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Review: Park Hyatt Seoul – Live and Let’s Fly

Review: Park Hyatt Seoul – Live and Let’s Fly

a building with a sign on the front

The Park Hyatt Seoul is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary and is aging gracefully. I really enjoyed my one-night stay here… my first visit in 13 years. So much has changed in that time, but this hotel hasn’t changed that much at all.

Park Hyatt Seoul Review

At around $400 per night or 25,000 points per night (it’s a Category 6 hotel in the World of Hyatt program), I opted to pay for the stay with cash rather than miles.

From the Grand Hyatt Seoul, I took a taxi across town to Gangnam, arriving around 3pm. When I checked in, I was thanked for my World of Hyatt Globalist status and was also told that all suites were booked (I checked that none were for sale on the website) and therefore I would not be getting an upgrade. This was fine for one night, and since I had a friend with me, they gave me the two beds.

a building with trees in the background

a building with windows and a roof

a group of people walking in front of a tall building

a building with glass windows

People standing at a counter in a building

Guest rooms

I really like the modern and minimalist layout and design of the guest rooms in this property. They have not been changed since my visit in 2011 and are quite timeless.

a hallway with a door and a window

a number on a wall

My room, 2108, featured a round table, two beds, an armchair, a stone bathroom with a large bathtub, and a great view of the bustling city below and the COEX Convention in the distance.

Review: Park Hyatt Seoul – Live and Let’s Fly

a room with two beds and a table

a room with table and chairs

two beds in one room

a chair with cushions and a table in front of a window

a room with a TV and a chair

a bathroom with shower and sink

a bathroom with sink and mirror

a bathtub in a room

a bathroom with bath and shower
LeLabo shower products in bulk dispensers at Park Hyatt Seoul

a toilet in a bathroom

I liked that the hotel had power outlets within reach, USB-C ports (this was part of the small modernization in 2021) and even spare charging cables.

a close-up of a socket

a close-up of a socket

a hotel information and a barcode scanner

There was also a welcome gift waiting for me: red wine and chocolate, something you don’t see very often in upscale Hyatt hotels anymore, at least in the US.

a wine bottle and two wine glasses on a table

a bottle of wine and two wine glasses on a tray

a box of chocolates

When I entered the room, the blinds were drawn as follows:

a room with two beds and a chair

I should have known there was a reason for this… I opened them (as you can see in the pictures above) and later went for a walk. When I came back, the room was glowing like an oven… the floor to ceiling glass windows and the afternoon sun created a greenhouse effect in the room, heating it up like a sauna. The curtains were quickly drawn and the air conditioning turned up…

a room with two beds and a TV

Great view, but:

a city with tall buildings and cars

a traffic intersection with buses and buses

a bed with a chair in a room with large windows

The minibar was well stocked and a Nespresso coffee machine was available.

a box with food and a can in it

a mini fridge with lemonade bottles and cans

a book on a table

pool

On the top floor there is an indoor pool, also with a glass wall, which also warms up a little when exposed to sunlight (but the water remains cool).

a pool in a building

Wellness + Spa

When you enter the 23rd floor, you first walk down a hallway where there is free coffee (not that you’ll need it, since you get the same coffee in your guest room).

a long room with chairs and tables

a coffee machine in a room with a window overlooking a city

You can then check in for the spa or tell the staff you want to swim or work out (you’ll have to sign a waiver). Behind the check-in desk is a small sports bar area, which I’ll describe in more detail below, and then another floor up is the pool, fitness center, or locker rooms with plunge pool and sauna.

a room with wooden floor and wooden floor

Chairs in a room with blinds

a sign on a wall

a wooden room with a cot

a fountain in a room

My favorite part of the fitting room, however, was the dressing area where they had free Aesop skincare products, which reminded me that I need to spend more time taking care of my skin!

a group of bottles and a wooden hairbrush

Spa treatments are available daily from 10am to 10pm. View the full menu here.

