Four Seasons Hotel Seoul

This was our second stay at the Four Seasons Seoul. In fact, we stayed in the same Palace View Executive Suite as the last time. We reserved an airport pickup which was done very smoothly. We were met at the entrance of the hotel by two staff who ushered us directly to our suite. They remembered that we stayed at this property before which was a nice touch. The check in process in our suite was convenient but I felt it was somewhat forced and cold. A subtle feeling...but it definitely did not give us that relaxed warm feeling. The view from the corner room is exceptional and the reason for us to keep coming here. We could see the Presidential Blue House, Gyeongbok Palace, and the Gwanghwamun area from the suite. The location is the best in Seoul with walking access to all the interesting locations. Right outside the hotel, there are plenty of restaurants where everyday locals eat. The club lounge was nice with great food/drinks.

Like all Four Seasons worldwide, this hotel is excellent in all aspects. No disappointments anywhere. The location of the hotel is excellent and is within walking distance to most of the city’s major attractions. For a tourist, that is the most important convenience.

Flawless in absolutely every sense. The hotel itself is a gorgeous design, impeccably clean, and very comfortable. The gym is the largest/best in a hotel l've ever seen, the pool is perfectly maintained, and sauna was just excellent. The room design is beautiful and I think perhaps the most comfortable hotel bed I've ever slept in. The blackout curtains do their job perfectly (had absolutely no idea what time of day it was when I awoke). For dining, the breakfast was among the most impressive of any hotel I've seen. Not only the sheer variety, but quality of every item was amazing. Maru, the cafe, has a wonderful wine list and the burger was delicious. Even it every single one of the remarks above wasn't true, it would still be a 11/10 stay due to the service. I feel confident that any single member of the staff could successfully run their own hotel based on the level of excellence I experienced. The coordination among staff to have bags seamlessly taken from room to storage to taxi saved valuable time, effort, and energy during a short trip. No request is met with "I'm not sure" or "this is the wrong department", but "yes of course" to the point that it feels the entire staff is working the same job: to ensure the guest has a perfect stay. They succeeded.

There may be other hotels with equally top-notch rooms, but where the Four Seasons really excels is the level of service provided to each esteemed guest. We stayed here for multiple nights and were very “needy” guests, yet were made to feel like no request was too annoying or too frequent. Everyone is incredibly professional, kind, and goes above and beyond. It’s a level of service that you just don’t see anywhere in the US, to be frank, and is exceptional even by Korean standards. The spa is excellent. The one area of improvement would be the breakfast buffet in the Market restaurant. While acceptably tasty, the variety of food on offer barely changes from day to day and becomes somewhat tedious. Of course, the service in the restaurant is worthy of the Four Seasons brand :) Another thing to bear in mind is that the location in Gwangwhamun, while convenient to many tourist sites, may also mean you could be snarled in traffic during protests. This did not outweigh the benefits of staying at the hotel, in our view.

If I could award this stay six stars, I would. While I typically wait until the conclusion of a trip to post reviews, the caliber of service here compelled me to share my experience immediately. I would like to specifically commend Jake for his exemplary service. Beyond delivering my luggage, he took the time to engage in a genuine, welcoming conversation that truly made me feel at home. He further went above and beyond by arranging a complimentary transfer to Myeongdong for my shopping. Jake is a phenomenal asset to your team and deserves high recognition. The front desk team has also been incredibly accommodating, granting me both an early check-in and a late 2:00 PM check-out to align with my flight schedule. Most impressively, the level of personalized attention is unlike anything I have encountered. Upon my arrival, the staff greeted me by name before I had even reached the desk—having noted it from my vehicle as I pulled up. This level of attentiveness and coordination is world-class. Bravo to the entire team; I am currently awaiting room service and have no doubt it will be as exceptional as the rest of my stay.