The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul: A Family Friendly Stay In The Heart Of Seoul
What is the best hotel in downtown Seoul? It is most certainly the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul (포시즌스호텔서울). With impressive views out over Gyeongbokgung Palace and within walking distance of all of the historic must-sees in the city, this luxury hotel is the best place to stay in the heart of Seoul.
When it comes to finding a hotel in Seoul, there are plenty to choose from. It really comes down to what you want to see and choosing a place near the sights you’re interested in. I love heading downtown and even as a resident, I still go to see the palaces at least once a year, walk along the Cheonggyecheon Stream multiple times and visit the museums down there consistently.
With that said, I can say without a doubt, the Four Seasons is the best place to stay down there whether you’re looking for a luxury stay as a tourist near the historic hot spots or if you’re a resident and want an upscale staycation with plenty to do nearby.
Here is my review of The Four Seasons Seoul:
- The Location
- What To Know About The Four Seasons Seoul
- The Rooms
- The Swimming Pool
- The Kids Place
- The Food
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The Location
The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul is the best-located hotel if you’re looking to see the historic sites downtown including Gyeongbokgung Palace, Deoksugung Palace, Bukchon Hanok Village, as well as new cool architectural sites like City Hall. The hotel is also within walking distance of Myeongdong, a popular shopping district.
Address: 97 Saemunan-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul (서울 종로구 새문안로 97)
By Subway: The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul is located just out of Gwanghwamun Subway Station exit 7 making it easy to hop onto the purple subway line. The hotel is also within walking distance of the green line and the dark blue line as well as the orange line so it’s quick to get anywhere in the city.
Book Your Stay: You can book your stay here on Booking.com or on Agoda.com
What To Know About The Four Seasons Seoul
- During construction of the hotel, construction workers found historic remains and today, you can see those remains beneath a glass covered floor in the The Market Kitchen restaurant. It’s definitely a unique highlight you should check out when you visit.
- There is a traditional Korean sauna on the 9th floor which includes separate men’s and women’s spaces with cold, warm, and hot baths, lounges, and dry as well as wet sauna rooms.
- There is a 15th floor outdoor garden terrace which is the perfect summer spot with a view to enjoy gourmet burgers and craft beer.
- The Executive Club Lounge on the 28th floor has unlimited snacks, beverages, and wine.
The Rooms
We were invited to stay on the 29th floor, the top floor, in the Palace-view Executive Suite and it sure is sweet. The highlight of the hotel rooms that look north is the amazing view of Gyeongbokgung Palace and our room was complete with that.
There are only a few places where you can get this kind of view out over the palace grounds. It is stunning so take advantage and plane to gaze out of your window endlessly watching the traffic rush by and the old palace façade in the background. What a sight.
Of course, the best rooms are complete with a soaking bathtub that also has a window view because, as I said, gazing out at the city below should be an endless experience. I sat in the main living space and looked out, moved to the bedroom for another view, and then took a bath and continued enjoying the view as one should in a place with such gorgeous windows.
Clearly the bath was large enough for two of us because bath time bubbles should be enjoyed together if you ask me. Though, of course, one could enjoy a more relaxing bubble bath solo and still enjoy those views.
The bathrooms are amazing and all of them feature white Italian marble, separate soaking tubs and showers, double sinks, and Natura Bisse amenities.
As a parent, one of the things I noticed and really appreciated was the child size robe and slippers. We’ve spent time in numerous a hotel and plenty of luxury hotels, but this was the first one we’ve visited that had a robe and slippers in a size that could fit our little lady. It’s the small things like that, that makes The Four Seasons really stand out.
In previous hotels, we always like to get all snuggled up in our robes after the requisite bath but this was the first time the kiddo could walk around in hers without tripping all over it. Yes yes yes! Family friendly hotel? Absolutely.
Another fun addition to our stay was a tent just for that child in all of us… or maybe it was for the child with us? Well, there was a scuffle to figure out who would actually get the tent suffice to say. Since May is family month in Korea, it was a celebratory addition that was complete with a sign welcoming our daughter. So, I guess it was for her. Did it take the staycation to another level? Most definitely. Last year and this year seem to be all about staycations and this makes for a very fun one.
The rooms are also equipped with iPad minis for easy communication with staff at the hotel. You could call down to the desk if you have questions, but I opted for the iPad mini three times during our stay to change our dinner reservation, request room service, and ask a question about the location of The Market. Responses were quick and the system was easy to use in multiple languages. You totally want to book a room right now, don’t you?
The Swimming Pool
We can’t stay at a hotel and NOT visit the pool. Who can? For families, I think the swimming pool is one of those things we will make time for no matter what is on the agenda. It gets everyone good and tired and ready for a nap. Or is that just me?
