Four Seasons Hotel Seoul

We have actually stayed at the hotel twice over the past fortnight, the first time we had a Palace Suite which comes with Korean Spa access. All the facilities in the suite are excellent although the decor felt more reminiscent of a public corporation boardroom, which would no doubt make business visitors feel particularly at home. For our second stay, we were in a deluxe king room, which felt far more like being on holiday, bright, decor and as with the Palace suite, extremely well fitted out, in fact we preferred it, the only difference really being in the floor space with the extra room. This is a large, City hotel (over 300 rooms) and the set up at lobby level, especially with a guest services desk outside the main entrance (usually meant by the excellent Tommy) is quite exceptional. All arrivals are handled extremely smoothly. Allergy sufferers should perhaps give the Market Kitchen Breakfasts a miss and opt for Room Service breakfasts which were terrific. Breakfasts used to be served in what is now the Italian restaurant however, for a 300 room hotel, the space would not have been sufficient. Breakfast buffet involves various stations dotted around the very large space and much walking about. I really don't see how this particular set-up can cope with allergy sufferers…there is just so much going on which also involves how guests use the buffet...otherwise, the buffet offers an abundance of everything. It was also very noisy (but so is their Italian restaurant), not so much the fault of management but rather of the hotel’s designers, as the acoustics were the problem. Even when there were only a few diners in the (excellent) Italian restaurant, I noticed the poor acoustics. Daniel (concierge) was highly reliable and helpful…totally ‘on it.’ We only made one dinner reservation outside of the hotel however, it was extremely carefully researched by the concierge. This isn't the first time we've stayed at the four seasons city hotel and given how incredibly popular and busy it is, it must not become compared to 4 seasons resorts but to other top Four Seasons Seoul hotels. We visited a couple of the others for a look around however, we would definitely choose this Four Seasons for a return visit. I tried the Korean Spa... is is a superb facility … I should imagine it is the best in Seoul if not all of South Korea. I did find the sauna hotter than I am used to at other hotels so I only lasted a few minutes... but perhaps this is subjective in South Korea. If you have never before tried a Korean Sauna... this is a Must Visit. If you like a bar with a view, then without club level access, you will find the basement bar to be the only other bar in the hotel. It is, however, exceptional, excellent on every level and clearly very popular in Seoul. Probably essential to book a table. We dined twice in the Italian restaurant, which we greatly enjoyed on many levels. I particularly loved the Bellini and Negroni trolley…mixing drinks at the table. What could be more Italian? Rin (see photo) handled the trolley with distinction and panache and seeing had the effect of making the drinks taste spacial. The welcome from Sera at reception (see photo) to all of the service perfectly complemented the most enjoyable cuisine. I did try to order a bottle of Salon champagne as a special treat for my wife, but unfortunately they did not have a bottle readily available, although they offered to retrieve one from their shop but by then I was halfway through dinner. Chef de Cuisine Ivan Spadaro who has cleary shaped Boccalino is quite a guy. He came by our table and was a pleasure to meet. Clearly passionate when it comes to both cuisine and hospitality, his cuisine excels not only in Italian flavours (it should be given he hails from Sicily) but in produce selection and culinary ’twists.’ I'm sure he will enjoy a terrific career, not only as an eventual executive chef but as a senior manager in a top hotel. Being so talented and multilingual he has had some high profile embassy posts, appeared on Korean TV and he also previously opened an acclaimed Italian restaurant in Seoul which has enjoyed terrific reviews on Google and Tripadvisor. I look forward to my next visit, not only to his restaurant, but to The Four Seasons Hotel. Running this hotel must be quite a management task. First impressions are important and I find the door staff really excellent at welcoming and helping guests be it initial arrival of returning with shopping. I tried to be lavish with my praise and careful with my criticism. While I believe there is room for improvement, for a city hotel this Four Seasons really is very good indeed. It knocks the socks off our previous experience of Four Seasons city hotels.

This was a beautiful hotel, wonderful service, the concierge Daniel was wonderful helping us org anise outlast minute trip with good guides and transportation. Housekeeper was great and the breakfast was delicious and plentiful.