Fitness center

The fitness center was very crowded when I wanted to use it before breakfast… so I did a little cardio, but that was it. When I came back at lunchtime, it was almost empty. It is equipped with TechnoGym equipment. One downside: the gym is only open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., so no overnight workout if you are suffering from jet lag. I liked the gym (Life Fitness) at the Grand Hyatt Seoul much better.

a gym with training equipment

a gym with training equipment

a machine in a gym

a room with exercise bikes and treadmills

an exercise bike in a room with a view of the city

a fitness machine on the floor

a close-up of a metal object
Some machines are a bit old…

Eat

The hotel has two restaurants, a lounge and a sports bar.

Foundation stone

Last time I gave a review of this hotel, I called the breakfast the best hotel breakfast I’ve ever had. Although the hotel breakfast is still excellent, one thing has changed: I’m a coffee drinker now. And considering the hotel uses Nespresso coffee for breakfast… thumbs down. I had one cup and that was one cup too many…

a cup of coffee on a saucer and a glass of water

Sorry to be so picky, but the coffee just isn’t that great and I would have expected better in a hotel of this category, especially considering there are plenty of cafes in Seoul that serve far better coffee.

Aside from that, everything else about breakfast was wonderful. The fresh juice and smoothie bar, excellent omelets, fresh fruits and vegetables, great homemade yogurt and decadent baked goods make it a very enjoyable restaurant.

a table with a vase of flowers on it

a restaurant with red chairs and a tree

a restaurant with red chairs and tables

a hand holding a menu

a buffet table with food on it

a table with bowls full of food

a group of bowls of food on a table

a row of juice dispensers on a table

a labelled menu board

a group of milk bottles in a wooden box

a tray of pastries and spices

a tray with bread and rolls

a table with bowls full of food

a large piece of fish on a wooden board

a counter with various types of meat and sauces

a cheese platter with nuts and grapes on a counter

Bowls of salad and tomatoes on a table

a row of bowls of food on a wooden table

a bowl of vegetables and other food on a table

a table with bowls and spoons

a group of cereal bowls with spoons

a row of plates with fruit on a table

a kitchen with lots of food

a kitchen with people cooking food

I really enjoyed everything I ate:

a plate of food and a glass of juice

a bowl of strawberries on a table

a glass of fruit and nuts

a glass of red liquid on a table

a plate of food on a table

Cornerstone is the hotel’s Italian restaurant, offering Italian cuisine for lunch and dinner, as well as a seafood buffet on weekends (including lobster, crab, abalone and black tiger shrimp, as well as meat, poultry and more).

The Lounge

Lobby level dining room with Korean food, coffee and tea.

a room with tables and chairs

a room with tables and chairs

a room with a large flowerpot and tables

The wooden house

Bar with vinyl music and a focus on Japanese food as well as sushi omakase, sake, wine, cocktails and cigars.

Citrus bars

Healthy, light meals and non-alcoholic beverages are available on the 23rd floor in the basement of the spa. I was very pleased with the (free) citrus-infused water, which was very refreshing after a tough workout and 20 minutes in the sauna!

a bar with stools and a table in a room with a window

a hallway with wooden walls and a counter

a room with wooden floor and wooden floor and wooden floor

Room service

Room service is available round the clock.

Business Center

A business center with PCs, printers and scanners is available on the 23rd floor.

a desk with a computer and chairs in a room

service

The staff shined here, although my interactions were somewhat limited due to my short stay. I think South Korea is a harder country to navigate when it comes to language barriers, but there were no issues here. Service at breakfast at Cornerstone was very attentive. When checking out, I was asked if there were any issues with my stay.

I explained that I was walking across the street to catch a bus to Seoul Incheon and the hotel insisted on sending me a taxi (they arranged it and didn’t charge anything for it)… I appreciated that. They said it would be confusing to walk there (and it was), but given the traffic in the area, I don’t think it saved me any time.

a car parked in a building

a man sitting in a car

DIPLOMA

I enjoyed a short stay at Park Hyatt Seoul and enjoyed a nice and comfortable room with great service. I highly recommend it.

Confession: I liked the Grand Hyatt better. While I would definitely go back to the Park Hyatt and recommend it, especially if you have to be in the Gangham area, the coffee + spa + fitness center would all bring me back to the Grand Hyatt… plus the Grand Hyatt was cheaper.

a sign on a rock

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