The pool at The Four Seasons is filled with natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows. There is a three lane pool as well as a kids’ pool to the side, and a vitality pool with some very nice jets going on too. I definitely enjoyed the jets myself. There’s something for the kiddos and something for the parents that bring them.
The Kids Place
While the play place is really for the smaller babies and toddlers you’re toting, we visited for some of the classes that are on offer. The crafts and cooking seem to be good for elementary-aged students. We did two of the crafts while we were in the space and enjoyed the time playing with Legos in between coloring and gluing. Be sure to ask at the front desk what the class options are when you arrive as they do change. They’re available throughout the stay though and are free for guests.
The Food
There are actually seven food/beverage options in the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. During our stay we ate at two and enjoyed room service but I most definitely need to go back to enjoy the other amazing restaurants.
The Market Kitchen
For dinner, we headed to The Market Kitchen in the basement level of the hotel. The Market Kitchen is a buffet restaurant with more than enough options for everyone. It also features a beautiful dessert zone with a 24K chocolate fountain which is sure to make the children swoon. I’m getting ahead of myself though.
This buffet had something for everyone, but it was especially filled with seafood options which we enjoyed. There was plenty to go around and we went back to fill our table at least three times. We were happily stuffed by the end.
If you do want to have breakfast downstairs, you’ll head to The Market Kitchen for their breakfast buffet which I’ve heard is outstanding. If it’s anything like the evening buffet, it will surely have something for every appetite.
Maru
Maru is a restaurant on the main lobby floor of the hotel. I’ve eaten here a few times and have always been very happy with the eats and treats. “Maru” means living room in Korean and this is very much a comfortable yet refined space to enjoy a meal.
On our most recent stay, we tried the seasonal bingsu option. Bingsu is a Korean dessert with shaved ice, condensed milk, and red beans or fruit. In May, the seasonal option is Citrus Pavlova Bingsu which features lemon cream, panna cotta, grapefruit sorbet and fresh meringue. The perennial favorites, though, are Jeju Apple Mango, Very Berry, and Maru Bingsu. Maybe we’ll have to go back every month from now on to try one.
In June, the special option will be Apple Tatin Bingsu which will be a celebration of the French dessert and will have vanilla cream, caramel pudding and sauce, streusel, and whipped cream.
In July, look for Grapes and Champagne Bingsu that will have the finest Chimes Muscat grapes, Champagne jelly, panna cotta yuzu, whipped cream, and yuzu sorbet.
In August, try the Peach Melba Bingsu that will have vanilla ice cream, peach jelly, raspberry sauce, poached peaches, and caramelized almonds.
Maru is comfortable and beautiful and easy to find right on the first floor. If you’ve never tried bingsu before, this is the place to do it.
Room Service
We are usually a family that enjoys a good breakfast buffet in a hotel, but from time to time, we like to treat ourselves to room service. We used the iPad mini in the room to order everything and add comments. If you have a specific fruit you do or don’t want, you can just let them know. It was easy, and was delivered right to our room without fuss. It allowed us to eat a bit faster and get down to the swimming pool just a bit earlier.
Other Options
As mentioned, there are actually seven different food and beverage options in The Four Seasons. It’s a bit too many options to enjoy in just a one night stay, but they’re open to everyone, not just guests, so here are the other restaurants to wine and dine at if you have the time:
- OUL: This bar wasn’t there when we visited, but I planned a trip back just to visit. OUL is a lux bar that features only local Korean spirits, delicious upscale Korean food, and is an amazing experience.
- The Garden Terrace: This open-air terrace is open from May through September so visitors and guests can enjoy the summer atmosphere while they sup on gourmet burgers, craft beers, wine, and cocktails.
- Akira Back: Celebrity chef Akira Back provides a unique and creative dining experience with modern Japanese fare to stimulate the senses.
- Yu Yuan: This is a Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant meant to depict a Shanghainese restaurant in the 1920s. There are private rooms and the interior is a lush dark green and gold. This is where you can enjoy Chef de Cuisine Koo Kwok Fai’s authentic recipes. Their signature dish is the Yu Yuan Beijing Duck.
- Boccalino: This is a Milanese style restaurant with marble walls, metal accents, and leather banquettes. Enjoy the open kitchen here and watch as classic southern Italian dishes are prepared.
- Charles H: This speakeasy is an underground bar and is the only place in the luxury hotel that doesn’t get any natural light. It’s a well known top secret bar if there ever was one. Named the Best Bar in Korea and ranked #49 on The World’s 50 Best Bars 2020 list and was just named #13 on the Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2021, if you haven’t had a drink here yet, you need to. Their signature drink is the Ms. Frida with Bianco Tequila, grapefruit, lavender cordial, bergamot, and tonic.
If you’re looking for a luxury hotel to stay in when you visit Seoul or you want a fantastic staycation in the heart of Seoul, the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul is absolutely where you should go. There is so much to enjoy within the hotel and plenty nearby too. We hope you enjoy your stay.
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