The rooms were solid. Although my wife and I had booked a corner room, it was awkwardly laid out. Our children in fact had a room that had a better view and layout. Location was solid very convenient for many things. The gym was also extremely well equipped. Much better than most hotel gyms. Plentiful equipment. Two squat racks. A smith machine. Pilates. However, the real downer here is the concierge. They were unwilling to make dinner reservations outside of the hotel. Instead it was, just use catchtable. For those familiar, catchtable reservations typically come with increased minimums that can be for the most part avoided with direct phone calls. Our external (non four seasons guides) were able to help us with that. When we asked the concierge they were unwilling. On top of that when my wife inquired about an in house nail appointment, not only did they not know availability, they couldn’t even offer a price list.

Location is central, and the complimentary house car can drop you off to the main attractions. Concierge team was helpful and efficient. Rooms were spacious enough and everything was fresh - exactly what you would expect at the hotel of this level and price. Lobby atmosphere was clean pleasant and welcoming. The only minus point was the noisy breakfast hall, which I suppose is rather difficult to avoid in a hotel of this size.

This is a quintessential large, bustling Four Seasons city hotel with unique local Seoul features. The service is polished, intuitive and anticipatory, with the front desk and concierge teams working seamlessly together, overseen by the perspicacious and knowledgeable Director of Guest Experience. The agent checking me in even apologized for the unavailability of a room upgrade and offered complimentary admission to the Jjimjilbang/Korean sauna normally only free for guests staying in suites. I was touched by the gesture, but let’s all try remember that an “upgrade” should be just that: an unexpected treat vs. expectation. Never reserve a room category where you wouldn’t be happy absent an upgrade. A factor to consider when contemplating a stay here has nothing to do with the hotel’s operations and everything to do with its location. The Four Seasons Seoul is smack dab in the center of city’s historic center, right around the corner from Gwanghwamun Square, the living monument to Korea’s royal heritage and the center of Seoul’s political and cultural life, along with Gyeongbokgung Palace and the heavily-branded United States Embassy. On the plus side, the metro and almost all of the major historic and tourist sites are within easy walking distance. On the other hand, it is ground zero for protests, organized athletic competition and comeback concerts alike. During my stay, supporters of ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol engaged in a spirited and vociferous march calling for his release from prison and reinstatement. I found this a wee bit puzzling given he was impeached, removed from office and sentenced to life in prison for illegally usurping power and declaring martial law, which would presumably have frowned on this very type of protest. The next day, the entire area was closed for the Seoul marathon. And then there’s national treasure, K-pop band BTS. They chose the square to launch their comeback tour after a four-year hiatus in performing. This event drew 22,000 ticketed fans along with 225,000+ additional revelers – a gathering so large that officials prohibited all vehicle and pedestrian traffic, had the subway bypass stops, deployed elite special forces assisted by 6,500 police officers, 70 riot police units, 3,400 additional security personnel, 102 fire trucks and 803 firefighters. The country even raised the level of its terror alert warning. If it’s action you seek, you’ll be in the heart of it. The hotel’s website describes Seoul as “Asia’s city that never sleeps.” Believe it. Speaking of sleep, despite all the raucous cacophony from the streetscape and environs, along with lively activity in the public spaces of the hotel, my non-upgraded guestroom was a spacious, beautiful oasis of quiet repose, a magical fortress of silence. The room was functional and spacious, and bed itself was sensationally comfortable. I don’t know if it was the pillows, the linens, the bed itself or some magical combination, but this is one fantastic center for somnolence. The bathroom amenities are also top notch, especially the whizzbang Daelim Bath smart toilet. Housekeeping was standout as well, maintaining the room morning, noon and night in immaculate condition and also providing unbidden additional sybaritic bath salts. The guests staying here are a classic Four Seasons crew; not quite White Lotus, but a White Lotus-adjacent pastiche of life’s rich pageant. Management consultant case teams. Young Presidents’ Organization members out on a junket. Multi-generational families. Wedding revelers. Government sorts in formal suit and tie. Beautiful People with NY Yankees