Four Seasons Hotel Seoul Review

Editor’s Note: Four seasons offer a free two-night stay for TPG so we can view the hotel and its amenities on site. The opinions expressed below are entirely the opinions of the author and are not subject to scrutiny by the hotel or any external entity.

Hotels in four seasons are usually great, but hotels throughout Asia tend to be the next level. From Hong Kong to Osaka, from Vietnam to Beijing, I have been incredibly with the brand. So on my recent trip to Seoul, I was very excited about the opportunity to leave behind in the towering properties of the Canadian luxury hotel company in the vibrant South Korean capital.

In the live Michelin-star Cantonese restaurant and a beautiful Korean-style sauna for guests to enjoy, overlooking Gyeongbokgung Palace, the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul won me. Here’s something I love – if you find yourself in the buzzing city of Seoul, why consider going to this hotel.

Related: According to travel experts who stayed with them, the world’s 16 best four seasons

What are the four seasons in Seoul

Four Seasons Hotel Seoul is a large hotel that spans the 29th floor of the Gwanghwamun community. The hotel features 285 rooms and 32 suites, multiple bars and restaurants, an executive club, live flower designer, spa, Korean sauna, golf simulator and indoor pool. It’s also twice as much as a member club so locals have access to world-class gyms and saunas, and in the local community, its many restaurants and impressive buffets are popular.

The overall design of the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul reflects the high-end modern style of traditional Korean aesthetics, a great luxury choice whether you are doing business in the CBD or you are a tourist in the town.

How to book Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul

Sadly, four seasons still don’t have their own loyalty program (although we’ve always hoped for one season). The property’s cash rate can be found in the interim range up to $400, although fees usually hover at $600 and above.

If you are editing through a program like American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts (available for those with PlatinumCard® with American Express), or editing via ChaseTravel℠, a booking platform for people like Chase SapphireReserve® (see Prices and Fees) (see Rates and Fees) – You can also earn such as potential room upgrades, property credits, property credits, free breakfast for two, guaranteed late checkout, and more.

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Related: The best way to travel to South Korea with points and miles

Rooms at Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul

For my two night stay I was booked in a corner Prime Room over 600 square feet away. The corner room was filled with tall windows overlooking the city and felt comfortable from the moment I walked in, almost like an apartment. The space is filled with beautiful woods, contrasting with white linen, patterned blue carpets and clever modern accents.

On the other side of the room, there is a convenient writing table with office chairs and a lounge chair with table, perfect for reading.

Opposite the bed area, a small sofa sits on a large TV on the swivel rack, so I can watch TV from the living area or from the plush bed.

Enter the bathroom, a small laundry with toilet and sink on one side. On the other side is the main bathroom area with a deep soaking bathtub above which offers views of Seoul, a double wash basin, a small TV hidden in the mirror and four seasons of the iconic ultra-floating towels. The property uses lush Outic facilities – beautiful bathroom with cherries on top.

The room also has plenty of closet space, a minibar with all the expected soda, juice and alcoholic beverages, a coffee machine, an electric kettle for tea and a safe.

As someone who loves big cities and tall buildings, it’s incredible to have these views from my own room.

What did I eat at Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul

If you find yourself at Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, make sure to bring your appetite as there are more bars and restaurants hidden around the building and you can realize it. These restaurants include a large number of international buffets; Italian, Japanese and Cantonese restaurants; a talking lounge; and Korean snacks and cocktail bars.

Here is a summary of what I ate during my stay.

Ur

Oul is a “homage to Seoul’s ever-changing identity later”, a cocktail bar with overhead Korean bar food – a very interesting scene. Even though you can come here for a separate cocktail and snack, I love the Oul Set menu (about $107). This delicious experience includes three cocktails such as Seoul M-sauce made with garlic butter vodka, as well as exquisite beef tartare wrapped in quinoa popcorn.

At the time, Oul also provided a special menu from Jongga Kimchi. As an obsessed person, I fell in love with kimchi mcchini with a huge piece of dried jongga cabbage kimchi ($22).

Yu Yuan

With a Michelin star, Yu Yuan is a Cantonese restaurant that offers everything from lunchtime snacks to Beijing ducks. Since my visit to Yuan on the weekend, I have chosen brunch ($124) from the Rock Garden menu and have had a great time enjoying pork and shrimp Siu Mai Mai dumplings and roast pork belly, as well as new flavors I’ve never experienced, like Abalone. As far as the price goes, this Michelin-star experience feels like a steal.

Charles H.

