Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas

It has been 5 years since I stayed on this property. Room updates are very nice. Comfortable bed, nice room layout, and plenty of storage. Complimentary bottled water and in-room coffee/tea. Fitness center is finest I've ever experienced at a hotel. COEX mall access is great. Full 5 star.

Not on par with five star caliber. Factual examples: There is nowhere to sit in the lobby but two small benches that are always occupied, when one party is checking in Bell staff are not attentive in managing your luggage. They will bring your luggage downstairs and then hand them to you—in the middle of the lobby, rather than keep near the entrance in preparation to load during departure When it’s time to check out, downstairs staff will call to ask if you’re leaving the room yet, but will not ask you if you need assistance with the luggage I did not find the staff to be warm or accommodating at all - rather curt at best. Had the breakfast buffet; thank goodness it was included with the room, because if I had to pay 80,000 for it, it would have been upsetting. Hard product is lacking. Faux marble tiles reminiscent of budget hardware. The common area (lobby) bathrooms have paper towel racks along the wall where you have to pull on them to get the paper towels. Nothing horrible, but just not what you expect for this price point 5 star hotel in Seoul. It’s the service though that was most sorely disappointing. If it was around $250 range, it would have been fine. But not $450 (for Seoul, this is a lot). A far cry from the Park Hyatt or JW Marriott. Big mistake staying here instead due to proximity to COEX. Never again.

We had the best time, and was greeted with the warmest greetings at Grand Intercontinental Seoul Parnas. The team there is very warm and considerate. After staying there for a few times, the team was able to remember me and greeted me with a very warm welcome back. When the room was hot, they accommodated us with a nice room change with easy transition.

Two things that charmed us about this hotel are the staff and the location. Staff at every level was wonderful. The lobby area was often crowded but if we ever needed a staff, they were always available with a smile to assist us in any way they could. The rooms are on the smaller side compared to similar hotels we've stayed at, though well appointed and so warm, which was great as we visited Seoul in the middle of winter. I do have to say I wish the fitness center was 24 hours. We went around the opening hours and surprised to see it was a full house. We've traveled all over the world and typically only see a couple others, if at all, at a fitness center at hotels we stayed at. Perhaps it's open to non hotel guests, which is fine, but as folks who don't like crowds, it was a bit of an inconvenience. However, this minor inconvenience was rectified by a very attentive staff who helped ensure we would be able to quickly get a turn at any occupied equipment we wanted to use. Lastly, the location can't be beat: close to two train stations, as well as expansive malls right underneath the hotel. The famous Starfield Library is here. In the mornings, it's a short walk down the stairs from the hotel lobby to enjoy the many coffee shops before these places get busy. But if you wanted to mingle with the crowd, that's available too since it is thriving with patrons throughout the day. There are also plenty of places to eat, from restaurants to stalls at a huge food court. I'm surprised by how massive these malls at the lower level floor are. It's filled with so many familiar brand name stores and other interesting stores. You can shop and there's no need to worry about conserving energy or the bags you'd carry since the hotel is only an elevator away. All in all, a great place to stay in Seoul!

Awesome hotel, was my 2nd time to use with great food, pool and gym. The location is super central making it easy to go around. Normally, I would give 5 stars. But the room was too hot, 25 degree C I struggled to sleep both nights, the air con would not adjust the temperature. I wish this will be rectified next time as I would like to continue to use this hotel.