The primary time I went to Seoul, South Korea, again in 2015, I used to be overwhelmed by the sheer measurement of the town. Enticed by each neighborhood, I could not determine the place to discover, the place to eat and the place to remain. Again then, actuality helped with the final query; I used to be points-poor and on a backpacker’s price range, so a hostel with a mattress I may afford was the hostel the place I stayed.
A decade later, I returned to the Korean capital metropolis. However this time, I had a plan. Now, as a seasoned journey journalist specializing in inns, I made a decision to work my means round Seoul to expertise it from completely different views: city and artsy on the uber-cool Ryse, Autograph Assortment; refined and stylish on the towering 4 Seasons Lodge Seoul; and timeless and touristy on the hilltop Grand Hyatt Seoul, which overlooks the bustling metropolis.
City and artsy: Ryse, Autograph Assortment
If you wish to keep in part of Seoul that is vibrant, richly creative and positioned close to among the metropolis’s finest buying (assume: Korean streetwear, classic outlets, native fashions and artwork), look no additional than Ryse, a part of Marriott’s Autograph Assortment and bookable with Marriott Bonvoy factors. The resort is modern past measure, from a minimalist entryway with a Blue Bottle Espresso store to a foyer with resort merch worthy of a designer division retailer.
Impressed by a close-by artwork college, the complete resort is stuffed with issues to admire — and the rooms aren’t any exception. That includes names impressed by completely different roles in artwork, TV or movie manufacturing (like “Creators Room” and “Editors Suite”), friends ought to count on a laid-back sense of cool, with facilities like smooth bluetooth audio system, numerous pictures and prints adorning the partitions, blended tones (like concrete contrasting towards vibrant pops of colour) and an general really feel that jogged my memory of that one pal’s condo you all the time want you lived in.
To get a really feel for the guy friends and area people, head as much as the fifteenth flooring to go to the Facet Be aware Membership, a bar the place I attempted a cocktail crafted from chilly brew, bourbon, cognac and … cottage cheese — and I loved it!
Outdoors the resort, you will discover ample bars and eating places, Korean magnificence clinics, an outpost of the favored Olive Younger cosmetics retailer the place you may decide up all the favored Okay-beauty merchandise, and Hongdae Procuring Avenue, the place you may (and can) simply spend a complete day buying.
Methods to guide
Ryse, Autograph Assortment begins round $216 or 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors per evening.
Subtle keep close to the palace: 4 Seasons Lodge Seoul
My keep on the 4 Seasons Lodge Seoul was unforgettable and an excellent mixture of luxurious and luxury, with a facet of 4 Seasons’ signature peerless service, nice meals and a world-class Korean sauna.
Whereas the resort is nice for each enterprise and vacationer vacationers, I would say anybody seeking to hit the most important points of interest, like Gyeongbokgung Palace and Bukchon Hanok Village, will admire this resort’s proximity (particularly as a result of automotive visitors in Seoul will be overwhelming throughout peak hours).
Each day Publication
Reward your inbox with the TPG Each day publication
Be a part of over 700,000 readers for breaking information, in-depth guides and unique offers from TPG’s consultants
However truthfully, you could possibly spend an entire weekend on this resort and by no means need to depart. For starters, the eating alone places different inns to disgrace. There is a moody underground speakeasy serving top-tier cocktails; the Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant Yu Yuan, the place the brunch tasting menu left me comfortable to easily have to take an elevator to my mattress for a nap; and Oul, a bar and restaurant serving elevated Korean bar meals, together with mouthwatering Korean fried hen and a kimchi-infused cocktail I could not get sufficient of. And people are just some examples.
Rooms are elegant and comfy, with floor-to-ceiling home windows exhibiting off the town, soaking tubs and plush beds that had been arduous to get out of. However after I wasn’t in my room, I used to be on the Korean-style sauna, the place I soaked in swimming pools at numerous temperatures and simply relaxed. And for what it is price, there’s an official artwork to Korean saunas, and that features bathing and getting into the general public area totally nude, a cultural expertise that I am glad I embraced as a result of the each day ritual gave me the power I wanted to hit Seoul, able to see the sights and eat among the finest meals on the planet.
Learn the complete 4 Seasons Lodge Seoul overview right here.
Methods to guide
Charges on the 4 Seasons Lodge Seoul begin within the mid-$400 vary, although charges usually hover round $600 and above.
Should you guide by applications like American Categorical Tremendous Accommodations + Resorts (out there to these holding The Platinum Card® from American Categorical) or through The Edit by Chase Journey℠ (a reserving platform for these with playing cards just like the Chase Sapphire Reserve®; see charges and costs), you too can earn perks like potential room upgrades, property credit, free breakfast for 2 and assured late checkout.
Timeless tourism close to the tower: Grand Hyatt Seoul
Perched on a steep hill close to the favored neighborhoods of Myeongdong and Itaewon and the touristy N Seoul Tower, the Grand Hyatt Seoul is about as iconic as they arrive. From the second you drive up the tree-lined entrance (take a look at the way in which the bushes all mild up at dusk), you will really feel such as you’ve landed someplace particular. And from the large home windows within the foyer, you get your first style of how the resort, perched excessive on the hill, provides views of Seoul like nowhere else.
I significantly beloved my visitor room (an entry-level king) with its calming and complex oak furnishings and the peaceable view of mountains, together with N Seoul Tower within the distance. The resort is giant, and like many Grand Hyatt properties, it provides a lot of occasion area, so do not be shocked if it is full and busy. However regardless of this, I discovered my room to be a respite from each the hustle and bustle of Seoul and the resort’s buzzing public areas. Different nice facilities included the clublike fitness center (which simply rivaled any Equinox I’ve visited), a winter ice skating rink, an out of doors swimming pool and a Korean sauna.
Eating on the Grand Hyatt Seoul can be an journey in its personal proper, beginning with an enormous breakfast buffet within the morning and persevering with on all through the day with a phenomenal foyer bar and lounge with afternoon tea and night drink service, a sushi counter, a steakhouse, a Japanese skewer grill and Paris Bar, the place I sat and listened to jazz one night.
One factor to know in regards to the Grand Hyatt Seoul, nonetheless, is that should you’re eager on taking public transportation, the hilltop location could make attending to the subway just a little difficult bodily. That stated, cabs in Seoul are very inexpensive, and you may get one in seconds with assist from the pleasant employees ready to help proper outdoors the foyer.
Methods to guide
Money charges on the Grand Hyatt Seoul begin round $230 per evening. As a Class 5 World of Hyatt resort, this property provides award nights beginning at 17,000 factors per evening.
Associated studying: