Four Seasons Hotel Seoul

The hotel: This was the perfect choice for my first time in Seoul. After doing my research reading through many reviews on different forums, I chose FS due to it's location and reputation for wonderful service. The building is easy to spot and very close to the bus and train station. I arrived very early to this hotel based on my flight schedule from the states, and unfortunately I was not able to check-in early. A small criticism - I was never notified my room was ready (but I already went about my day and dropped my bags off with the bell staff, so a non-issue). Once I was ready to check-in, staff communicated expertly in English and were helpful.

The room: I booked a club level, double-bed room. In all honesty, barring the lobby, the hotel is really designed for corporate travelers. I would have loved to see more cultural flair, but it's very business aesthetic. Having said that, the views are incredible, with floor-to-ceiling windows. All appliances were functional, and plenty of space for two travelers. The room was very clean and housekeeping provided daily turndown service. There were no wifi issues during my visit. My mom enjoyed the sitting ledge in the shower after long walking days.

Club lounge: This was a real perk during my stay. The lounge had very friendly and accommodating staff. Breakfast had a nice selection of dishes (pastries, regional food, meats, cheeses etc.). The afteroon had a nice tea break. It was great to pop in during the day for a nice respite from sightseeing. The lounge never felt busy or rushed, which I really appreciated.

Onsite Restaurants: The breakfast buffet at the Market kitchen is extensive. I'd recommend visiting at least one day to try all the different dishes out. My mom and I visited Maru for afternoon tea. What a delight! Each pastry and small dish was expertly crafted and tasted delicious. I only wish there were more tea selections, but it was a lovely way to spend an afternoon. I dined at Boccalino one night for dinner. The restaurant design is beautiful. While the food was good, I wasn't quite blown away, and there are many other options to dine elsewhere. Charles H. bar is a definite must-do. The cocktails are terrific and so are the small dishes.

Staff: Staff really did shine here. I never encountered any language barriers and they always seemed appreciative of the few Korean words I spoke :) Concierge was able to accomodate any dining request I had. Someone would always say hello and smile whenever I walked through the lobby.

The area: This hotel is in an excellent location. The airport bus stop is right across the street. Numerous other bus lines also run by the hotel. The Line 5 train is right around the hotel. The trains and buses were easy to use (but I also say this as a NYer with bus and train experience back home). There are palaces and shopping/dining within walking distance.

Summary:
+ Clean
+ Great area
- Can be expensive
- Designed for business travelers

Poor service. Bad food in restaurants and limited choice. Breakfast poor selection as most they target korean food guests not international guests plus as 5 stars hotel. Poor language most do not speak English. Its only good for business center visitor but as holiday location is far from center not convenient . Not brought pleasant hotel.

This hotel is in a great location, within walking distance to many iconic sites. We stayed for 6 nights in a club king room. The club lounge experience was good, with staff being attentive and helpful. While good quality, the food offerings in the lounge would benefit from a wider choice as it became a bit repetitive over the 6 days.

We had dinner at the Market Kitchen (buffet), and dinner, as well as lunch, at Yu Yuan Chinese restaurant. The staff, particularly Yoona, were very helpful in Yu Yuan.
We enjoyed great cocktails at the Charles H bar over 3 nights. The concierge and staff at the door helped us with some restaurant bookings and travel arrangements.

We had the opportunity to share our experience with the manager when we saw him the day before we left. Overall, a great experience for our first visit to a Four Seasons hotel.

Great location and the staff were very friendly and helpful. The room was fantastic and the bed extremely comfortable

새벽에 어머니가 아프셔서 119를 불러 응급실에 다녀오는 상황이 있었는데 바로 체크아웃 시간부터 연장해주시고 직원 모두가 걱정해주셨으며 다음날 체크아웃때도 확인해 주시는등 너무 감동이었습니다.
병간호 때문에 객실 비품도 계속 요청하는 상황이었고 여러모로 감사드립니다.

Quarto muito bom

The Four Seasons Seoul perfectly nails that low-key, old money vibe. Watching locals dressed to the nines for a lobby wedding showed me real Korean style. Forget those flashy pop music posters, this city is all about muted tones, sleek cuts, and quiet luxury. My room felt like a high-end art gallery with its deep blue rugs and minimalist decor. Even the staff in sharp red blazers give off total Piccadilly vibes with their flawless English and top-tier service. Plus, seeing girls reading deep, female-centric literature in local cafes proves there is serious depth beneath the surface here. It is cozy, nostalgic, and deeply artsy.

Elke keer een prettig verblijf, Four Seasons is een vakantie binnen een vakantie. Prettig als er over zaken net iets beter wordt nagedacht.

