Posted by The rising international popularity of Korean films, dramas and music has truly cemented Korea’s position on the map as one of the top destinations to visit in the world. While geographically close to other high ranking Asian travel destinations like Japan and China, make no mistake — Korea is a completely different travel experience all together and one we thoroughly recommend checking out.
Interested in visiting Korea’s capital city, Seoul, and wondering what the best luxury hotel to explore from is? Read on to find out our thoughts on one of Korea’s most highly rated hotels: Four Seasons Hotel Seoul.
Ratings rundown
| Accessibility | 9/10 |
| Ambiance | 8/10 |
| Accommodation | 8.5/10 |
| Pool(s) | 7.5/10 |
| Food and Drink | 9/10 |
| Facilities | 8/10 |
| Service | 8/10 |
| Overall % | 83% |
Accessibility
If you are staying in Seoul, you will need to make a decision as to whether you will base yourself North of the Han River or South (or indeed swap hotels part way through your trip). While the South has a reputation for being the more trendier, modern and high-tech area, the North is where you will find major cultural and historical sites (e.g. Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village) and is also where the Four Seasons is conveniently situated.
The trip from Incheon International Airport to the Four Seasons is around a 1-hour drive depending on traffic, but there is also a subway station 2 minutes from the hotel by foot (Gwanghwamun station) which is handy. We do recommend travelling light if you are planning on taking the subway though as elevators can be a little troublesome to find.
Accessibility rating: 9/10
Ambiance
As expected of any Four Seasons hotel, the hotel in Seoul is elegant, classy and chic. While located in the heart of the city, the interior is airy, spacious and well-maintained, providing a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle that awaits outside.
It is worth noting, however, that as this is a Four Seasons city hotel, it does lack the grandeur and sheen that comes with Four Seasons properties that are located in beach or resort locations (e.g. Hoi An or Langkawi) — so do set your expectations to the appropriate level before arriving.
Ambiance rating: 8/10
Accommodation
The Four Seasons Seoul has a range of different accommodation available ranging from a classic King room all the way to a Presidential three-bedroom suite. As we were planning to do a fair bit of sightseeing and be out for most of the day, we stayed in a Deluxe Room — we recommend selecting a suite if you are planning on spending the majority of your time in the hotel.
Accommodation highlights
- Modern: we were impressed with how modern the room was — there was an in-room tablet to order amenities/communicate with staff from, an in-mirror TV in the bathroom, bidet and many other automated features
- Housekeeping: the housekeeping was also excellent here, with a daily clean and also turn down service, where ice was kept replenished, personal items were carefully arranged or folded etc.
- Amenities: the room also had a great selection of amenities not just in the bathroom with Diptyque toiletries and bath salts, but also with various pillow and mattress choices etc.
Accommodation lowlights
While the room was super functional and practical with a stunning bathroom, the bedroom design, though classy and elegant, did feel slightly uninspired and lacked any stand-out or memorable features.
Accommodation rating: 8.5/10
Pool(s)
The hotel has an indoor area with three pools: a lap pool, kids pool and a vitality pool with jets for massaging. We visited the pools at around 6pm in the evening and while the area is nice, do be aware that it is a place where lots of families visit — so it’s perfect if you have young children of your own but if you want a more tranquil experience we recommend visiting the spa instead.
The pools are also quite small so we spent the majority of our time in the sauna by the pool which was lovely. The changing rooms are also luxurious with quality showers, lockers and amenities.
Pool rating: 7.5/10
Food and Drink
The hotel has a few different dining choices to pick from including an Italian restaurant, Japanese-fusion spot and Cantonese place. We only ate breakfast in the hotel’s Market Kitchen so what follows is an overview of our breakfast experience.
Breakfast
The Market Kitchen is an international buffet set in beautiful surroundings steeped in history, with the restaurant itself situated above an excavation site dating back to the Joseon period (there are glass floors to view the relics and artifacts).
The breakfast buffet selection was impressive not just in terms of variety but also quality. There are dedicated sections to pastries (with made-to-order french toast), cold-cuts, korean cuisine (including a vast kimchi area), Asian cuisine (with fantastic dim sum) and also a western selection complete with egg chef. The juices are also top notch with freshly squeezed orange, grapefruit and apple.
The breakfast selection also rotates every 3 days with different variations of dishes which kept our 4-night stay interesting. The breakfast here was phenomenal and we look forward to returning again to eat in this restaurant. The only thing this breakfast was missing was the ability to easily order eggs, french toast etc. straight from your table (which other Four Seasons hotels offer).
Food and drink rating: 9/10
Facilities
In addition to the pools, the hotel also has a fitness center, spa (which also provides nail and hair services) and Club lounges. There are also meeting rooms and event spaces which are popular for wedding ceremonies. All in all, there are some facilities to keep you entertained but we do recommend venturing out to explore the city to make the most of your time in Seoul.
Facilities rating: 8/10
Service
The staff were very friendly at this hotel, with the majority speaking fluent English as you would expect from the four Seasons. As mentioned previously, the housekeeping services were also excellent. However, unlike other luxury hotels or Four Seasons resorts, there was limited personalized interaction here.
Service rating: 8/10
Summary
Overall, if you are headed to Seoul and looking for a luxury base to explore from, the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul will fit the bill — a beautiful modern room, amazing breakfast buffet and convenient location will set you up for an exciting day of exploration ahead. While this hotel is not as spectacular as other Four Seasons around the world, we would love to stay here again.
Luxury Jetsetter 
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