Lotte Hotel Seoul

I was very fortunate to have experienced staying at the Lotte Hotel Seoul during my recent business trip to Seoul in November. The lobby that greeted you was very impressive and luxurious - and the staff upon arrival were very welcoming. The room I was assigned to was spacious and well appointed. My room came with access to breakfast in the executive lounge, and although the selection may be a bit limited, but the view was really breathtaking! Having this access really makes a different especially after a long day out and you return for some quick refreshments to unwind with a spectacular view of Seoul city skyline! Location wise - this hotel is very central and accessible to anywhere either by foot or even the subway! And it is just beside a mall, and walking distances to other attractions as the Cheonggycheon stream, Dongdaemun and Myeongdong markets and many more! My only (and this is a personal thought) reservations to the hotel is how one could feel rather 'cold' or unwelcomed as he enters the lobby - Yes the initial arrival experience was a wow and rather expected, but on a daily basis, as one enters and leaves the lobby, there is no recognition from staff - they seemed to be too pre-occupied with their own tasks. The size of the lobby too plays a factor in this I guess, as the staffers are too scattered around.

We booked the hotel for one night. The location of the hotel is a plus, especially there is a shopping center in the basement of the hotel. The staff is helpful and welcoming. The room was a letdown. It was too small And the bathroom didn't have a walking shower only a bathtub. Which would be challenging for seniors. There was no enough light in the room and it was kind of dated. I was expecting a room that is more luxurious for the price.

We had four nights in the hotel, in a Deluxe room with club room access. The room was spacious and well appointed but some aspects of the room looked a bit tired which you wouldn’t expect in a five star hotel. Club room access included breakfast (extensive with Asian and Western cuisines), afternoon tea (modest selection) and happy hour (6-8pm). The dining space in the room was functional rather than luxurious. We also had dinner at Mugunghwa and Toh Lim restaurants in the hotel. Both were excellent. All the staff were superb. Extensive leisure facilities which we didn’t have time to make use of - enormous gym, swimming pool and driving range. Very well located for shopping and sightseeing.

Recently we were in Japan and South Korea with our family and friends. The hotel is nice and is conveniently located near several markets including Myeongdong and insadong. From our room we could see sunrise from one side and sunset from the other side which was a unique experience. I heard from my friends the breakfast was really good and had a lot of variety and choices. Since we were travelling with a group of 10 people, I found it very strange that they have no sofas or chairs for friends to meet up and relax. The first-floor lobby of the entire hotel is totally empty. This is perhaps the first 5-star hotel that I have ever been to that lacked a basic necessity.

There are two separate parts to this hotel and we stayed in the Executive Tower which I believe is more modern than the other tower. We loved our stay at this hotel and found it the perfect base for our first trip to Seoul. It is close to many of the key sites and also has easy access to the subway when travelling further afield. The rooms were spacious, modern and extremely clean and we also enjoyed the live singer in the hotel bar at the end of an evening. The hotel is attached to a large department store and on the basement level of the store there is an amazing food court offering both local and international cuisines. I would definitely return to this hotel when next in Seoul.