찰스바(포시즌즈 서울)를 방문했다가 매우 불쾌한 경험을 했습니다.
음료를 마시던 중 사래가 걸려 재채기를 했고, 그 과정에서 물이 약간 튀었는데, 이에 대해 바텐더 매니저로부터 즉시 주의를 받았습니다. 여기까지는 이해할 수 있는 부분이지만, 이어서 “다시 이런 일이 발생하면 퇴장 조치하겠다”는 경고를 받았습니다.
사래나 재채기는 누구에게나 예기치 않게 발생할 수 있는 자연스러운 생리 현상입니다. 그동안 다양한 국가의 호텔 바와 레스토랑을 방문해봤지만, 이러한 상황에서 손님을 잠재적 문제 고객처럼 대하며 퇴장까지 언급한 사례는 처음이었습니다.
포시즌즈 호텔 전반의 서비스에 대해 긍정적인 인상을 가지고 있었기에 이번 경험은 더욱 실망스러웠습니다. 고객의 의도나 상황에 대한 최소한의 이해 없이 과도하게 대응한 점은, 고급 호텔이 기대받는 서비스 수준과는 거리가 있다고 느껴졌습니다.
재방문 의사는 없으며, 비슷한 경험을 원치 않는 분들께는 참고가 될 수 있을 것 같습니다.
I had a very disappointing experience at Charles H (Four Seasons Seoul).
While having a drink, I accidentally choked and sneezed, which caused a small splash of water. The bartender manager immediately addressed the situation and warned that if it happened again, I could be asked to leave.
While I understand the need to maintain a comfortable environment for all guests, choking or sneezing is an involuntary and unpredictable human reaction. In my experience visiting many hotels and bars around the world, I have not encountered a situation where such an incident was handled with a warning of removal.
Because I have generally had positive impressions of the Four Seasons brand, this experience was particularly disappointing. The response felt stricter than expected and lacked the level of flexibility and understanding typically associated with luxury hospitality.
As a result, I am hesitant to return, and I hope this feedback can be taken into consideration to improve guest experience in the future.

Unfortunately, our arrival was marred by delays on our incoming flight and a lengthy transfer from Incheon. Overdue by 6 hours, we arrived rather drenched by the heavy rains of Seoul. Getting there is thankfully not too bad - the airport bus does stop a mere 2 minute walk from the hotel which was much appreciated. Check in was very smooth as the pre-arrival team had one ear to the ground and we kept them updated of our late arrival as we knew. After a swift check in, we headed upstairs after being informed we had been upgraded - a welcome bonus but expected from FSPP. We spent only a few minutes in the lobby which appeared well adorned. Albeit a very short wait from arrival to room, I believe this is probably just the fact that we turned up twenty to midnight rather than a well oiled check in process. Also waiting for us on entry was a small offering of traditional Korean snacks - a token of gratitude for our special occasion - our honeymoon, which went down well.

The corner premier room itself was spacious but questionably laid out - the TV folding out of the wall at an angle was an odd choice by the designer. Besides this, the amenities in the room itself were of very high standard. The view of the city was nice, with N Seoul Tower visible in the distance. The bed, pillows, duvet and mattress were incredibly comfortable - some of the best I have slept on but this is par for the course for Four Seasons. Wardrobe space was ample. The bathroom was very well equipped - a toto toilet, double vanity sinks and even a smart mirror with a TV that works if you want to watch something whilst having a bath - not my cup of tea but perhaps others might like it. The shower pressure and temperature was excellent as were the shower toiletries. Blinds and curtains functioned well to provide near total blackout. The room was also very clean.

The location is very convenient - a stone’s throw from Gyeongbokgung Palace and bus stops for easy access around the city. It has good access to a lot of the popular areas- Hongdae, Myeongdong but is rather far from Gangnam which is on the other side of the river and the 45 minute transit can be a hassle, especially when it is prolonged in rush hour.

I cannot comment on their other food offerings but their breakfast buffet offering was plentiful and had a wide assortment of different cuisines and dishes available for all which was handy for my wife and I to have a large selection to choose from. Note that their breakfast restaurant, Market Kitchen, is also open to the general public but I believe they have a separate area to sit in from hotel guests. Lifts were always quick and never too long a wait, given we stayed all the way on the 25th floor. Queues for reception or attention from staff were slightly longer during the day which confirmed my theory of a quick check-in simply being down to the late hour we had arrived at. Despite this, the reception staff appeared to control the queues and busyness of the lobby quite well.

The property credit we got amounting to $100 for booking through an FSPP was quickly gone after using it to send only 4 or so items to be laundered. I cannot comment on the concierge with much experience as we only requested their service Ines but it appears they are not the best. I would have liked to use their house car to get somewhere but the range was too little for places just down the road like Gyeongbokgung that could simply be walked to on a nice sunny day, but too far to other districts like Hongdae so it was not all that useful. Having an ice bucket in the room in the height of the humid Korean summer was helpful, as were the hotel provided umbrellas to repel the stormy rain showers. The AC was functional which is more than I can say for other hotels.

Service, on the whole, was consistent and attentive. Use of the iPad provided in the room linked to a live chat proved fruitful. We requested an iron with the board at some ungodly hour in the night and not 5 minutes later we heard a gentle rapping of knuckles on the door. Our laundry was taken and delivered in a timely manner on the same day. We realised we needed an extra towel and received one a very short time period later. There were some pitfalls though. We arrived late at night and were peckish. After having a look through the room service menu, we did not fancy our pick of a $25 burger so we requested their advice to see if any food could be ordered and delivered for us, and asked the concierge this but was met with an inability to do so, which was disappointing given the situation.

The atmosphere generally was excellent as was the ambience. The noise level was minimal and did not once disturb my slumber on the soft sheets. We did not check out any other places but the gym appeared very well stocked with numerous machines and weights to no one but ourselves at a very acceptable time of 8pm.

The bottom line is whether we would consider coming back here, when I return to Seoul. The answer is yes, but with a few things to tweak, I think this could be as strong an offering in SEA as their Bangkok and Tokyo branches.