Grand Ambassador Seoul

The most miserable experience in an Accor hotel. Anywhere in the world. Platinum for several years, so lots of reference points. Front desk staff on the morning of February 16th absolutely abysmal. No manager on duty until 1pm! What 5* hotel has no management around the entire morning? Also, no concierge to be found. The breakfast buffet was decent for $44.

I had the most wonderful stay in this lovely and down to earth hotel, with a (1) very well practical, functional but cozy, spacious and fairly luxurious room with a great layout and beautiful view of Namsam Hill. (2) great ambassador lounge that serves breakfast and happy hour better than 90% of the other Accor properties I have been been to. (3) a restaurant “groceria” that blew me away with the quality of food and execution. But most of all (4) the kind of quality service that is up there with the best. I would like to mention all the following staff member that have contributed to this wonderful experience. unfortunately I am missing 2 or 3 names but in general, I am very pleased with 95% of the interaction. Front Desk- Ellie, Ellena, Bella Concierge- Eric, jun hyeok lee Guest Service Center- Amy Ambassador Club - Selena, Ryan, James, Emma, Becky A special shout out to Selena ( Ambassador Club) and Bella ( Front Desk)

I stayed at Pullman Seoul on February 6, and it was one of the worst hotel experiences I’ve had. The overall management was completely unacceptable, making it hard to believe this is a five-star hotel. 1. Unfriendly Staff • Not a single staff member smiled or showed any hospitality throughout my stay. Every interaction felt cold and indifferent, lacking even the basic level of customer service. 2. Poor Cleanliness • The first room I was assigned had an uneven floor, making the chair unstable. • I found hair inside the bedding and visible stains on the sofa and three bath towels. • After switching to another room of the same type, I again found stains on two towels, and to make matters worse, an unidentified insect was crawling in the room. 3. Lack of Hygiene Standards • I noticed that the lounge check-in staff frequently entered and exited the kitchen, which raised serious concerns about hygiene. 4. Insufficient Amenities • Basic items like cotton swabs, cotton pads, and combs were not provided. Even 3- and 4-star hotels offer these essentials, but Pullman Seoul has discontinued them, citing “high loss rates.” The Only Positive Aspect • The lounge happy hour was good enough to serve as a full dinner. However, I will never stay at this hotel again. The situation was so bad that I had no choice but to move to another hotel at 11 PM, paying a higher rate. For the price, this hotel is absolutely not worth it. I strongly recommend choosing a different hotel.

We stayed at the Ambassador Seoul – A Pullman Hotel again in early December 2024. As we have stayed in this Accor property several times before its major renovations and once after that (just last year), we decided to try its Ondol room. As someone who likes to stay in rooms on a higher floor, I was initially a little disappointed when I was told that the Ondol rooms are located only on the 4th, 5th and 6th floors. As the one on the 6th floor is occupied, Mr William Jeong from the Executive Lounge, gave us the next best option – Room 512. We took a midnight flight out of Singapore hence we arrived shortly after 9 am at the hotel. That was super early. Initially, the front desk told us our room was not ready. Fortunately, Mr William Jeong acceded to our request and we were brought up the lounge where he kindly checked us in with a smile and explained in detail to us about the operation hours of the lounge. It was also at the lounge where we were acquainted with the handsome and friendly Mr Kevin Cha who took great care of us and made recommendations to us on where to go in Seoul. Taking his advice, we visited Itawon and even work up early just for breakfast on the morning of our departure. Although the hotel could not grant us a late check-out due to high occupancy rate as it was a Friday evening, the staff made sure we were comfortable and allowed us to stay in the lounge until it was time for us to make our way to Incheon International Airport. Staying in the Ondol room is a kind of experience that every visitor to South Korea must try at least once. The room offers a heated timber floor board with the bed in on a platform in the spacious room. Entering the room is like visiting the family home of a Korean national. All the things you see in Korean television series – from the place you place your footwear to the quirky furniture, you get to experience it here first hand. I like the legless chair on the floor with the low table by the window. It is like I have been transported back to the Joseon Era. In conclusion, we felt really looked-after by the staff in the Executive Lounge and I know we will be back in December 2025. Thank you to the three gentlemen -- Mr Kevin, Mr Owen and Mr William!

I visited with my girlfriend and was able to check in easily as there was someone at the front desk who spoke English. I requested an air purifier and humidifier for my room due to a sore throat, and they were very accommodating. We were assigned a room with a view of Namsan, and the night view was beautiful.