and Maybach baseball caps wearing sunglasses indoors clad in logoed luxury leisurewear. One morning at breakfast in The Market Kitchen, I sat near a gentleman who bore a striking resemblance to currently incarcerated CryptoBro Sam Bankman-Fried. Despite the expansive selection of local and traditional western breakfast options available from the buffet – along with made-to-order omelets -- he limited his plate to a prodigious mountain of approximately 40 rashers of bacon. Whether your breakfast wishes are sufficiently capacious to take advantage of all that’s on offer, including a healthy selection of K-Street Food and artisanal kimchi, or you prefer to start your day with pureplay bacon, rest assured you can indulge in unlimited bacon to your (but probably not your cardiologist’s) heart’s content… and a whole lot more. This being Seoul, among the friendly human waitstaff there is the additional novelty of having the bussing staff comprised of fleet robots ferrying plates, cutlery and glassware back for cleaning, as they glide back and forth over glass floors that showcase ancient architectural ruins found onsite beneath the restaurant. I found the extensive culinary offerings spanning a wide variety of local, regional and international cuisine across eight individual outposts, all overseen with ubiquitous alacrity by F&B Director Emanuele Accame, to be consistently excellent. if you are looking for a interstitial change of pace from local offerings, I particularly enjoyed dining in the Boccalino Italian restaurant. The fitness center is at once well-equipped and expansive. Because it is a membership club for local residents in addition to a workout facility for hotel guests, it enjoys consistent use. For folks stateside, it’s a lot like the experience at an Equinox (although the chilled towels are not scented with eucalyptus). Bring your swimsuit to enjoy both a 25M swimming pool along with a fantastic and fun “Vitality Pool” very similar to the one found in the Four Seasons Prague. In it you’ll experience billions of blasting bubbles that will restore and rejuvenate after the rigors of exploring Seoul. Whether you’re a tippler or teetotaler, one experience you will not want to miss is a visit to the Charles H. speakeasy, consistently ranked among the best bars in Asia. Tucked behind an unassuming closet door, this ingenious use of subterranean space opens to reveal a beautiful coved ceiling covered in New York subway tile and lights. The delicious drinks are prepared with precision, but the atmosphere is downright mind blowing, including some of the most unusual sound design I have ever heard. The only way I can describe it is Benny Goodman meets Buena Vista Social Club meets Squirrel Nut Zippers. It’s not a place where you’re likely to hold an intimate conversation, but you can bet all of your senses will be engaged. What’s more, the Charles H. has something I have never encountered before: a speakeasy within a speakeasy, the intimate eight-seat H. Bar. The vibe in here is completely different from that of Charles H. – hushed, streamlined and retro-futuristic in a mashup of Art Deco with Mos Eisley Cantina. In H. Bar you’ll find a head barman/mixologist named Odd concocting an eight-course progressive tasting of cocktails created from local seasonal ingredients. You might think it unusual to meet a man named Odd, but as it turns out, every first-born son in his family, hailing from Fredrikstad, Norway, has been named “Odd” since before the time the city was founded in 1567. Odd has a special left-handed knife honed only on one side that he uses with great skill to carve sparkling gems from some of the purest ice I have ever seen. Why, I learned as much about how to make pure ice back at home from Odd in a single conversation as I have from years of studying Jeffrey Morgenthaler, one of my ice-making heroes. In any event, in a world filled with "me too" experiences that are anything but unique, Charles H., H. Bar and indeed Odd are sui generis. To extent luxury and near-luxury travel is defined as much by exclusivity as it is by underlying quality, this property faces some structural headwinds. It’s big and busy. The pace of vehicle flow at the porte cochere, multiple groups of arriving and departing guests, luggage and accompanying bell staff, local residents accessing the hotel's amenities, visiting health club members, group travelers using the front desk area as an assembly point with accompanying signage, multiple front desk staff and highly visible security personnel make the lobby a lively and dynamic environment that could overwhelm more traditional luxury travelers prioritizing calm as an essential hallmark of the guest experience. But for those who seek a comfortable sojourn in the heart of the action, supported by a hardworking and talented team operating with the Swiss precision of General Manager Michael Schmid, there may well be no better choice for a stay in Seoul. I had a bang-up stay and bet you will too.