goghd

They have a great bus -- cost about $15.00. Direct from the airport to the hotel. Bus stops at 3 hotels and the Westin. There will be a representative from the airport in the main area that will assist you and get you on the right bus. When you get to the hotel the staff has everything ready since the person at the airport called ahead. 1st class all the way.

The bus has 1st class size seats and is a/c--very good. Going back the same way. About 45 in to 1 hr depending on traffic.

Gary

monahos

'They' meaning Korean Air, for clarity, not the hotels. Look for the route serving the Holiday Inn, Koreana, Plaza, Lotte, and Westin Chosun hotels.

DH

It's KAL Limousine Bus service which owned by Korean Air. FYI, Korean Air used to be KAL.

BTW, Westin Chosun is served by LINE 1 (City Hall Area) bus.

http://www.koreanair.com/local/na/gd...g_aa_ia_tp.htm

For the return trip ticket, you can charge the bus ticket to your room which eligible for the Starwood points...

Elena

I had a two night stay last week. Checked in at the exec lounge, I mentioned that I just came from the W Seoul. The lounge attendant volunteered that she was sorry but the rooms "here at the Westin are not nice at all compared to the W". I was surprised but pleased with her honesty and she was very friendly. She also volunteered that I should get the points and not the local platinum amenity which is a standard photo frame that "no one chooses".

I was upgraded to a jr suite. It was nice to have a desktop computer, I primarily used my own laptop but the desktop was great for hotel and tour info and even booking wake up calls on the hotels internal site. Free highspeed is always nice. There is also a cellphone provided in the room for use during stay- very convenient if you don't have one. Lounge breakfast was standard and worse than most Asian lounges.

The room was fairly standard, boring traditional feel. Comfortable Westin bed and Bvlgari amenities in the bathroom. Staff would not allow cash advance on credit cards and gift shop opening hours were uneven. There was a tea dispenser in the lobby offering three flavours of iced tea for guests checking in. The KAL limousine bus is easy to cath but stops on the curb rather than at the front of the hotel. The location in Myeng-Dong is good, close to shopping, bath houses, and subway.

I find the W is a much nicer and hipper place to stay; the Westin wins only on location. The concierges at the W are also much better.

KosherKimchee

Decided to burn my 50EPR in Seoul, had to choose between the Westin and the W. The W is so insanely far from the best parts of Seoul, it's very hard to recommend unless one has business in the Walkerhill area or just wants to eat some Korean food and relax (or gamble at the Sheraton). The Westin Chosun has the nicest rooms of any Westin property I've been to, and with the huge location advantage over the W Walkerhill, it's very tough to pick the W over the Westin on an even won-won or point-point (cat 4 for both) basis.

Elena

I don't think the W Walkerhill is that insanely far away. IMO it's definitely worth sacrificing a few minutes of travel time for the opportunity to enjoy one of the W suites. It's almost like entering a different world as opposed to the corporate and generic feel of the Westin Chosun. Granted I am a W aficionado in general but this is one W that should not be missed if in the vicinity.

yyliu88

this hotel is very good, the BF of club is a real Breakfast and happy food can use as dinner

I got a Deluxe suite upgrade on a 6 days stay last April.

Sweet Willie

For what reason ?


I have the same question as I’ll be spending a night at the Hilton Millennium.


Which subway station is the Westin Chosun closest to? It looks as if the Westin is equidistant between the Euljiro 1-ga stop of Line 2 and the City Hall stop where one can catch both Line 1 & 2.


--

DH

City Hall station is closer.

Here are a couple of helpful links -

http://english.tour2korea.com/01Trip...m=m1_4&konum=4
http://www.smrt.co.kr/english_smrt/c...berstation.jsp

KosherKimchee

This is very poor advice. First, it's not just a few minutes --- In typical Seoul congestion the W is at least 30 minutes outside of central Seoul. Second, one goes to Seoul to enjoy Seoul, not hang around a suite all day. The Westin is hardly shabby in that respect and the service at the Chosun Westin is consistently great.

bgriff

I'm just about to check out of a several-day stay in the Westin Chosun, so I'll throw in a couple of thoughts . . .

The location depends very much on how you plan to get around Seoul. A lot of people in this thread appear to have been taking taxis, which I think would be a miserable way to try to get around--traffic here is nightmarish.

On the other hand, I've taken the subway extensively during my stay (it's easy for anyone with any level of familiarity with mass transit; all signs and announcements include English) and the Westin Chosun is in a good location for subway access. It is closest to City Hall station but also an easy walk from the Euljiro 1-ga stop if you're headed in that direction. I did find that seemingly no matter where I was headed, I needed to transfer subway lines at least once, but the trains run often enough that it's not a big issue--mostly just a nuisance since the transfers, as in many big subway networks, can be quite a hike from platform to platform.

