Four Seasons Hotel Seoul

찰스바(포시즌즈 서울)를 방문했다가 매우 불쾌한 경험을 했습니다. 음료를 마시던 중 사래가 걸려 재채기를 했고, 그 과정에서 물이 약간 튀었는데, 이에 대해 바텐더 매니저로부터 즉시 주의를 받았습니다. 여기까지는 이해할 수 있는 부분이지만, 이어서 “다시 이런 일이 발생하면 퇴장 조치하겠다”는 경고를 받았습니다. 사래나 재채기는 누구에게나 예기치 않게 발생할 수 있는 자연스러운 생리 현상입니다. 그동안 다양한 국가의 호텔 바와 레스토랑을 방문해봤지만, 이러한 상황에서 손님을 잠재적 문제 고객처럼 대하며 퇴장까지 언급한 사례는 처음이었습니다. 포시즌즈 호텔 전반의 서비스에 대해 긍정적인 인상을 가지고 있었기에 이번 경험은 더욱 실망스러웠습니다. 고객의 의도나 상황에 대한 최소한의 이해 없이 과도하게 대응한 점은, 고급 호텔이 기대받는 서비스 수준과는 거리가 있다고 느껴졌습니다. 재방문 의사는 없으며, 비슷한 경험을 원치 않는 분들께는 참고가 될 수 있을 것 같습니다. I had a very disappointing experience at Charles H (Four Seasons Seoul). While having a drink, I accidentally choked and sneezed, which caused a small splash of water. The bartender manager immediately addressed the situation and warned that if it happened again, I could be asked to leave. While I understand the need to maintain a comfortable environment for all guests, choking or sneezing is an involuntary and unpredictable human reaction. In my experience visiting many hotels and bars around the world, I have not encountered a situation where such an incident was handled with a warning of removal. Because I have generally had positive impressions of the Four Seasons brand, this experience was particularly disappointing. The response felt stricter than expected and lacked the level of flexibility and understanding typically associated with luxury hospitality. As a result, I am hesitant to return, and I hope this feedback can be taken into consideration to improve guest experience in the future.

Unfortunately, our arrival was marred by delays on our incoming flight and a lengthy transfer from Incheon. Overdue by 6 hours, we arrived rather drenched by the heavy rains of Seoul. Getting there is thankfully not too bad - the airport bus does stop a mere 2 minute walk from the hotel which was much appreciated. Check in was very smooth as the pre-arrival team had one ear to the ground and we kept them updated of our late arrival as we knew. After a swift check in, we headed upstairs after being informed we had been upgraded - a welcome bonus but expected from FSPP. We spent only a few minutes in the lobby which appeared well adorned. Albeit a very short wait from arrival to room, I believe this is probably just the fact that we turned up twenty to midnight rather than a well oiled check in process. Also waiting for us on entry was a small offering of traditional Korean snacks - a token of gratitude for our special occasion - our honeymoon, which went down well. The corner premier room itself was spacious but questionably laid out - the TV folding out of the wall at an angle was an odd choice by the designer. Besides this, the amenities in the room itself were of very high standard. The view of the city was nice, with N Seoul Tower visible in the distance. The bed, pillows, duvet and mattress were incredibly comfortable - some of the best I have slept on but this is par for the course for Four Seasons. Wardrobe space was ample. The bathroom was very well equipped - a toto toilet, double vanity sinks and even a smart mirror with a TV that works if you want to watch something whilst having a bath - not my cup of tea but perhaps others might like it. The shower pressure and temperature was excellent as were the shower toiletries. Blinds and curtains functioned well to provide near total blackout. The room was also very clean. The location is very convenient - a stone’s throw from Gyeongbokgung Palace and bus stops for easy access around the city. It has good access to a lot of the popular areas- Hongdae, Myeongdong but is rather far from Gangnam which is on the other side of the river and the 45 minute transit can be a hassle, especially when it is prolonged in rush hour. I cannot comment on their other food offerings but their breakfast buffet offering was plentiful and had a wide assortment of different cuisines and dishes available for all which was handy for my wife and I to have a large selection to choose from. Note that their breakfast restaurant, Market Kitchen, is also open to the general public but I believe they have a separate area to sit in from hotel guests. Lifts were always quick and never too long a wait, given we stayed all the way on the 25th floor. Queues for reception or attention from staff were slightly longer during the day which confirmed my theory of a quick check-in simply being down to the late hour we had arrived at. Despite this, the reception staff appeared to control the queues and busyness of the lobby quite well. The property credit we got amounting to $100 for booking through an FSPP was quickly gone after using it to send only 4 or so items to be laundered. I cannot comment on the concierge with much experience as we only requested their service Ines but it appears they are not the best. I would have liked to use their house car to get somewhere but the range was too little for places just down the road like Gyeongbokgung that could simply be walked to on a nice sunny day, but too far to other districts like Hongdae so it was not all that useful. Having an ice bucket in the room in the height of the humid Korean summer was helpful, as were the hotel provided umbrellas to repel the stormy rain showers. The AC was functional which is more than I can say for other hotels. Service, on the whole, was consistent and attentive. Use of the iPad provided in the room linked to a live chat proved fruitful. We requested an iron with the board at some ungodly hour in the night and not 5 minutes later we heard a gentle rapping of knuckles on the door. Our laundry was taken and delivered in a timely manner on the same day. We realised we needed an extra towel and received one a very short time period later. There were some pitfalls though. We arrived late at night and were peckish. After having a look through the room service menu, we did not fancy our pick of a $25 burger so we requested their advice to see if any food could be ordered and delivered for us, and asked the concierge this but was met with an inability to do so, which was disappointing given the situation. The atmosphere generally was excellent as was the ambience. The noise level was minimal and did not once disturb my slumber on the soft sheets. We did not check out any other places but the gym appeared very well stocked with numerous machines and weights to no one but ourselves at a very acceptable time of 8pm. The bottom line is whether we would consider coming back here, when I return to Seoul. The answer is yes, but with a few things to tweak, I think this could be as strong an offering in SEA as their Bangkok and Tokyo branches.

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.