Sheraton Seoul Palace Gangnam [Master Thread]
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: CEB - primary/YVR -secondary
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Sheraton Seoul Palace Gangnam [Master Thread]
Currently staying at this property, used to be the Palace Hotel Gangnam. Just rebranded to a Sheraton yesterday.
Check-in was smooth and efficient but no upgrade benefits whatsoever. Would have appreciated even a corner room or a room on the club floor but got exactly what i booked on a regular spg floor.
The room itself is just ok. Nothing too fancy and definitely on the smaller size compared to Westin Chosun or Sheraton D Cube or Sheraton Incheon. And even though this place had been refurbished to comply with the Sheraton Brand, it doesnt look new. Doesnt look like the ones on the website photos. There is also no place to put my luggage but on the ottoman or on top of the TV desk. Windows are quite dirty as well.
As for the club lounge, It is located on the 12th floor. Not as big as the other seoul lounges but had quite a number of food offerings during happy hour. Looks like a Chinese Buffet style layout with all those heated metal trays side by side - Chinese inspired food of course like barbq pork, fried rice, spring rolls, etc.
Anyways to get here from ICN, take KAL bus 6073 for 16K KRW. Takes about 70-80 minutes. Hotel is first stop from airport so that means Its the first departure to the airport, stopping at several other hotels in Gangnam prior to leaving for ICN. So plan accordingly.
As for any Ambasador level Platinum treatment, i didnt feel any. Wasnt even greeted with a simple "hello" at the lounge considering there were 4 agents manning the desk. In fact my room had a "Welcome Mr. Kim" card on it. Dont know who Mr. Kim is.
Would i stay here again? Probably not until a few more years as a starwood property considering there are other Starwood options in Seoul. The treatment i get as an Ambassador level guest or even when I was Platinum50 at D'Cube or Chosun or Incheon where i recently stayed is like night and day..
Front desk at lobby and bellmen were really nice though.
Check-in was smooth and efficient but no upgrade benefits whatsoever. Would have appreciated even a corner room or a room on the club floor but got exactly what i booked on a regular spg floor.
The room itself is just ok. Nothing too fancy and definitely on the smaller size compared to Westin Chosun or Sheraton D Cube or Sheraton Incheon. And even though this place had been refurbished to comply with the Sheraton Brand, it doesnt look new. Doesnt look like the ones on the website photos. There is also no place to put my luggage but on the ottoman or on top of the TV desk. Windows are quite dirty as well.
As for the club lounge, It is located on the 12th floor. Not as big as the other seoul lounges but had quite a number of food offerings during happy hour. Looks like a Chinese Buffet style layout with all those heated metal trays side by side - Chinese inspired food of course like barbq pork, fried rice, spring rolls, etc.
Anyways to get here from ICN, take KAL bus 6073 for 16K KRW. Takes about 70-80 minutes. Hotel is first stop from airport so that means Its the first departure to the airport, stopping at several other hotels in Gangnam prior to leaving for ICN. So plan accordingly.
As for any Ambasador level Platinum treatment, i didnt feel any. Wasnt even greeted with a simple "hello" at the lounge considering there were 4 agents manning the desk. In fact my room had a "Welcome Mr. Kim" card on it. Dont know who Mr. Kim is.
Would i stay here again? Probably not until a few more years as a starwood property considering there are other Starwood options in Seoul. The treatment i get as an Ambassador level guest or even when I was Platinum50 at D'Cube or Chosun or Incheon where i recently stayed is like night and day..
Front desk at lobby and bellmen were really nice though.
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: CEB - primary/YVR -secondary
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#5
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: YYZ
Programs: ACMM SE100K; Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Platinum Elite
Posts: 957
Stayed here three nights last week. Exact same experience as OP. No room upgrade at all - I got what was booked and nothing more. Lounge is good for breakfast and decent evening snacks - wine & beer offerings were pretty bad though. Staff in lounge and in lobby were excellent.
#6
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--Did you ask for an upgrade at check in?
--Did you check for availability on the website around the time you checked in to get a general idea of the extent to which various room categories were still available? If the hotel was sold out for your dates, you wouldn't generally expect to get an upgrade.
--Did you check for availability on the website around the time you checked in to get a general idea of the extent to which various room categories were still available? If the hotel was sold out for your dates, you wouldn't generally expect to get an upgrade.
#7
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SYD / TYO
Programs: QF Gold, OZ Dia, HH Dia, SPG Plat25, MR Plat, Hertz PC, Sixt Plat
Posts: 204
I got upgraded to a Studio Suite from the standard room on a 2 night stay here. I emailed the hotel two days before checkin, having seen supatight80's review above.
Will post a review when I have time, but in sum, I think that the staff try hard to please guests (at least in this opening phase).
However, there are a few shortcomings in terms of the hard product here, which will make me hesitant to return. The club lounge is very nice though (but didnt go for evening service).
Will post a review when I have time, but in sum, I think that the staff try hard to please guests (at least in this opening phase).
However, there are a few shortcomings in terms of the hard product here, which will make me hesitant to return. The club lounge is very nice though (but didnt go for evening service).
#8
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: YYZ
Programs: ACMM SE100K; Marriott Bonvoy Lifetime Platinum Elite
Posts: 957
--Did you ask for an upgrade at check in?
--Did you check for availability on the website around the time you checked in to get a general idea of the extent to which various room categories were still available? If the hotel was sold out for your dates, you wouldn't generally expect to get an upgrade.
--Did you check for availability on the website around the time you checked in to get a general idea of the extent to which various room categories were still available? If the hotel was sold out for your dates, you wouldn't generally expect to get an upgrade.
#9
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Tokyo
Programs: SPG LT Plat ANA Plat
Posts: 596
I had a week there and was extremely un impressed, I had even reached out to the GM before hand after reading poor reviews.
Nowhere close to the D Cube, will be going back there from now on.
Nowhere close to the D Cube, will be going back there from now on.
#11
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Tokyo
Programs: SPG LT Plat ANA Plat
Posts: 596
#12
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: HKG • Ex SFO, NYC
Programs: UA 1K, AA EXP; Marriott Amb; Hyatt Globalist; Shangri-la Diamond; IHG SpireAmb; Hilton D; Accor G
Posts: 3,319
Also somehow ended up with a room with 2 bed (queen + single) which is a waste of space for me.
#13
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: USA
Programs: SPG Platinum (100)
Posts: 517
Were you able to explore the local area any further? My understanding is this hotel is not that far from the Express Bus Terminal where there should have been many dining and shopping options. Any further information you can share would be most appreciated.
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: CEB - primary/YVR -secondary
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Posts: 2,270
Anyways IMHO, id suggest you stay somewhere else. Not really a nice property compared to the other Starwoods there
#15
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: SYD / TYO
Programs: QF Gold, OZ Dia, HH Dia, SPG Plat25, MR Plat, Hertz PC, Sixt Plat
Posts: 204
It looks closeby on the map, but you have to walk about a fair while through the subway station, down escalators etc. Probably about 15 minutes from the hotel to the platform.