wife). I was hoping to see about our rooms connecting with our children, and how much extra it would be to make it one room a suite if possible. I emailed the property to see how much it would be, and they were so kind to automatically put the 4 of us in a "junior suite" king bed connecting to a double room. My husband is platinum. I was thrilled with this very nice upgrade (they even went into the reservation so it shows the room types).

I'm looking forward to taking my kids to Korea with their grandparents! This sounds like a great property, especially since the first night we'll be so tired from the flights (2 hour one followed by a 14 hour one).

I do wonder one small thing. I had read someplace (tripadvisor?) that they charge for shampoo. I have never found that the case in any hotel, but wonder if the person was referring to a high end one in the minibar? I understand they do have some extra toiletries that you can purchase from the minibar (but housekeeping has complimentary basic ones) but I had never heard of a hotel not having basic shampoo in the bathroom.

I haven't been to Korea in 20 years. It sounds like much has changed (just like here).

Is the coffee really that bad? I like strong coffee, but as I recall most in Korea was more weak. We'll probably bring instant to add to our coffee in the room!

When I was there last year, the usual shampoo, conditioner and body lotion were on the bathroom counter and were free. There's a Starbucks in the shopping center connected to the JW. Is that strong enough?

Thanks!

Starbucks is strong! I just need something before I get up and dressed in the morning too so hope they have some coffee in the room. I'm sure we'll go to Starbucks too!

Hi HappyMommy - I just stayed there in January, and I can confirm there were the normal complimentary bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and lotion in the bathroom. I didn't look in the minibar so I can't even confirm what may have been for sale. Also, as has been mentioned, the hotel is attached to a shopping center including an upscale Department store, so you can buy pretty much anything you might have forgotten.

I can also confirm that the coffee in the room was weak - they give you tiny pouches of ground coffee for the in-room coffee maker. I learned to use two pouches per cup of coffee, but that definitely could be improved.

The Executive Lounge (assuming you'll have access) has not only brewed coffee but also an automated coffee machine for Lattes, espresso, and cappucinos that was pretty good.

For MikeLat - I can't comment on the Renaissance although I considered it when booking. The executive lounge not being open on weekends made up my mind. The JW was very convenient for the connections to the subway lines - I was also travelling by myself and I prefer to use mass transit to get around in a new city so I can see more of the "real" country. The Seoul subway is incredibly easy to navigate once you get the hang of how they do signage - things like each line is both numbered and color-coded, each exit is numbered and the maps of the station will indicate each exit.