Wooe

Hi,

We will be transiting in ICN for 2 days next month in February. We are travelling with a 4 yr old and a 6 month old infant.

We will be staying at the Courtyard Marriott Seoul Times Square. We chose this hotel because we need not to venture out into the cold for food and entertainment, and it seems closer to the airport, as compared to other downtown hotels.

We would like some tips as to the best way to travel from the airport to the hotel. Some suggested airport bus 6008 as it stops near the mall/hotel.

However, we aren;t sure if the last bus stop or the second last stop is closer to the hotel. As well, we would like to find out as much information as to how to get into the hotel from the bus stop. Is the bus stop directly in front of the mall and approximately how far of a distance it is?

Once inside the mall, are there elevators that will take us to the reception on the 5th floor?

Thanks for your help and we appreciate as much details as possible.


Wooe, Mrs

darthbimmer

Please see the existing thread on the Courtyard Marriott Seoul for information about the hotel. Moderators: Please consider merging this into the primary thread.

The closest stop on the 6008 bus route is around the corner from the hotel, near Shinsegae Department Store. When you exit the bus there, turn around (facing away from Yeongdeunpo station), walk 1/2 block back, turn left, walk 1/2 block to the main entrance for the Courtyard. Inside the doors are elevators that take you to the 5th floor hotel lobby, where you will find the registration desk. Total walking distance is maybe 200m.

Note that unlike most buses, the 6008 bus follows a route shaped like a lollipop. It travels out from the airport, making stops along the way. Then it loops around a few stops near Yeongdeungpo. Then it returns to the airport, revisiting most of the original stops along the way, including Gimpo Airport. The ride from ICN to Shinsegae takes about 75 minutes. But the ride back to ICN takes almost 90 minutes because of the loop.

If you are concerned about time and have several people in your group, you might find it more cost effective to hire a taxi. Normal taxi fare including tolls should be about 50,000 Won.

Wooe

Thanks Darthbimmer for your help.

Would you know if taxis can stop right in front of the hotel/mall entrance? With our final destination being Singapore, we may not have enough room to pack as many winter clothing as we wish so we are trying to minimize the time of exposure in the freezing cold, expecially to the kids.

Thanks again,


Wooe, Mrs

darthbimmer

The hotel has its own entrance. Look for the "Courtyard Marriott" sign overhead. A driveway leads to the door.

Xeno

Can you prepay on your credit card through the hotel or must use local currency with the driver or can the driver take a credit card?

I think Google told me that is less than 3 miles from Yoido Full Gospel Church. Anyone know about this? I suppose taxi drivers can find the hotel now especially from the church. I will be outside the city for a week and brought to Yoido by friends for 24 hours.

I stayed in the IST CY last June when it was new and hope this location is as pleasant an experience.

ntamayo

The International Taxis do take MC/Visa. Taxi drivers may still not be up on the CY's location (i.e. not updated on their GPS), so the best advice I received from the lounge staff is to tell them to go to Yeongdeungpo Fire Station, and the hotel is right across the street.

tcook052

Any recent updates from more guests of this CY? I've got 4 nights booked in late Sept. and appreciate the input offered so far as its been very informative but wondered whether there was any more insights into the hotel, location, etc. Thanks!

darthbimmer

Recent update: I have made at least 4 visits to this hotel since it opened and I'm still enjoying it. Rates have crept up slightly but are still a bargain compared to other western brands such as JW Marriott, Renaissance, Millennium Hilton, etc. Think it's crazy to compare a CY to those brands? In the USA, yes. At this property, no.

Getting to the hotel is slightly more difficult than it ought to be. Taxi drivers' GPS has been updated, so if you can get them to sound out the words "Courtyard Hotel" and enter it in to their computers, they'll find it. But most will not do that. Slowly saying "Times Square" may help. If you say the word "Marriott" at all you will likely be taken to the Executive Suites in Yeouido.

Airport bus service via line 6008 works well, albeit slowly. It's inexpensive at 8,000 Won. Taxi will cost 50,000 ~ 80,000.

TonyBurr

Has anyone stayed here? I understand it is a bit out of the city. Also, the air conditioning does not work well. Any experience?

Thanks

tcook052

FT Search is your friend, Tony:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marri...l+times+square

I've got a 4-night stay here in Sept. and am looking forward to the trip.

kcblakely

I've been there. Nice place, not bad. If you're travelling on biz tho, you absolutely can't beat the JW in downtown Seoul...

TonyBurr

I am just stopping over for a day or two. Is it far from the city, difficult to get to? Airport bus?

Thanks

tcook052

The answers are all in the linked thread, Tony.

tcook052

I'll bump this thread to share some of my experiences as I recenty returned and really enjoyed this CY.

Love the large shower stall & rainfall shower head. ^ The neighborhood isn't so special but the metro is a fairly short walk. I caught the right airport bus 6008 and got off at Shinsegae Department store and it's best to use that landmark as it's right where the bus stops and the walk to the hotel is maybe half a block. It's not all that easily to find but patience will find the way even if you have to walk around the whole Times Square Shopping Center, which I almost did in my quest to find the hotel.

Staff was all polite, friendly & efficient and spoke very good English. That said I'd stick to straightforward English phrases without jargon, slang or abbreviations which I accidentally slipped in while providing my room number when signing out a PC to surf the net in the business center. I gave my room number as "twelve oh one" rather than "one two zero one" and I saw the attendant write down 1210, not the correct 1201. I wondered whether something similiar happened as while reviewing my room bill at check out as there were two breakfasts, one for that very morning, at the Momo restaurant for a total about $60 that I definately didn't consume and the clerk walked over and I guess checked the hardcopy bill and noted the room number error and without further fuss removed the erroneous charges from my room bill. Overall liked the staff who were friendly & helpful if not wildly warm and chatty.

Speaking of the internet costs to use a computer in the business center it had to be one of the biggest but pleasant surprises of the stay as it was KRW 1430 for 10 minutes or around USD$1.25. That was much lower than everywhere else I experienced at Marriott brands in ICN & HKG while on this trip.

Overall I'd give it a 8 out of 10 and can only wish that all CY's were like this.

brianl19

I just finished a stay here and I highly recommend the place and echo the other positive comments. The only new comments I would add is a about the laundry service. It's not available on Sunday which I didn't really prepare. Also it's not returned until late in the evening, around 8:00 PM. It was also very pricey. Second, their fitness facility is one of the best I have seen in any Marriott, Renaissance and certainly any Courtyard. All their equipment is Precor. For cardio the have several treadmills, ellipticals and bikes. For free weights, the dumbbells go up to 50 pounds, several medicine balls, swiss balls a cable station w/chin up bar and leg press/ extension/bench/lat pull down station.