The hotel itself is pleasant--I was upgraded to a top-floor Executive Club room, with a big flat screen TV and a computer. The room feels cramped to me--certainly the smallest room I've stayed in at a Westin--but at the same time has everything you might need. Cell phone rental is included, as mentioned. The usual directory of hotel services is not a book, but an electronic system through the TV--it's cute, but also kind of unnecessary (what if you're watching a TV show and just want to look up what time the fitness center closes?). You can order a wake-up call electronically through the TV, which is handy enough.

The Executive Club is fairly standard--hearty breakfast (full American style, with plenty of hot options), little cakes and cookies at mid-day tea, and the usual hot hors d'oeuvres plus cheese and fruits at the evening cocktail hour.

Didn't make extensive use of the concierge, but the hotel staff in general is helpful and friendly, and all speak English very well (not always a common trait in Seoul).

As far as recommendations go, I would say that the Westin Chosun is a solid option for any traveler. However, I would strongly recommend business travelers choose something near where they'll be working, even if it's outside of your usual loyalty program or standards, just because getting around town gets to be a hassle.

For leisure travelers, on the other hand, the Westin is probably one of the best-located hotels for heading to many parts of the city, again thanks to its subway proximity--I found that it was nice to be able to return easily to the hotel a couple of times a day and relax (not being used to the very poor air quality, I got tired out pretty quickly). I would have definitely been annoyed having to catch a shuttle or walk a lengthy distance to get to places like the W or the Hilton, when there are so many places that are much closer to transit options.

One last piece of advice: the KAL shuttle bus is without question the way to go for getting to the hotel, regardless of whether you're a business or leisure traveler. It's 13,000 won (roughly US$13), is every bit as convenient as a taxi--drops you off right at the hotel (someone above complained that it dropped you off at "the curb"--I think they are a little too spoiled, as it drops you off 10m from the front door of the hotel, at what does happen to be a separate designated bus area, but a porter meets the bus and brings your bags to the front desk for you). The bus itself is equipped with comfortable leather seats that look suspiciously as though they might have once been aboard a KAL plane. (You don't need to be flying Korean Air to use the service; I handed them my luggage with Asiana tags still intact and didn't get any dirty looks.)

There is now a train service to Incheon Aiport (open for something like 2 weeks now), but it's only slightly cheaper than the bus, and nowhere near as convenient--eventually the airport train will run closer to downtown, but for now you'd have to transfer from airport train to one subway line to a second in order to get to the Westin, and the Seoul Metro is not the kind of place you'd want to be dragging luggage around in.

RTWSTARALLIANCE

Several months back I earned two weekend nights in Asia with the Mastercard promotion. They are about to expire so I was pleased to hear the Westin Chosun was available. I also earned stay credits under the current promo so I have a total of three nights in a row booked. I am an express tourist and was in Seoul for three nights at the Grand Hyatt a couple years back. I am only interested in tourist things around the Westin. How many solid days would one need to visit around the Westin? How much is wired internet access if you need to pay? As a Platinum regardless of my room location would I have Club access? If I was to stay three nights would be be "wise" to spend one night at the W which seems to be described well herein? The night would be before I catch my flight out. Any comment on the OZ or UA Lounges at ICN? I will be on a F ticket. Should I use the ATM at ICN for cash? Location? Any other comments appreciated. Thanks as always. Regards

mario33

Not only is internet access free, they even provide a pc in the room (suite) for internet access !

CIT85

I was upgraded to a very nice suite in May as a Plat and access to the Executive Lounge, there are 2 of them since they're not very big. I expect that you will be upgraded as well. The best way to reach the hotel is by bus. You can check with the hotel representative at ICN and she'll report your information back to the hotel and someone will greet you as the bus pulls into the hotel driveway with room key and escort you to your room.

It's a long way from Westin Chosun to the W, so I'm not sure it's worth the time it takes to change hotel, unless you really like W and want to try it out. The Westin Chosun is in the heart of the city and traffic in and out is very bad. The area around the W is quiet and rather far from most other sites in Seoul.

clublounger

There are two lounges. It used to be that one was for smoking(upper floor) and the other was non-smoking. Are Westin properties in Asia also completely smoke free now? That would be cool, if not a bit surprising.

Last December I arrived for a very early check in. I was not able to get an Executive room at that time (meaning no PC in the room). Still, I was given access to the lounge, and the fee for internet access (using my laptop) was waived. YOu may have to ask, though it seems standard.

THe Westin Chosun is my favorite hotel anywhere.

Aloha