For a cocktail bar with fried chicken, the basement level Charles H. is a must see, and the bar space is just as charming as the menu is delicious. I sat in the bar and chatted with friendly expert bartenders, I started with a signature cocktail and a food item ($37) from 6pm to 8pm and chose the Manhattan flight, and the world has made a variety of benefits at this classic cocktail party. But, of course, I’m not ready to go – so I also like the Cannes-style Riviera Martini ($24).

During my Sunday night visit, this space was filled up, so I highly recommend booking in advance.

Malu

Located near the hall, Maru is a casual lounge that offers Western and Korean breakfasts, lunch, dinner and drinks. I stopped for breakfast and enjoyed the hearty soup of rice and Bankan (including delicious Korean side dishes such as kimchi). It’s a cozy place to stop for coffee or tea while reading paper, or sit in the icy wine after a long afternoon exploring the city.

Market Kitchen

Don’t miss the large international buffet trip from the Market Kitchen for breakfast. Here you can capture everything from Asian style noodles and soups and soups to dim sum, snacks, pastries, ordering options, western favorites and everything in between. The buffet is also open for lunch and dinner on weekdays, popular seafood nights on Fridays, and brunch throughout the weekend and holidays. Prices start around $57 for breakfast, $124 for lunch and $136 for dinner.

Facilities and things to do

I felt like I could write a novel about everything I had to do in the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, because in this towering hotel, the options are really endless. Here are the highlights:

• Four Seasons Club Seoul: This multi-level club covers the hotel’s gym and Korean-style sauna, both of which are open to non-best members of the club as well as hotel guests. The gym is widespread, comparable to any spring equinox I have ever stepped on. The Korean sauna includes a swimming pool at different temperatures, a steam room and a special shower with a spray head (note that Korean customs allow for completely naked access to the water). For me, starting the day at the gym and heading to the sauna is both relaxing and energetic. If I live nearby, I will be 100% joining the club.
• The hotel has three pools, including a dedicated plunge pool.
• Seoul Spa offers massages, signature therapy, systemic therapy, couple experience, nail services and more. I got the traditional K-shaped color analysis, a popular experience in Korea, and it helped me understand which color is the best for me. This is an explosion, and I highly recommend it.
• The classic barber shop offers hairstyles, wet shavings and footwear, as well as a glass of whiskey.
• Celebrity florist Nicolai Bergmann has a floral boutique on the grounds of the hotel.
• Parents can sign children in all seasons of lounges for paid activities, including cooking classes taught in English.
• Guests can enjoy over 7,000 newspapers and magazines through the hotel’s news reader service.
• Seoul’s four seasons are pet friendly, with a $184 pet fee including amenities such as beds and food and water bowls.
• Family cars can be provided to international guests on a first come first served basis, up to 1.24 miles.
• Guests can use Google Chromecast to stream it to their TV.

Insider stays at Four Seasons Hotel Seoul Hotel

• The hotel offers couples a special, bookable experience that includes a romantic city tour, a couple’s spa treatment, and a restaurant dinner in one of the hotel’s numerous restaurants.
• The hotel concierge service can arrange a variety of excursions, from hiking tours at one of the nearby palaces to one day tours to DMZ (the border with North Korea), and even the bustling coastal city of Busan.
• From my experience in Seoul, it is much faster to take the subway instead of driving. Trust me, Google and Apple Maps didn’t help in Korea. For accurate travel information, download Kakaomap.

Accessibility

Although there is no large amount of accessibility information on the hotel website, we do learn that the Seoul hotel has many hotel rooms available for access in the four seasons, including several luxury rooms available for access – the largest in the city.

To book these rooms and learn more about hotel accessibility options, the hotel requests a traveler to call +81 (2) 6388-5000.

Bottom line

I really enjoyed my time at Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul. The property is beautiful and if you spend enough time exploring you will find some surprising surprises in every corner, such as the grand floral arrangements of Charles H. Speakeasy and Nicolai Bergmann. Taking a moment to tilt the Korean sauna culture made me feel so relaxed and I found myself wishing I could experience it at home.

Although this is a large hotel, the personal service made my stay feel intimate and customized. Even though there were a lot of people coming to the hall, the staff always seemed to recognize me and say hello.

However, the real highlight of my stay was all the incredible food I loved. Within the hotel’s walls, one can take a world cooking tour from Italy to Japan, or even stop at Michelin-star Cantonese attractions. The best part? Once you are too full to run, you can jump to the elevator and go straight to bed.

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