4 Seasons Resort Seoul evaluate

What’s the 4 Seasons Resort Seoul

4 Seasons Resort Seoul is an enormous lodge spanning 29 flooring within the Gwanghwamun neighborhood. The lodge has 285 rooms and 32 suites, a number of bars and eating places, an govt membership, an on-site floral designer, a spa, a Korean sauna, a golf simulator and an indoor pool. It doubles as a membership membership, too, so locals can entry the world-class health club and sauna, and it is widespread inside the area people for its many eating places and a powerful buffet.

The general design of 4 Seasons Resort Seoul displays a high-end, trendy tackle the normal Korean aesthetic, and is a superb luxurious possibility whether or not you are within the Central Enterprise District for enterprise or in case you’re a vacationer on the town to absorb the sights.

Easy methods to guide the 4 Seasons Resort Seoul

Sadly, 4 Seasons nonetheless does not have its personal loyalty program (although we’re all the time hoping for one). Money charges at this property may be discovered as little as the mid-$400 vary, although charges sometimes hover round $600 and above.

Rooms at The 4 Seasons Resort Seoul

For my two-night keep, I used to be booked in a Nook Premier room measuring in at simply over 600 sq. toes. The nook room, replete with tall home windows looking over the town, felt snug from the minute I walked in, virtually like an house. The area was crammed with lovely woods contrasting in opposition to white linens, a patterned blue carpet and good, trendy accents.

On the far aspect of the room, there was useful writing desk with an workplace chair, in addition to a lounge chair with a desk, splendid for studying.

Reverse the mattress space, a small sofa sat throughout from the big TV on a swivel mount so I might watch TV from the dwelling space or the plush mattress.

Getting into the toilet, a small wash closet containing the bathroom and a sink was on one aspect. On the other aspect was the principle toilet space with a deep soaking tub providing views of Seoul, a twin vainness, a small TV hidden within the mirror and 4 Seasons signature ultra-plush towels. The lodge makes use of lush Diptyque facilities — the cherry on high of a wonderful toilet.

The room additionally had loads of closet area, a minibar with all of the anticipated soda, juices and alcoholic drinks, a espresso maker, an electrical kettle for tea and a secure.

And as somebody who loves massive cities and tall buildings, it was unimaginable to have these views from my very personal room.

What I ate on the 4 Seasons Resort Seoul

If you end up on the 4 Seasons Resort Seoul, make sure that to deliver your urge for food as there are extra bars and eating places tucked round this constructing than one would possibly notice. The eating places embrace an enormous worldwide buffet; Italian, Japanese and Cantonese eating places; a speakeasy; a lounge; and a Korean snack and cocktail bar.

This is a rundown of what I ate throughout my keep.

Oul

Touted as an “homage to the ever-changing identification of after-hours Seoul,” Oul is a cocktail bar with elevated Korean bar meals — and it is a actually enjoyable scene. Although you’ll be able to come right here for particular person cocktails and snacks, I loved the Oul set menu (round $107). This scrumptious expertise included three cocktails, just like the Seoul Mule made with garlic butter vodka, and dishes like mouthwatering Korean fried hen, lobster tteokboki and delicate beef tartare wrapped up in quinoa popcorn.

On the time, Oul additionally had a particular aspect menu that includes Jongga kimchi. As somebody who’s kimchi-obsessed, I used to be in love with the kimchi mule topped with a large piece of dried Jongga cabbage kimchi ($22).

Yu Yuan

With one Michelin star, Yu Yuan is a Cantonese restaurant serving the whole lot from lunchtime dim sum to Beijing duck. Since I visited Yu Yuan over the weekend, I opted for the Brunch within the Rock Backyard set menu ($124), and had an exquisite time having fun with classics like pork and shrimp siu mai dumplings and roasted pork stomach, in addition to new flavors that I had by no means skilled, like abalone. For the worth, this Michelin-star expertise felt like a steal.

Charles H.

For an unique cocktail bar with a aspect of fried hen, the basement-level speakeasy Charles H. is a must-visit, with a bar area that is as glamorous because the menu is scrumptious. Sitting on the bar and chatting with pleasant, skilled mixologists, I began with a particular provide from 6 to eight p.m. of 1 signature cocktail and one meals merchandise ($37), choosing the Manhattan flight, with numerous takes from world wide on this basic cocktail. However, after all, I wasn’t fairly able to go — so I additionally loved the the Cannes-inspired Riviera Martini ($24).

This area crammed up throughout my Sunday evening go to, so I would extremely advocate making a reservation prematurely.

Maru

Situated simply off the foyer, Maru is an off-the-cuff lounge providing Western and Korean breakfast, lunch, dinner and drinks. I ended in for a fast breakfast and loved a hearty soup with rice and banchan (which consists of scrumptious Korean aspect dishes, like kimchi). It is a snug spot to cease for a espresso or tea whereas studying the paper, or to sit down with a relaxing glass of wine after a protracted afternoon of exploring the town.

The Market Kitchen

For breakfast, do not miss a visit to the huge worldwide buffet at The Market Kitchen. There you’ll be able to seize the whole lot from Asian-style noodle dishes and soups with an array of toppings to dim sum, pastries, made-to-order choices, Western favorites and the whole lot in between. The buffet can also be open for weekday lunch and dinner, a well-liked seafood evening on Fridays, and brunch all through the weekend and on holidays. Costs begin round $57 for adults for breakfast, $124 for lunch and $136 for dinner.

Facilities and issues to do

I felt like I might write a novel about all of the issues to do at 4 Seasons Resort Seoul, as a result of the choices actually did really feel countless on this towering lodge. Listed below are the highlights:

• 4 Seasons Membership Seoul: This multilevel membership encompasses the lodge’s health club and a Korean-style sauna, each of that are open to non-guest members of The Membership in addition to lodge company. The health club is intensive, rivaling any Equinox I’ve ever stepped foot in. The Korean sauna contains swimming pools at totally different temperatures, a steam room and a specialty bathe with jets (simply word that it is customized in South Korea to enter the waters absolutely nude). For me, beginning my day on the health club after which heading to the sauna was each stress-free and energizing. If I lived close by, I’d 100% be a part of The Membership.
• The lodge has three swimming pools, together with a devoted plunge pool for teenagers.
• Seoul Spa provides massages, signature therapies, full physique therapies, {couples} experiences, nail companies and extra. I bought a standard Okay-style shade evaluation, a well-liked expertise in Korea, that helped me study what colours look finest on me. It was a blast and I extremely advocate.
• A basic barbershop provides haircuts, moist shaves, and shoeshines — and a glass of whiskey whilst you wait.
• Superstar florist Nicolai Bergmann has a floral boutique on the bottom degree of the lodge.
• Mother and father can signal youngsters up for paid actions on the Children for All Seasons Lounge, together with cooking classes taught in English.
• Visitors can take pleasure in greater than 7,000 newspapers and magazines by means of the lodge’s press reader service.
• 4 Seasons Seoul is pet-friendly, and the $184 pet charge contains facilities like a mattress and meals and water bowls.
• A home automobile is offered for worldwide company on a first-come, first-served foundation between 10 a.m and 6:30 p.m. as much as 1.24 miles.
• Visitors can use Google Chromecast to stream to the TV.

Insider ideas for staying on the 4 Seasons HOtel Seoul

Accessibility

Whereas there is not an abundance of accessibility data on the lodge’s web site, we did study that 4 Seasons Resort Seoul has numerous accessible lodge rooms obtainable, together with a number of Accessible Deluxe rooms — that are a few of the largest within the metropolis.

To guide these rooms, and to study extra concerning the lodge’s accessibility choices, the lodge requests inquiring vacationers name +81 (2) 6388-5000.

Backside line

I totally loved my time on the 4 Seasons Resort Seoul. The property is gorgeous, and in case you spend sufficient time exploring, you may discover some fantastic surprises round every nook, just like the Charles H. speakeasy and Nicolai Bergmann’s grand floral preparations. Taking time to lean into Korean sauna tradition helped me really feel very relaxed, and I discovered myself wishing I might expertise this at residence.

And whereas it is a massive lodge, the private service made my keep right here really feel intimate and bespoke. Regardless of a continuing stream of individuals coming and going by means of the foyer, the employees appeared to all the time acknowledge me and say hello.

The actual spotlight of my keep, although, was all of the unimaginable meals I loved. Throughout the lodge partitions, one can take a culinary tour of the world, from Italy to Japan — and even with a cease at a Michelin-starred Cantonese spot. The most effective half? When you’re too full to perform you’ll be able to hop on the elevator and head proper to mattress.

Associated studying: