Hotel: Conrad Seoul / Location: Seoul, South Korea / Date: November 2023 / Program: Hilton Impresario; Virtuoso / Offer: Stay 3 Pay 2
Conrad Seoul Offer: Third night complimentary offer available until 31 December 2024.
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Here’s our review of staying at the Conrad Seoul. Conrad is located in the IFC building within the financial district of Seoul. It is well connected to Seoul Metro as the Yeoudio station is within the IFC Mall. Both Gimpo and Incheon Airports can be reached via taxi, metro and the airport bus. A taxi to Incheon Airport T1 costed us about £50/$85 which is reasonable as it is approximately 55km drive that we ended up taking after Check-out.
Although the hotel is connected to the metro station, it is a rather long walk with luggage in tow… definitely not a luxury experience by any means. A local taxi or Kakao T is the way to go. By the time we got to the hotel from the metro station, I was drenched in sweat and in need of an Iced Milk Tea.
Booking
Guests booking at Conrad Seoul under a Hilton Impresario rate can benefit from:
- $100 equivalent credit in local currency to spend in the resutarant and spa
- Stay 3 Pay 2 (i.e.third night complimentary offer)
- Complimentary breakfast for 2 daily
- Early check-in and Late check-out based on availability. We didn’t require the early check-in but used the late check-out option as we had a late flight
These amenities vary slightly across Hilton Impresario properties.
Check-in: Conrad Seoul
I think the check-in experience generally sets the tone for the rest of the stay. I must say the experience here was rather chaotic and forgettable at best. The lobby was storming with huge groups of overly excited (American) professionals which we later learned were here for a conference. Well who doesn’t like free company-sponsored trips where you get lectured at all day and get to eat & drink all evening… Not me.
The check-in staff was pleasant and explained to us all the hotel amenities including where we could use our $100 credit. The staff also granted late check-out till 3pm which was great as our flight wasn’t till 11pm on the day of check-out.
The bell boy tagged our luggage and later delivered to our room.
King Bed Premium River View Room
We checked into our premium river view room which was 48 sqm / 516 sq ft and the smallest size available. Although the hotel states that it is ‘the largest of its kind in Seoul’, I am not too sure about that. We did get a fantastic upgrade to a 20th floor room with superb views overlooking the Han River, the skyline of Seoul and N Seoul Tower. We were quite happy especially with the view at sunrise.
The entrance of the room has a lovely closet with plenty of space to lay out all our belongings in the drawers provided. It also had an iron with an ironing board and standard sized locker.
More about the room…
Along the corridor to the left was the bathroom with his and her sinks, a rainfall shower and bath tub. Separate wash basins are a preference for me on holidays. I have to share a sink at home, but do I have to so the same whilst on holiday?
As seems to be quite common across luxury hotels in Seoul, we had a proper Japanese toilet with heated seats. Lets just say that my body felt truly loved…
The bathroom was equipped with Byredo toiletries which I have sort of a neutral opinion of. They aren’t bad but not are they amazing. I did have a preference for the Aromatherapy Associates branding that Conrad previously used.
The bedroom was rather spacious and the sofa allowed for lounging during the day. We didn’t make much use of either the desk or the TV. The Nespresso machine was a good life-saver when we needed to caffeinate our bloodstream late at night as the hotel was happy to provide hot milk and reinvigorate the barista in me.
Of course, the most amazing part of the room was the beautiful views across the Han River
Breakfast and Restaurants at Conrad Seoul
Breakfast was included in our room rate and served in Zest restaurant.
There was a wide variety of both continental and local dishes. Of course, as expected, none of the dishes were labelled and hence we couldn’t figure out which ones were vegetarian. Maybe the Conrad F&B Manager should call his counterpart at the JW Marriott across the river and chat about this?
We did note that it gets rather busy post 10am with a ‘spill-over’ section opened with much limited options. Hence its best to arrive early, as expected at a hotel of this size.
We did also venture to 37 Grill and Bar for a few drinks to use our $100 credit. It was quiet, which we liked, and the service from the staff was nice. Hotel guests received a 25% on food and drinks. We only found this out at check-out. On the last evening, we went to Atrio restaurant on the 8th floor which was rather underwhelming. The staff was pre-occupied in dealing with another guest who had over indulged in alcohol.
Amenities
The spa seemed to be quite popular when we were in the hotel. Maybe all those conference guests had nothing better to do.
The pool looked fantastic as did the gym. I could not get a decent photo as both were really busy.
Also the hotel is a stone throw away from the Hyundai Mall and directly located in the IFC Mall. That in itself, is an amenity!
Conclusion
Conrad Seoul is a good option if staying south of the river, especially for shopping. However as first time tourists, we would recommend splitting your time equally between staying north of the river and south of the river. This hotel was good connections but of course it takes time.
The room was spacious with fabulous views. The amenities are good. One drawback is the large crowds of business guests… but there’s not much one can do to avoid that.
If you’d like to stay in this hotel or others whilst visiting Seoul, then contact us to help you plan your travels and include special perks for you.
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